Job Summary
An exciting opportunity for an experienced and motivated dietitian to lead our acute frailty and geriatric medicine dietetic service at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust.
You will provide high-level dietetic clinical supervision, leadership, service development and governance of a specialist dietetic service. You will work as an integral member of the multidisciplinary frailty team, supporting comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA), admission avoidance and improved outcomes for vulnerable older people.
The Acute Frailty and Geriatric Medicine Team Lead Dietitian will be responsible for providing high-level clinical dietetic leadership of the acute frailty 7‑day dietetic service provided by University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP), covering the Frailty Same Day Emergency Care Unit (FSDEC), Frailty Short Stay Unit (Frailty SSU) and geriatric medicine in‑patients.
Main duties of the job
* Undertake a team leader role in planning, coordinating, delivering, developing and evaluating the Dietetic service provided to acute frailty patients on a day‑to‑day basis.
* Work as part of a multidisciplinary team and develop links with community‑based care services, pathways and virtual wards to expedite access and improve patient outcomes.
* Provide cross‑cover managerial supervision to other UHP dietetic clinical teams within the acute and/or community setting as directed by the Head of Nutrition and Dietetics.
* Takes a senior role in the advanced assessment and treatment of patients within this specialist area who may present with acute complex and/or acute on chronic presentations.
* Undertake evidence‑based audit and quality improvement/research projects to further autonomous practice and the clinical practice of the team; make recommendations to the clinical lead/manager of service for changes to practice.
* The post is based at Derriford Hospital, including Mount Gould Hospital. Ability to travel between hospital sites when required is essential.
Preference and Priority
Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as to those with ‘Priority’ and ‘At Risk’ status, including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who can demonstrate recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.
Job responsibilities
CLINICAL
* Responsible for the professional organisation, delivery and management of the dietetic service relating to the frailty dietetic team.
* Undertake appropriate assessment and treatment of patients referred for dietetic advice and ensure correct medical ethics are always observed.
* Manage own clinical caseload of patients referred to the service in both inpatient and outpatient settings.
* Lead on ensuring that patient nutrition outcomes are collected, completed and documented for the dietetic service, as directed by the Head of Nutrition & Dietetics.
* Liaise with stakeholders of other organisations concerning the provision of dietetic services related to the acute frailty dietetic service.
* Support the Head of Nutrition & Dietetics in providing excellent clinical leadership across the acute frailty dietetic service.
* Set a high personal standard of work and facilitate other staff to do likewise.
* Liaise with staff of other disciplines to ensure effective communication and reporting.
* Ensure continuing professional development of all staff by identifying training needs and, in collaboration with others, developing and implementing in‑service and post‑registration training programmes.
* Be responsible for the collection of statistical data relevant to the service in line with Trust and departmental policies and procedures.
* Determine own work priorities, balancing clinical, professional and organisational demands.
* Provide an advisory dietetic service to other health service personnel and advise on and participate in staff training programmes.
* Maintain up‑to‑date knowledge of developments in the acute frailty dietetic specialities and best practice by liaising with local, regional and national dietitians, reviewing literature and attending appropriate meetings and courses.
* Provide training and supervision to nutrition and dietetic students on clinical placements in line with the University’s syllabus and student assessment procedures.
* Represent the profession at clinical working groups, steering groups and primary care service planning.
* Be professionally and legally responsible for all aspects of own work, including management of patients in own care.
* Communicate with patients, carers and families who may be distressed and/or terminally ill.
* Support, advise and mentor new and less experienced team members both formally and informally.
* Take a flexible approach to supporting colleagues across the dietetic service during caseload pressure, ensuring clinical cover is maintained within available resources.
CLINICAL / OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
* Be responsible for the development, planning and leadership of the dietetic service for the acute frailty team, prioritising clinical needs to provide an effective, efficient service.
* Work as part of the multidisciplinary clinical acute frailty teams providing specialist dietetic advice.
* Operationally manage a team of junior dietitians/dietetic assistants, including recruitment, supervision, absence management and appraisal.
* Take responsibility for own professional actions, demonstrating advanced knowledge and skills to manage a complex caseload, evidencing high-level problem solving, reasoning skills and independence of judgment.
* Perform specialist assessment of adults with diverse presentations and complex physical and psychological conditions.
* Attend team meetings, ward rounds and MDT meetings as necessary to discuss care of patients and service provision.
* Work as part of the MDT to ensure holistic patient care, reviewing patients with the MDT and fully participating in problem‑solving aspects of consultations.
* Continuously monitor, develop and improve the service through audit, research, literature reviews and reflective practice.
* Establish and maintain a high standard of clinical expertise and care for patients under your management and support junior staff to do likewise.
* Demonstrate ability to assess patient understanding of treatment proposals, gain valid informed consent and work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.
* Undertake highly specialist dietetic interventions/treatments in line with identified evidence base and/or best clinical practice and national/network guidelines.
* Develop and distribute appropriate evidence‑based dietary literature for adults to advise on specific dietary problems.
* Participate in peer review and clinical supervision.
POLICY, SERVICE, ORGANISATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
* Contribute to the development of the nutrition and dietetic service. Attend and contribute to department meetings, CPD meetings and other appropriate meetings.
* Ensure own CPD and support culture of lifelong learning to maintain competence to practice.
* Take a lead role in identifying audit and research opportunities, initiate data collection and recommend changes to the Head of Nutrition and Dietetics; implement changes.
* Measure and evaluate own work using evidence-based outcome measures, audit and reflection to ensure practice is of a high standard and techniques are current.
* Provide specialist and highly specialist supervision, support and guidance; be a role model to peers and junior staff within the team and department.
* Coordinate and lead presentations and tutorials to immediate and wider team members.
* Attend and participate in all mandatory training relating to Trust and departmental policies, procedures and guidelines.
* Provide support within the formal staff appraisal scheme.
* Adhere to all Trust and departmental policies, procedures and guidelines.
* Embed quality improvement and service evaluation processes within the team.
* Work within the professional code of conduct as stipulated by the HCPC.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
* Act as a source of specialist knowledge and expertise in acute frailty dietetics for the dietetic department and wider MDT.
* Plan, organise and deliver clinical teaching programmes for other healthcare professionals and patient/carer groups on a formal and informal basis in response to identified need, presenting complex nutritional information to large groups of people.
* Participate in training and supervision of student dietitians, junior staff and members of the wider MDT as appropriate.
* Undertake mandatory training as required by the Trust.
AUDIT, MONITORING AND RESEARCH
* Research, evaluate and produce updated guidelines and protocols within the specialist area and disseminate throughout the organisation and network.
* Ensure the acute frailty dietetic service delivery is evidence-based and aligns with national standards; lead development of dietetic standards, evidence-based guidelines and patient information.
* Develop an ongoing programme of clinical audit.
* Participate in data collection to measure activity and outcomes.
* Ensure ongoing feedback, evaluation and development of best practice.
* Monitor service delivery routinely and implement change appropriately.
* Take the lead on specific projects, identifying unmet needs and gaps in service provision; provide evidence and data to support proposals and developments and design and implement policies and procedures within the Therapies directorate or specialist area.
MANAGEMENT
* Be responsible for self‑development of skills and competencies through participation in learning and development activities, and maintain up‑to‑date technical and professional knowledge relevant to the post.
* Promote the role of the dietitian to other disciplines and client groups.
* Take responsibility for recruitment, interviewing and selection of staff.
* Liaise with other specialist staff to develop nutritional policies, procedures and patient information literature.
* Keep workload statistics as required by the management team to support the continued evidence‑based need for the post.
* Ensure practice complies with the Health and Care Professions Council standards.
* Participate in the Trust Appraisal Scheme and work towards annually set objectives.
* Ensure People Advisory issues for the service are effectively managed to optimise employee performance and attendance; monitor staff records, including annual leave, sick leave and study leave.
* Undertake statutory training as required by the Trust.
* Perform duties requested by the line manager.
CLINICAL GOVERNANCE
* Undertake activities of clinical governance.
* Demonstrate commitment to continuous professional development by attending relevant courses and study days, registering with relevant interest groups, and attending meetings.
* Remain up‑to‑date with current practice and research in acute medical conditions, sharing knowledge with the wider dietetic team.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Essential
o BSc in Human Nutrition & Dietetics or equivalent qualification
o HCPC professional registration
o Completion of Clinical Supervisory Skills training course
* Desirable
o Completion of postgraduate specialist dietetic training
Knowledge and Experience
* Essential
o Demonstrable evidence of significant postregistration dietetic experience in a wide range of clinical areas
o Proven evidence of extensive post‑registration clinical dietetic practice with acute frailty and geriatric medicine patients
o Recent, demonstrable, extensive experience in enteral feeding and gastrostomies
o Demonstrable experience of complex multi‑disciplinary working and discharge planning
o Demonstrable experience of delivering clinical education to, and supervision of, dietetic students at graduate level
o Demonstrable experience of successfully managing junior staff
o Proven evidence of service evaluation including audit and outcome monitor
o Demonstrable experience of assessing and responding to risk and clinical incidents
* Desirable
o Demonstrable experience of working in a community setting
o Proven evidence of peer‑reviewed publications and presentations
o Demonstrable experience of developing policies, protocols and guidelines
o Demonstrable experience of delivering in‑service training programmes at postgraduate level
Other Requirements
* Essential
o Ability to travel between UHP sites
o Must be available to work over a 7‑day period due to service requirement
* Desirable
o British Dietetic Association (BDA) membership
o Active member of a Specialist Dietitian Group
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975; a Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service must be submitted to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current skilled‑worker sponsorship will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information, visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration.
Employer details
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Derriford Hospital
Derriford Road, Plymouth, PL6 8DH
Plymouth
PL6 8DH
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.plymouthhospitals.nhs.uk/
Professional Lead for Nutrition and Dietetics
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