Job summary
We are looking for an experienced Dietitian to provide maternity cover on a part-time/flexible basis to our Paediatric Home Enteral Feeding team.
The Community Paediatric Home Enteral Feeding team provides a high-quality service to children and families in Luton and South Bedfordshire. Successful applicants will be well supported in their role by our supportive team of experienced Band 7 Paediatric Dietitians, Band 6 Paediatric Dietitians and Dietetic Support Workers!
This role can be fulfilled remotely, so we welcome applications from professionals across the country.
We would be willing to offer a short-term contract for 12 months if required.
We will offer:
An experienced, friendly, supportive and well-respected community-based nutrition and dietetic department that delivers a variety of adult and paediatric services across Luton and Bedfordshire.
Support and learning opportunities via team working and department wide CPD (continuing professional development).
Main duties of the job
To provide a highly specialist dietetic service to a caseload of complex paediatric patients - home enteral tube feeding (HETF), learning disabilities, autistic spectrum disorder (ASD).
To work collaboratively with acute dietetic and medical teams to effectively manage enterally fed patients who are stepping down from acute to community care.
To work closely with acute dietetic colleagues to facilitate safe and appropriate discharge planning from acute services to community. This will include regular attendance to the wards or meetings at Luton and Dunstable Hospital for patients on the caseload.
To work closely alongside the multidisciplinary teams who look after these patients, across both acute and community services.
To act as a source of expertise to the wider dietetic team and other health professionals on HETF and paediatric dietetics.
About us
Rated 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission, we are proud to provide high quality innovative services across most of the east of England that enable people to receive care closer to home and live healthier 's one reason why our services are outstanding - and that's our amazing staff - who, for the seventh year running, rated us incredibly highly in the national staff you share our passion for innovative and high-quality care delivery, then please submit your application and join us on our exciting journey as a leading-edge specialist community provider. All are welcome to apply and our promise to you is a culture which prioritises staff engagement and development.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Main Duties and Responsibilities:
To manage a caseload of complex paediatric patients includes home enteral tube feeding, learning disabilities, autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). Providing dietetic reviews in community clinic, day centres, home visit, special needs schools and jointly with consultants/other healthcare professionals.
To undertake comprehensive assessments for patients, including anthropometrics, biochemistry, clinical condition, diet history and social circumstances and to use advanced clinical reasoning skills to interpret data.
To provide appropriate evidence based intervention and evaluate outcomes.
To prioritise and plan the day-to-day provision of dietetic services within your own caseload.
To contribute to the development and implementation of protocols and guidelines for your specialist areas within the service as well as nutrition-related Trust-wide policies.
To work autonomously with little day to day supervision.
To make timely and appropriate direct referrals to other healthcare professionals and specialist services
To liaise with dietetic colleagues locally and nationally and other experts to ensure nutritional care, standards, advice and information are consistent with the current evidence base.
To work jointly with the other home enteral feeding dietitians and provide cover for the community paediatric dietitians or home enteral feeding team lead in their absence, as required.
To work collaboratively and liaise with a wide range of professions across a variety of locations and agencies.
To challenge professional and organisational boundaries in the interest of patients.
To organise and co-ordinate the process of setting up a home enterally fed patient on the home delivery service following discharge from hospital.
Contribute to department continuous professional development (CPD) sessions, home enteral tube feeding meetings and MDT caseload meetings.
To give expert opinion on complex nutrition related issues where a number of social, ethical, psychological and medical factors have to be considered and where there may be conflicting ideas within the multidisciplinary team
To be responsible for the provision and development of dietetic services in your specialist areas across the Trust, and to be responsible for service change in those specialist areas in response to service requirement.
To be professionally and legally accountable and responsible for all aspects of your own work, including the management of patients in your care.
To maintain accurate and comprehensive patient records in line with the British Dietetic Association (BDA), HCPC and trust guidelines.
To act promptly in response to any safeguarding concerns identified during patient care.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
1. Degree or post graduate qualification in Nutrition and Dietetics
2. Registered with HCPC as Dietitian
3. Evidence of previous and ongoing commitment to continuous professional development.
Desirable
4. Post graduate training in dietetics
5. Registered member of the British Dietetic Association and specialist interest groups ( Prescribing Support Dietitians group)
6. Leadership and/or management training
Experience
Essential
7. Experience of providing dietetic services to home enteral feeding patients
8. Demonstrates basic understanding of paediatric nutritional requirements, growth monitoring and paediatric feeds
9. Ability to apply advanced reasoning to assess need, justify, plan and deliver activities clinical education and audit.
10. Understanding of local and national strategies and policies relating to nutrition, health and social care as relevant to the post
11. Significant post graduate work in a clinical setting (hospital/community)
12. Minimum 2 years paediatric experience (acute or community)
Desirable
13. Experience of organising and providing training for health or social care professionals
14. Developing treatment protocols, guidelines and clinical pathways
15. Supervising junior staff and dietetic students
Skills
Essential
16. Excellent oral communication skills based on fluency on the English language.
17. Ability to plan, organise and prioritise own workload, clinical and non-clinical
18. Strong organisational and time management skills
Desirable
19. Experience of clinical governance and audit