Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical

Be clinically competent to give specialist dietetic advice, treatment and dietary counselling to patients.

Work autonomously to manage own caseload in a designated specialist area providing dietetic advice to patients, their carers and staff within agreed protocols / guidelines.

Judge the appropriateness of referrals, action dietetic management and advise referring agents of inappropriate referrals.

Analyse and interpret complex information from a variety of sources regarding individual patients, e.g. biochemistry, medication, clinical condition, anthropometric measurements.

Undertake nutritional calculations e.g. calculating nutritional requirements, analysis of nutritional intakes using specialist IT systems.

Develop and modify dietetic treatment and discharge plans referring to other specialists and agencies as appropriate.

To recommend appropriate ACBS nutritional products, feeding equipment, changes to medication, diagnostic tests and procedures and monitor their use.

Communicate highly complex nutrition and dietetic information in an understandable form to staff, clients and carers.

Use negotiation, motivation and counselling skills including situations where there are barriers to understanding.

To act as clinical lead and a source of expertise on nutrition and dietetic topics for the designated speciality, advising and supporting qualified and unqualified healthcare staff and other agencies who are in a position to provide nutritional advice, aiming to ensure accurate and consistent advice and treatment is provided.

Determine customer requirements within the designated speciality, developing and promoting the use of referral guidelines as appropriate.

Work in conjunction with medical, nursing, health & social care professional colleagues and other agencies attending multidisciplinary meetings, ward rounds, case reviews and meetings as necessary to facilitate good communications to provide high quality patient care.

Liaise and advise catering staff when necessary to ensure the appropriate provision of meals for patients.

Plan, implement and evaluate group education sessions for patients as required.

Produce timely reports to referring Health Care Professionals regarding patient care.

Work flexibly to provide a dietetic service which meets the needs of the clients in the designated specialist area.

To identify opportunities to promote healthier lifestyles or more appropriate nutrition in the designated specialty, and, using innovative methods, develop initiatives to promote healthier nutrition in the area, and contribute to the development and delivery of guidelines and action plans.

Training and Education

To plan, organise and evaluate competency of junior staff undertaking attachments or a new role in the designated specialist area.

Plan, organise and participate in the clinical supervision of student dietitians, including planning timetables and written assessments.

Preceptor or mentor junior members of staff and dietetic students.

Initiate and lead on the planning, coordination and evaluation of nutrition education & training for staff as required.

Leadership

To be responsible for arranging cover for planned and unplanned leave in the absence of the team leader.

To carry out personal development and job planning reviews for junior members of the team.

To provide training, supervision and support including developing action plans to improve the performance of junior staff as required.

To participate in the recruitment, selection and induction of staff.

To actively participate in the improvement of the service liaising with other stakeholders as required.

To undertake initial investigation of clinical incidents in the designated specialist area.

To attend meetings in the absence of the team leader.

To support, coach and mentor staff to take a preventative approach to self-managing their physical and mental wellbeing.

Professional

To actively participate in the forward planning of the department, communicating with senior managers who are in a position to influence service development.

Ensure dietetic practice is up to date, evidence-based and / or based on best practice by participating in appropriate training and development activities.

Ensure relevant training is attended to maintain competency re medical devices required within the job role.

Actively participate and contribute to clinical supervision to ensure regular evaluation of practice through peer review.

Actively participate in dietetic operational meetings, sharing knowledge, evaluating and improving service delivery.

To initiate and actively participate in the departments Clinical Governance programme including reviewing evidence / guidance, clinical and professional audits, research and reporting of clinical risks, taking a lead on identified elements.

To propose changes to own working practices and practices relating to nutrition across the specialty based on current evidence and best practice.

To lead on the development and monitoring of departmental clinical policies, guidelines and procedures relevant to designated specialist area.

Evaluate patient information in view of current evidence and update or produce new information/diet sheets as required.

To work as an autonomous practitioner working within the BDA Code of professional conduct and HCPC Standards of conduct, performance and Ethics and Standards of Proficiency (Dietitians).

Plan, prioritise and organise own workload working jointly with other professionals and agencies and evaluate own practice.

Work flexibly to meet the needs of the service.

Monitor stock levels and ensure effective use is made of department / trust resources, equipment and prescribed nutritional products.

Be responsible for maintaining patient records in line with trust and department standards and Data Protection Act requirements.

Document patient activity data daily in accordance with trust and professional standards.

Represents the service at relevant internal and external forums relevant to the specialist area.

Contribute to the development and maintenance of the profile of the Dietetic profession.