Job Description
The home enteral feeding team within the Nutrition and Dietetics Service provides dietetic support to adults requiring home enteral feeding. We work in hospital and community settings throughout Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven. We are committed to providing a comprehensive and patient centred service to our patients. The service operates core hours of 09.00 – 17.00 however some clinics and education groups operate outside of these times.
The post holder will also undertake one outpatient clinic per week to support the telemedicine dietetic service, and will work closely with the team leader for inpatient dietetics, deputising for one another.
- To lead the home enteral feeding team, in collaboration with other Highly Specialist Dietitians/Team Leaders
- To be responsible for planning, coordinating, delivering and evaluating clinical case work within the team
- To ensure evidence based, highly specialist knowledge and skills are provided to the patients referred into the service
- To ensure partnership working with patients, carers, the MDT, and wider statutory, private and voluntary sector services to provide improved nutritional care.
- To take responsibility for effective functioning of the allocated team.
- To take a lead with quality improvements in dietetic practice in in conjunction with other Highly Specialist Dietitians/Team Leaders.
- To take joint responsibility for staff and student training and development.
- Provide support to the operational manager deputising for them as required.
In pursuing these duties the post holder will ensure compliance with the NHS Constitution and the Act As One vision for the health and care partnership for Bradford District and Craven.
We are always looking for enterprising and innovative approaches to the way we provide our services. We are a national centre for telemedicine and introduced telehealth to the UK offender healthcare sector and also provide the service to patients in their care homes. Community matters to us and we are supported by 400 dedicated volunteers and have strong links with Bradford University, Craven College and Leeds City College to ensure we inspire the workforce of the future.
We want to attract staff who embrace our Right Care behaviours of compassion, a commitment to quality of care and working together for patients we want to make these part of our DNA.
- Ensure the allocated team provides a timely and efficient clinical service to patients with reference to service priorities and responding to the changing needs of the team and the service.
- Ensure that all patients receive a high standard of clinical care from the team and that all team members meet the standards expected from the British Dietetic Association (BDA).
- Provide dietetic assessment and clinical interventions to patients as required.
- Collaborate with key system partners to develop and improve nutritional patient pathways.
- Respond to unforeseen situations that take precedence over planned work.
- Provide expert interventions and support for relatives, carers, and other health professionals ensuring a consistent approach to patient care.
- Provide a source of dietetic expertise to health and social care colleagues working across the system
- Train and supervise junior dietitians, assistants and students.
- Use highly developed communication skills to establish good working relationships with colleagues, service users and carers.
- Use verbal and non-verbal communication skills and sensitivity with patients, relatives and carers to overcome barriers to communication
- Deal effectively with complex, sensitive or contentious communications
1. Leadership and Management
2.1 To lead, manage and support the specialist nurse and dietetic assistant practitioner within the allocated team. This will include informal management of absence and discipline and facilitation of regular team meetings.
- Have an overview of the allocated team’s clinical capacity and demand. Ensure there is adequate cover across working hours and that all team members have an appropriate balance of clinical and professional activities.
- Recognise and respond to changing team priorities and unforeseen situations that take precedence over planned work.
- Contribute to the planning and development of the malnutrition dietetic service in partnership with the Operational Manager and other Team Leaders.
- Take responsibility for delegated dietetic profession wide tasks and service development activities.
- Communicate effectively within the immediate team, the wider Dietetics Service, and with other internal and external organisations
- Plan, deliver and evaluate appropriate training to others within the System
- Develop and amend relevant protocols, policies and procedures designed to improve patient care and experience and ensure that the team implements any changes to practice.
- Adhere to health and safety policies and procedures and they are followed by all team members.
- Report, investigate and feedback learning from incidents and near misses using the relevant incident reporting system.
- Collect, monitor and evaluate data and statistics for the team and service.
- Ensure all team members participate in supervision and annual development review processes.
- Take a lead in the recruitment of staff to the allocated team in collaboration with the operational manager.
- Have an awareness of team budgets and work with the clinical lead dietitian on cost efficiencies
- Deputise for the operational manager as required.
- Be prepared to work flexibly in terms of time and workload to meet service needs