Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

Professional

·       To act within the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act (2005). 

·       To be aware of and implement Safeguarding Adult and Child Protection Policies, Procedures and legislation.   

·       To provide cover in the absence of the Band 7 lead dietitian in other divisions.

·       To ensure that all service users are treated based on Evidence based practice and nationally agreed standards.

·       To attend all statutory and mandatory training required to undertake the job role.

·       To provide in house training to health care professionals in line with the Service objectives and needs.

·       To attend professional supervision sessions and engage as per Trust’s Supervision and Appraisal Policy.

·       To engage in your own CPD and actively contribute to the continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities within the wider dietetic service.

·       To attend multidisciplinary team meetings as required and contribute to research in the clinical area.

·       To document assessments, interventions, evaluations and progress notes in a clear, timely and professional manner, in line with Trust and profession specific policies. 

·       To contribute to a healthy and safe working environment by adhering to health and safety regulations and Trust policies. 

·       To attend and contribute to Dietetic team meetings across the Trust face to face or virtually as required.

·       To be willing to undertake duties as may be reasonably required to support the professional delivery of services and ensure clinical safety. These may be based at another Trust managed location.

Leadership 

·       To plan, support and deliver high-quality and highly complex dietetic assessments and interventions

·       To lead on service development, evaluations and audits relevant to dietetics.

·       To provide high quality supervision and mentoring to dietetic staff, including appraisals and addressing performance issues as required

·       To represent and advocate for dietetics within a range of forums within the Trust, ICS and regionally

·       To deliver effective continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities within services and divisions to enable dietetic staff to deliver the identified dietetics pathways

·       To ensure that placements for dietetic students and apprenticeships are offered within the clinical speciality

·       To lead on the development and implementation of appropriate policies, protocols and care pathways

·       To contribute to the strategic planning of the dietetic service within the Trust

·       To be part of the wider MDT leadership team within the locality/sector/division, providing support as part of the seniors’ team within the service e.g. caseload reviews, MDT discussions, assessment feedback meetings.  

·       To research national best practice and enable services to benchmark practice against nationally recognised standards- in partnership with people who use services.   

·       To contribute to appropriate staff recruitment and contribute to the wider strategic plan regarding recruitment and retention.

Clinical

·       To have an excellent knowledge of clinical dietetics and models 

·       To provide evidence based and outcome measured dietetic interventions (individual and group)

·       To be able to effectively communicate with colleagues, peers, senior managers and clinical leads within the Trust.

·       Develop and maintain good communication with all levels of management within the service and build partnerships internal service and external agencies such as GPs.

·       To use highly effective clinical reasoning and formulation skills to devise person-centred dietetic care plans, alongside people who access services and their carers/supporters/family members (where appropriate).  

·       To work closely with the multidisciplinary team to achieve dietetic outcomes.

·       Participate in the review and dietetic development of clinical policies and identify improvements to service provision.

·       To act as mentor to students, providing effective education, facilitating their development and promoting high standards of dietetic care and coordinating placement timetables and support supervision.

·       To ensure continuation of care within the dietetic service including discharge planning and follow up in line with service standards.

·       To manage a caseload of patients requiring enteral feeding and supporting with oral nutritional support and obesity caseloads as required.

·       To provide expert nutrition support care to people on Enteral Feeding or identified at risk of malnutrition, including those prescribed oral nutritional supplements, to enable their dietary and nutritional rehabilitation.

·       To make recommendations to GPs on the appropriate prescribing of enteral feeds and oral nutritional supplements.

·       Write reports reflecting specialist knowledge as necessary.

·       To lead in the planning, organisation and delivery of a seamless service for patients on Enteral Feeding transferring between Inpatient services and the Community.

·       To lead on developing nutrition resources and deliver training sessions in clinical area, for both staff and people who use our services.

·       To complete comprehensive risk assessment and management plans, raising safeguarding concerns in line with Trust policy. 

·       To keep up to date with current evidence-based practice, research and National guidelines within your clinical area, sharing this knowledge with the wider dietetic service.

·       To effectively manage a caseload with people who have highly complex mental health needs.

·       To provide services which are compassionate, inclusive and understanding of the needs of people who access services, carers/supporter/family members. 

·       To actively forge effective working relationships with partner organisations, stakeholders and other community resources. 

·       To collate clinical impact and outcome data and share with the relevant stakeholders and Trust Wide Professional Lead.