Senior Specialist Dietitian, Diabetes Service LeadinCoventryinCoventryPUBLISHED THU 2 JAN 2025

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced and highly motivated Dietitian within our Diabetes dietetic service at UHCW.

About you:

The successful candidate will have solid clinical skills alongside experience of service development in Diabetes.

You will work alongside the current operational lead for Diabetes . The applicant will work as part of our wider community and acute Diabetes MDT.

You will be supported in your own personal development by a strong Dietetic Management Team. There is a strong emphasis on training at UHCW and you will have access to our own bespoke leadership and change management training, plus opportunity to attend relevant external courses funded by the department. You will also have the benefits of being part of a passionate peer network within UHCW and with our partnership organisations in Coventry and Warwickshire.

We are looking for someone who is focused on delivering the best care to our patients as well as creating the best experiences and opportunities for our staff. It is an exciting time for the organisation as we move to deliver our new trust strategy. Previous acute and community diabetes experience within the NHS is essential to this role.

About the role:

o To carry out dietetic assessment appropriate to role and experience, provide nutritional diagnosis and provide a dietetic treatment plan for patients / clients.o To hold responsibility for own patient caseload including patients with complex presentationso Maintain clinical records in line with local / Trust documentation guidelineso To liaise with dietetic colleagues and other members of the multidisciplinary team as necessary e.g. Medical, nursing, catering and other health care professionalso To undertake leadership and line management duties as required for the posto To work within National and Trust policies / guidelines; and HCPC and BDA standards and codes of conducto To have an in depth understanding of national and local standards and able to monitor own practice against theseo To participate in bank holiday working and work flexible hours to meet the needs of the patients if required

About us

Clinical

1. To work autonomously to provide specialist dietetic advice to patients, their carers and staff within agreed protocols and guidelines and with support from senior colleagues including:

• Carry out nutritional assessments (interpretation of biochemistry, anthropometrics, clinical condition and diet history) to determine nutritional problem.
• Development of treatment plans (calculation of nutritional requirements, analysis of nutritional intakes sometimes using specialist IT systems, client centred goals and discharge planning including patients on artificial nutritional support).
• Prescription of dietary treatment and ACBS products for conditions where there are limited professional / clinical guidelines available.

1. To be clinically competent following appropriate training to give specialist dietetic advice, treatment and dietary counselling to patients in, in-patient and out-patient clinic locations including consultant led clinics and structured group education programmes as appropriate.
2. To communicate nutrition and dietetic information in an understandable form to staff, clients and carers, requiring negotiation, persuasion, motivation and counselling skills including situations where there are barriers to change.
3. To use appropriate communication skills and resources to ensure that suitably accessible information is available to individuals on their dietary treatment/care plans.
4. To liaise with catering, nursing and dietetic staff to ensure the provision of a satisfactory meal service for individual patients
5. To attend and participate in multidisciplinary meetings.
6. To participate in the health promotion activities of the department.
7. To work flexible hours to meet the needs of the patients and the service as required
8. To cover the work of colleagues and deputise for senior colleagues during periods of absence or peak workloads.

Management

1. To participate in forward planning and development of the dietetic department with particular reference to the Diabetes Dietetic team.
2. To lead and contribute to the development and updating of evidence based clinical guidelines, policies, procedures and patient information with particularly for those required for use in Diabetes.
3. To propose changes to own working practices and practices relating to nutrition across the Diabetes Dietetic Team based on current evidence and best practice.
4. To monitor stock levels of resources such as stationery, diet sheets, patient information, enteral feeding equipment and ensure cost effective and appropriate use within the Diabetes Dietetic Team.
5. To plan and prioritise own workload and evaluate own practice which may include clinics, group work, working jointly with other professionals and agencies.
6. To actively participate in the forward planning of the department.

Training and education

1. To plan and organise the training and clinical supervision of student dietitians and dietitians on attachment including planning and prioritising training programmes, timetables and written assessments.
2. To undertake mentoring of junior members of staff and student dietitians.
3. To initiate and lead the planning and coordination of training on nutritional topics in community nutrition support as appropriate to healthcare staff, and other workers or carers.
4. To regularly initiate and participate in the departmental Clinical Governance programme including presenting research findings, evidence based practice work shops, clinical audit, and reporting of clinical risks.
5. To develop evaluation criteria and audit clinical practice within the designated speciality to ensure a high quality, evidence based effective service.

Professional

1. To keep up to date with current developments in dietetics and participate in appropriate continuous professional development activities.
2. To actively participate and contribute to departmental clinical supervision group to ensure a regular evaluation of practice through peer review.
3. Ensure that all Trust wide and departmental standards and clinical guidelines are maintained and monitored to improve the quality of total care, to all who come into contact with services provided by University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust.
4. Participate in personal reviews and work to achieve agreed set objectives.
5. To document patient activity data in accordance with Trust and professional standards and to meet any external requirements of the designated speciality.
6. 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).
7. Contributes to the development and maintenance of the profile of the Dietetic profession.

For further details of the role please see the attached job description.