About The Company
* Renowned for providing high quality care and ranked 'Good' by the CQC.
* For‑better‑profit organisation, reinvesting any surplus back into our health and care services and our local community.
* Friendly, ambitious, welcomes innovation and rewards excellence.
* Offers superior benefits; everything you get in the NHS and more.
* Our achievements reflect the passion, dedication and commitment demonstrated by our staff across all services.
Join our Nutrition & Dietetics team and be part of this exciting time. Medway Community Healthcare CIC is a social enterprise co‑owned by its employees. As new employees to our organisation, we anticipate that you will become co‑owners, giving you greater involvement and an opportunity to influence key decisions.
Position Overview
We are looking for a highly motivated individual with relevant qualifications, experience and skills to work as a Specialist Community Dietitian within the Medway Community Healthcare community dietetic team. The role will involve seeing patients in outpatient clinics, in their own homes, and in care homes, supervising junior team members, and training students.
Key Responsibilities and Duties
* Patient‑Centred Care
o To assess, advise and liaise with patients and their carers in providing up to date dietary information.
o To review and update dietary information for patients and carers.
o Will be required to offer constructive feedback to support development of others.
o To establish rapport with a wide range of patients and carers, working in a non‑discriminatory fashion.
o To liaise regularly with nursing, medical and other health professionals regarding the treatment of patients (e.g. on appropriate use of nutritional supplements, enteral and parenteral feeds).
o To use motivational interviewing techniques to overcome barriers to change.
o To deliver difficult or upsetting information in a compassionate manner.
o To translate complex scientific information into an easily understood format.
o To provide nutrition counselling, using advocacy services or interpreters when appropriate, to communicate with the diverse multicultural population where there are barriers to communication.
o To review, prepare, present and evaluate diabetes education and training programmes for other organisations, health care professionals and patient groups.
o Will work closely with Clinical, Nursing and Dietetic colleagues in the provision of a Dietetic Service to patients and will liaise with appropriate services i.e. acute hospital staff, GPs.
* Knowledge, Training and Experience
o The post holder requires a degree/postgraduate diploma in nutrition and dietetics.
o To be registered with, and work at all times within the professional codes of practice stipulated by the Health Professions Council.
o Is expected to take responsibility for self‑development on a continuous basis, undertaking on‑the‑job and other training and study days as required.
o To be able to effectively manage time and work to deadlines.
o To review and update dietary information for patients and carers.
o To exhibit supportive and supervisory skills for junior members of the team to aid professional development.
* Analytical and Judgement Skills
o Will be involved with clinical supervision and also provide support to junior members of staff. This includes clinical guidance and assisting with project work where necessary.
o To continuously assess and reflect on current practices and identify changes in clinical and working practices to ensure that recognised 'best practice' is implemented.
o To complete a yearly audit.
o To demonstrate good time management skills and an ability to prioritise own workload.
o To translate complex scientific information into an easily understood format.
o To interpret biochemical data and use to formulate dietary requirements and advice.
* Planning and Organisational Skills
o To review, prepare, present and evaluate education and training programmes for other organisations, health care professionals and patient groups.
o To undertake a yearly audit.
o To submit data in a timely fashion and achieve deadlines as set by Team Lead.
o To develop a CPD plan and personal objectives with the Team Lead.
o To demonstrate good time management skills and an ability to prioritise own workload.
o To contribute to leading and organising the Community Team in the absence of the senior dietitians.
* Physical Skills
o To use a wide range of computer software at a high level and have good keyboard skills.
o To demonstrate an ability to use additional equipment as required for role e.g. skin fold callipers.
o To work in a range of clinical environments which may be subject to frequent interruptions.
o To follow procedures for moving and handling.
* Responsibility for Patient / Client Care
o To contribute to leading and organising the Community team in the absence of the senior dietitians.
o To be responsible for providing specialised advice to clients within the community and outpatient setting including nutritional assessment, dietary counselling, motivational interviewing, negotiating targets, developing care plans and communicating these with relevant health and other care agencies.
o Must at all times respect patient confidentiality and, in particular, the confidentiality of electronically stored personal data in line with the requirements of the Data Protection Act.
o To remain patient focused at all times by providing high quality and responsive healthcare services in the hospital setting.
o To work closely with patients, their families, carer groups, local communities and other organisations ensuring care is co‑ordinated.
o To develop a safe caseload management plan by evaluating the condition of patients, the volume of caseload and workload within the role to prioritise work, thus decreasing clinical risk and achieving deadlines. These decisions will be taken without consulting the line manager.
o To prescribe nutrition related products for patients, dependent upon clinical condition e.g. enteral feeds, sip feeds, gluten free foods and advise medical staff on recommended prescriptions.
o To recommend alterations to a patients prescription in liaison with other health care professionals e.g. change to enteral feeding regimes.
o To be responsible for the safe discharge/transfer planning of patients requiring home enteral nutrition, including liaising with and co‑ordinating numerous outside agencies, such as home enteral feeding companies, community budget holders and clinical community staff.
o To liaise with dietetic colleagues locally and nationally and other experts to ensure nutrition care, standards, advice and information are consistent with current evidence base.
o To ensure that services are planned, implemented and evaluated within the framework of clinical governance i.e. demonstrate that working practices are up to date through the application of best practice, and reporting of incidents and risks and follow through to prevent recurrence.
* Responsibility for Policy and Service Development Implementation
o To liaise with dietetic colleagues locally and nationally and other experts to ensure nutrition care, standards, advice and information are consistent with current evidence base.
o To ensure that services are planned, implemented and evaluated within the framework of clinical governance i.e. demonstrate that working practices are up to date through the application of best practice, and reporting of incidents and risks and follow through to prevent recurrence.
o To observe the rules, policies and procedures of Medway Community Healthcare CIC.
o To lead and collaborate in the development of standards, protocols and pathways of care for the nutrition support of patients.
o To lead and participate in audit activities relevant to the service as agreed in the service strategy and in association with key stakeholders in the service/organisation.
o To share any incidents or quality service with colleagues and report through appropriate sources.
o May be required to undertake duties at any location within the Organisation in order to meet service needs.
o Must at all times carry out duties and responsibilities with due regard to the Organisation's equal opportunities policies and procedures.
* Responsibilities for Financial and Physical Resources
o To make the most efficient use of departmental resources and be mindful of budgetary limitations.
o To provide best practice and value for money by reviewing and evaluating services and sharing information internally and externally.
o To ensure that costs of prescribing nutrition related products are considered whilst formulating treatment plans and long term dietetic input.
o To consider the financial implications dietetic intervention may have on a patient and whether it is feasible and sustainable with the patient's environment.
* Responsibilities for Human Resources (HR)
o To actively participate in the planning and delivery of the department's student training programme on a regular basis.
o To actively participate in the education of all staff (this includes dietetic staff & students) with specialist dietetic advice. To maintain an up‑to‑date knowledge of research findings and new practices within nutrition and dietetics, and apply this knowledge to improve practice, thus ensuring national standards are being met.
o To participate fully in the departments Individual Performance Development system through portfolio‑based assessment, in line with national legislation.
o To contribute to the development of own CPD plan in liaison with Team Lead.
o To supervise junior members of staff to enable them to prioritise and manage their workload.
o To appraise student positively and constructively. This may involve discussing performance or competency issues.
o To be innovative and proactive by encouraging staff to initiate new ideas in working practices and ensuring a process of continuous improvement in the way services are provided.
Benefits and Support
* Informal visits can be arranged on request.
* We will offer you the choice of two pension schemes; the NHS Pension scheme and the Scottish Widows Group pension scheme.
* MCH encourages all staff to be double COVID‑vaccinated to protect themselves, their colleagues, their family and their patients.
Contact & Application
For an informal chat or further information please contact Shruti Webb‑Butler Adult Therapy Operational Lead shruti.webb-butler@example.com or 03001233444. Full JD can be found in the attachments. We reserve the right to close this advert earlier than the published closing date if we receive a sufficient number of applications. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted within 1 week of the closing date; no discourtesy is intended in not contacting you if your application is rejected. When completing your application, please include the email addresses and contact telephone numbers for your referees; your referees should be your line managers / course tutors for the last 3 years.
Equal Opportunity & Diversity
MCH is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to a compassionate and inclusive workplace and values diversity of all people. We prohibit unlawful discrimination and harassment of any kind and wish to provide our employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. At the heart of our values, we seek to treat people fairly and with dignity and respect and provide a workplace where people feel they belong. We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workforce and strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join MCH. We are positive about disability and we guarantee interviews to applicants with a disability who meet the minimum criteria as specified in the job description. We are committed to offering support and making reasonable adjustments to allow full participation in the interview and selection process and through their employee journey. We are committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children and vulnerable adults.
Flexible Work
Would you like to work flexibly? In the NHS, we are reminded every day of how important work life balance is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us, for our patients and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement.
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