Job summary
- Main area
- Dietitian
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 4
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Part time - 18.75 hours per week
- Job ref
- 367-LD&F-9781
- Employer
- Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Negotiable - to be based within one of the Adult Community Learning Disability Bases in Norfolk.
- Town
- Negotiable - one of the Adult Community LD Bases in Norfolk.
- Salary
- £27,485 - £30,162 per annum, pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 02/11/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Dietitian Assistant Practitioner Band 4
NHS AfC: Band 4
Values Based Screener
At Hertfordshire Partnership Foundation Trust we are looking for people to join us who share our values and those of the NHS. Before your application can be considered please take part on our online values questionnaire, which you can find below. When you have finished you will be sent a 'completion code' by email, which will be valid for 6 months and required to submit your application form.
Job overview
We are offering an exciting and rewarding opportunity to join the Norfolk Adult Learning Disability Service as a Band 4 Dietetic Assistant Practitioner. You will work very closely within a multidisciplinary team to provide dietetic support to individuals with a learning disability in a variety of community settings, supported by a team of learning disability dietitians.
We are looking for someone with good communication and interpersonal skills to support the learning disability dietetic service. You will work with and assist dietitians in the support, treatment and monitoring of patients. You will be supported by the professional lead dietitian and have regular supervision to support your development within the role.
Main duties of the job
Under the broad supervision and with the support of the registered dietitians:
• Undertake a variety of clinical tasks to support the delivery of nutritional care to patients with a learning disability. This could be in a variety of settings - community, day service venues, respite/short breaks, residential/care homes, patients own homes.
• Manage own caseload of patients allocated by the supervising dietitian, working without direct supervision and undertaking a variety of delegated clinical tasks, in accordance with agreed guidance/care pathways.
• Undertake a variety of non-clinical tasks to support the Learning Disability Dietetic Service
.• To raise nutritional awareness/Healthy Lifestyles and promote the benefits of Nutrition and Dietetic Services with respect to people with a learning disability.
Working for our organisation
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is an outstanding organisation with ambitions to match. We are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of ‘Outstanding’ from the Care Quality Commission, and our aim is to be the leading provider of mental health and specialist learning disability services in the country.
Our family of over 4000 members of staff provide health and social care for over 400,000 people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. We also deliver a range of nationally commissioned specialist services including Tier 4 services for children and young people, perinatal services, plus medium and low secure learning disabilities services.
The care we provide makes a fantastic difference to the lives of our service users, their families and carers - everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:
Our Trust values are:
Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.
These values are at the core of who we are, everything we do, and how we do it!
Would you like to be part of the HPFT family? Would you like work with us to ensure our service users live the fullest lives possible they can? Would you like to be supported in your career to be the best that you can be?
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To manage an allocated workload efficiently and effectively with regard to clinical priorities and use of time, in accordance with agreed guidance/care pathways.
To gain valid informed consent prior to undertaking any clinical tasks.
With support, to work within the legal framework with patients who lack the capacity to consent to treatment.
To manage, without direct supervision, own caseload of less complex patients triaged by the supervising dietitians. This will include seeing patients in a variety of settings.
The post holder will work in a specified clinical area with patients who have been delegated by registered dietitians. In accordance with agreed guidance/care pathways:
· Carry out an initial assessment
· Implement and monitor/review a suitable nutritional treatment plan
· Refer on to the appropriate dietitian if the patient presents with problems outside the competency of the post holder
· Liaise with staff from Health, Social care and other outside agencies and third sector provider, service users and others
To undertake anthropometric measurements, using specialised equipment e.g. skin fold callipers, ramp and hoist scales – these may need to be used and transported to patients in the community.
To use these measurements to calculate BMI, %weight loss/gain, estimated height, etc.
To take diet histories and calculate energy and protein intakes. This may involve seeing patients in a variety of settings, e.g. community settings, e.g. patients’ homes.
To collect relevant patient information from a variety of sources to assist with clinical prioritisation and patient management e.g. ward handovers, observation charts, computerised biochemical data, medical and nursing records.
To be aware of own professional limitations and report any concerns to supervising registered dietitian.
To liaise with catering services on behalf of the patient, as appropriate, to arrange suitable therapeutic diets.
To support other departments with ongoing patient management relating to patient care and nutrition, e.g.
· Nursing care
· Occupational Therapy
· Speech & Language Therapy
To update patient records in a concise, accurate and timely manner in line with Trust and departmental policy.
To provide cover as required within other teams.
To be an active member of the team and comment on service development proposals in own work area.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- • Evidence for Band 4 competencies in clinical practice
- • Foundation Degree in Health Studies (or equivalent)
Desirable criteria
- • NVQ 3 in Care or equivalent
- • Food Hygiene certificate
- • Word Processing qualification
Experience
Essential criteria
- • Previous experience as a Health Care (Support) worker
- • Previous experience of public sector work or activities involving contact with the general public
- • Previous experience of people with illness, injury or physical disability in a formal (work related) or information (home/social related) capacity
- • Ability to communicate effectively
- • Good organisational skills
- • Good numeric and literacy skills
Desirable criteria
- • Previous experience working with people who have a learning disability in a formal (work related) or information (home/social related) capacity
- • Previous experience of training/ supervising others
Skills, Abilities and Knowledge
Essential criteria
- • Is able to work as part of a team
- • Is able to work unsupervised where necessary
- • Good time management skills
- • Is able to use initiative appropriately
- • Applies a practical approach to problem solving
Communication
Essential criteria
- • Possess a range of verbal and non-verbal communication skills
- • Ability to adapt both verbal and non-verbal communication appropriate to the patient
- • Ability to produce practical advice and resources to support patients understanding
- • Possess the skills to persuade, motivate, explain, and empathise to encourage patients to undertake their treatment programme
Personal and People Development
Essential criteria
- • Ability to commit to continuous professional development
- • Ability to reflect and appraise own performance
Desirable criteria
- • Previous experience of training/ supervising others
Personal Attributes / Behaviours
Essential criteria
- • Is flexible and adaptable
- • Ability to demonstrate a commitment to multi- disciplinary team working and develop effective working relationships.
- • Ability to deal sensitively with demanding, emotional and aggressive patients
- • Is able to demonstrate a holistic approach to their own physical and emotional well being
- • Able to work under pressure
- • Demonstrate a sense of humour
Other
Essential criteria
- • Demonstrate commitment to lifelong learning
- • Ability to travel to a variety of different locations, transporting equipment as necessary
- • Ability to work in a variety of settings and environments.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Melissa Goodall
- Job title
- Lead Norfolk Learning Disabilities Dietitian
- Email address
- [email protected]
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