Specialist Paediatric Diabetes Dietitian

Job Description

All staff share the Trust Vision and uphold and promote our Trust values 

 Our Values

Job title: Specialist Paediatric Diabetes Dietitian.

Band: 6

Location / Work Base: Howlands Clinic, New QE2 Hospital, Welwyn garden City. However, you may be required to work on a permanent or temporary basis elsewhere within Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust boundaries

Business Unit / Department: Specialist Services

Reporting to: Lead Paediatric Dietitian

JOB PURPOSE SUMMARY:

• To provide dietetic care within the East and North Herts NHS Trust children’s and young people’s diabetes service.
• To work in conjunction with the paediatric diabetes team to implement the Best Practice Tariff.
• To work as part of the paediatric dietetic team to deliver a high quality nutrition and dietetic service, providing specialist dietetic advice, education and support to patients, their carers and other health care professionals.

MAIN DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES:

Operational Delivery

1. To educate and advise patients or carers on the dietary management of their condition(s) in a variety of settings e.g. inpatients, outpatients, schools and home visits etc.
2. To provide carbohydrate counting education to children, young people and their carers at diagnosis of diabetes, in a variety of settings as required e.g. inpatients, out patients, home visits etc.
3. To provide specialist dietetic input at multidisciplinary paediatric diabetes clinics.
4. To assist and participate in production of new teaching materials, diet sheets, surveys, projects, research schemes and develop activities for diabetes patients where the need arises as identified by the service lead.
5. Organise, facilitate and provide group education sessions to different group types e.g. patients/families/carers/school staff/caterers or other health care professionals on varying dietetic/nutritional topics as required.
6. To support the implementation of nutrition policies.
7. To develop and evaluate training sessions for nurses and other health professionals.
8. To keep up to date by regularly reviewing current literature, join relevant professional bodies and attend study days as approved by the Clinical and Operational Lead for Dietetics.
9. To be responsible for working collaboratively with colleagues in seeking to improve the quality of service provided to our clients/patients.
10. To attend dietetic departmental, diabetes multidisciplinary and East of England paediatric diabetes meetings in different locations locally and within East of England locality.
11. To be actively involved in clinical audits, evaluating the outcome of the service provided and work to develop and deliver service improvements.
12. To constantly evaluate own practice.

Patient / Customer Care

1. To assess, formulate and provide highly specialist dietetic advice to patients to ensure a high standard of clinical care.
2. To assess the drug treatments plans and amend dietary intervention as appropriate and make recommendations regarding changes of medication for the nutritional management of patients.
3. To provide expert advice on the use of and to recommend the prescription of ACBS and specialist nutritional products, as appropriate, adhering to guidance from local policies.
4. To identify the need for and request further investigations e.g. blood biochemistry necessary in the dietetic treatment and monitoring of patients.
5. To promote the health of patients, carers and members of the general public.

 Strategic Management

1. To have sole responsibility for organising a daily clinical caseload and base practice on clinical priorities / referral criteria, standards and protocols.
2. To prioritise referrals according to departmental standards.
3. To provide leave cover when other members of the dietetic team are absent, according to clinical competencies and on an agreed cover rota.
4. To be competent in the use of information technology, including the use of nutritional software to assist with the completion of nutritional assessments.

Service Development and Improvement

1. To participate in the Nutrition and Dietetic Service arrangements for practice supervision.
2. To participate in the development and implementation of nutritional standards, guidelines and policies.
3. To take part in the annual appraisal process and develop a personal development plan.
4. To undertake professional and educational activities to develop knowledge and ensure maintenance of professional / clinical standards. These could include external courses, internet based research, membership to professional groups and clinical update sessions.
5. To attend clinical, service and statutory meetings as appropriate including Clinical Governance meetings, for which the taking of minutes and contribution to Journal Club will be undertaken by staff on a rotational basis.
6. To participate in departmental audits as guided by Hertfordshire Community Trust.
7. To critically appraise and review current literature on relevant topics. 

Management and Leadership

1. To complete appraisal training and contribute towards the appraisal of staff up to a band 5 within the department.
2. To participate in the training of students and to provide supervision and training to student Dietitians.
3. To provide support, training and guidance to the Dietitians in relation to clinical issues in paediatric diabetes and related conditions e.g. coeliac disease, lipids etc.
4. To assist in the induction of new staff members.
5. To contribute to the supervision of newly qualified staff.
6. To participate in the teaching of patient groups when required. 

Communication and Relationship Building

1. To utilise developed communication and teaching skills in the adjustment of plans in the areas described in the job purpose. This follows negotiation with the patient / client / carer using communication skills that include counselling, motivational and behaviour change techniques in order to maximise patient compliance.
2. To acknowledge possible communication barriers such as language barriers, cultural and medical conditions, dementia, learning difficulties and literacy problems and to tailor dietetic advice and supporting information to the patient / client needs.
3. To assess capacity, gain valid informed consent and have the ability to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.
4. To communicate effectively and work collaboratively with health professionals and other relevant staff (e.g. home enteral feeding companies) regarding the dietetic management of patients.
5. To network with Dietitians across the Trust-wide Nutrition and Dietetic Service.
6. To act as a specialist resource for health professionals and outside agencies.
7. To actively participate in safeguarding supervision as a mandatory requirement of the Trust.

Finance and Resource Management

1. To maintain stocks of dietary education materials, resources and dietary literature required for patient care.
2. To be responsible for the safe transport and use of IT equipment, educational tools and measuring devices.

Information Management 

1. To maintain accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date documentation in line with national and local record keeping standards and to communicate assessment and treatment results to the appropriate disciplines in the form of letters and reports.
2. To collect accurate statistical information to assist in the monitoring and development of the Nutrition and Dietetic Service and in line with the requirements of the Trust and other commissioners.
3. To use a computer on a regular basis to input data via  the  patient electronic record and obtain patient test results.
4. To be competent in the use of information technology, including the use of nutritional software to assist with the completion of nutritional assessments.   

General

1. To be legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of professional practice, adhering to guidelines set out in the Health and Care Professions Council.
2. To comply with the organisational and departmental policies and procedures.

 EFFORT, PHYSICAL SKILLS and WORKING CONDITIONS:

Supplementary Information:

Equality and Diversity

The Trust is committed to eliminate racism, sexism and forms of discrimination. The Trust will not discriminate on grounds of age, colour, disability, ethnic origin, gender, gender reassignment, culture, health status, marital status, social or economic status, nationality or national origins, race, religious beliefs, or non beliefs, responsibility for dependants, sexuality, trade union membership or hours of work.

It is required of all employees to uphold this policy in the course of their employment with the Trust and whilst undertaking their duties. 

Mobility / Flexibility

The normal place of work for the post is as stated above, but as a term of employment post holders may be required to work from any of the Trust’s establishments. 

Health and Safety at Work

In accordance with the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended) and other relevant Health and Safety legislation, staff have a duty to take responsible care to avoid injury to themselves and others by their work activities and to co-operate in meeting statutory requirements.

Infection Control

Employees must be aware that preventing healthcare acquired infections and infection control is the responsibility of all staff.  Clinical procedures should be carried out in a safe manner by following best practice and infection control policies.

Data Protection and Confidentiality

Employees must maintain confidentiality when dealing with sensitive material and information and be aware of the Caldicott principles, the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) 2018 and the Human Rights Act 1998. The protection of data about individuals is a requirement of the law and if any employee is found to have permitted unauthorised disclosure, the Trust and individual may be prosecuted. Disciplinary action will be taken for any breach.

No Smoking Policy

The Trust operates a smoke free policy which means that smoking is not allowed anywhere on Trust sites including buildings, car parks and entrances.

Safeguarding

Post holders have a general responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults in the course of their daily duties and for ensuring that they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.  The expectation is that the post holder is familiar with the relevant procedures and guidelines, all of which can be found on the Trust’s intranet.

The above duties and responsibilities are intended to represent current priorities and are not meant to be an exhaustive list.  The post holder may from time to time be asked to undertake other duties and responsibilities commensurate with the grade.  Any changes to this job description to take account of changing service needs will be made in discussion with the post holder.

Person Specification band 6 paeds DM – April 2020