Acute Frailty Dietetic Team Leader

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and motivated dietitian to lead our acute frailty and geriatric medicine dietetic service at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust.

You will provide high-level dietetic clinical supervision, leadership, service development and governance of a specialist dietetic service.   You will work as an integral member of the multidisciplinary frailty team, supporting comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA), admission avoidance and improved outcomes for vulnerable older people.

The Acute Frailty and Geriatric Medicine Team Lead Dietitian will be responsible for providing high level clinical dietetic leadership of the acute frailty 7-day dietetic service provided by University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP).

To lead a team providing specialist clinical dietetic supervision, leadership, service development and governance to the Acute Frailty services at UHP. This comprises the Frailty Same Day Emergency Care Unit (FSDEC), Frailty Short Stay Unit (Frailty SSU) and geriatric medicine in-patients.

To work as an integral member of the multidisciplinary team, acting as the lead source of dietetic knowledge and expertise, and supporting comprehensive geriatric assessment, admission avoidance and improved outcomes for vulnerable older people.

To provide clinical leadership to more junior staff in the Department and ensure governance and quality agenda is delivered in line with trust structure.

Main duties of the job

• Undertake a team leader role  in planning, co-ordinating, delivering, developing and evaluating the Dietetic service provided to acute frailty patients, on a day-to-day basis.

• To work as part of a multidisciplinary team, and to develop links with community-based care services, pathways and virtual wards with the aim to expedite access to these and improve patient outcomes.

• Provide cross-cover managerial supervision to other UHP dietetic clinical teams within the acute and/or community setting as directed by the Head of Nutrition and Dietetics.

• Takes a senior role in the advanced assessment and treatment of patients within this specialist area who may have acute complex and/or acute on chronic presentation.

• Undertakes evidence-based audit and quality improvement / research projects to further their autonomous practice and the clinical practice of the team.  Make recommendations to clinical lead/manager of service for changes to practice by the team.

• The post is based at Derriford Hospital, which includes Mount Gould Hospital.  The ability to travel between hospital sites when required is essential.

***Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as ‘Priority’ and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.***

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

CLINICAL

• Responsible for the professional organisation, delivery and management of the dietetic service relating to the frailty dietetic team
• To undertake the appropriate assessment and treatment of patients referred for dietetic advice as necessary and ensure that correct medical ethics are always observed.
• To manage own clinical caseload of patients referred to the service as well as patients in both inpatient and out-patient settings.
• To lead on ensuring that patient nutrition outcomes are collected, completed and documented for the dietetic service, as directed by the Head of Nutrition & Dietetics
• Liaise with the stakeholders of other organisations concerning the provision of dietetic services relating to the acute frailty dietetic service provision.
• To support Head of Nutrition & Dietetics in providing excellent clinical leadership across the acute frailty dietetic service.
• To set a high personal standard of work and facilitate other staff to do likewise.
• To liaise with staff of other disciplines, as and when necessary, to ensure that effective communication and reporting always takes place.
• Ensure continuing professional development of all staff by identifying training needs and in collaboration with others developing and implementing in-service and post registration training programmes.
• Be responsible for the collection of statistical data relevant to the service in line with Trust and departmental policies and procedures.
• To manage own clinical caseload of patients referred to the in-patient service, and out-patient service as required. To determine own work priorities, balancing clinical, professional and organisational demands.
• To provide an advisory dietetic service to other health service personnel and advise on and participate in staff training programmes.
• To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of developments in the acute frailty dietetic specialities and an awareness of best practice by liaising with local, regional and national dietitians, reviewing literature and attending appropriate meetings and courses.
• To provide training and supervision to nutrition and dietetic students on clinical placements in line with the University’s syllabus and student assessment procedures.
• Represent the profession at clinical working groups, steering groups and primary care service planning.
• To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of own work, including the management of patients in own care.
• Communicate with patients, carers and families who may be distressed and / or may be terminally ill.
• To support, advise and mentor new and less experienced team members both formally and informally.
• To take a flexible approach to supporting colleagues across the dietetic service in times of caseload pressure, including working with colleagues to maintain clinical cover within the resources available.

CLINICAL / OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• To be responsible for the development, planning and leadership of the dietetic service for the acute frailty team, prioritising clinical needs to provide an effective, efficient service.
• To work as part of the multidisciplinary clinical acute frailty teams providing specialist dietetic advice.
• To operationally manage a team of junior dietitians/dietetic assistants, including

recruitment, supervision, absence management and appraisal

• To take responsibility for own professional actions, demonstrating advanced knowledge and skills to manage a caseload including highly complex and specialist cases, evidencing high level problem solving, reasoning skills and independence of judgment.
• To perform specialist assessment of adults with diverse presentations and complex physical and psychological conditions.
• To attend team meetings, ward rounds and MDT meetings as necessary, to discuss care of patients and service provision.
• To work as part of the MDT to ensure holistic patient care, this involves reviewing the patients with the MDT, and fully participating in the problem-solving aspects of consultations
• To continually monitor, develop and improve the service through audit, research, literature reviews and reflective practice
• To establish and maintain a high standard of clinical expertise and care for the patients under your management and support junior staff to do likewise.
• To demonstrate the ability to assess patient understanding of treatment proposals, gain valid informed consent and have the capacity to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.
• To undertake highly specialist dietetic interventions/treatments in line with identified evidence base and/or best clinical practice and national/network guidelines.
• To develop and distribute appropriate evidence based dietary literature for adults to advise on specific dietary problems.
• To participate in peer review and clinical supervision.

Policy, service, organisational and professional responsibilities

• Contribute to the development of the nutrition and dietetic service. Attend and contribute to department meetings, CPD meetings and other appropriate meetings.
• To ensure own CPD and support culture of lifelong learning in self and others to ensure competence to practice.
• To take a lead role in identifying areas for audit and research and initiate the collection and collation of relevant data. Make recommendations for change to Head of Nutrition and Dietetics and take a lead role in implementation.
• To undertake the measurement and evaluation of own work using evidence-based outcome measures, audit and reflection to ensure practice is of a high standard and techniques are current.
• To provide specialist and highly specialist supervision, support and guidance and be a role model, to peers and more junior staff, both within the team and department
• To coordinate and lead presentations and tutorials to immediate and wider team members.
• To attend, and participate in, all mandatory training relating to Trust and departmental policies, procedures and guidelines.
• To be involved in the formal staff appraisal scheme and provide support for staff.
• To adhere to all Trust and departmental policies, procedures and guidelines.
• To embed quality improvement and service evaluation processes within the team.
• To always work within the professional code of conduct as stipulated by the HCPC.

EDUCATION and TRAINING

• To act as a source of specialist knowledge and expertise in acute frailty dietetics for other members of the dietetic department and wider multidisciplinary team.
• Plans, organises, and delivers clinical teaching programmes for other healthcare professionals and patient/carer groups on a formal and informal basis in response to identified need. Accordingly, presents complex nutritional information to large groups of people.
• Participate in the training and supervision of student dietitians, Junior staff and members of the wider MDT as appropriate.
• To undertake mandatory training as required by the Trust

AUDIT, MONITORING and RESEARCH

• To research, evaluate and produce new/updated guidelines and protocols on a collaborative basis within the specialist area and disseminate throughout the organisation and peninsula wide network as required.
• To ensure that the acute frailty dietetic service delivery is evidence-based and in line with national standards. To lead the development of dietetic standards, evidence-based guidelines, and patient information.
• To develop an ongoing programme of clinical audit.
• To participate in data collection to measure activity and outcomes.
• To ensure ongoing feedback, evaluation and development of best practice.
• Routinely monitor service delivery and implement change appropriately.
• To use knowledge and experience regarding the operational planning and implementation of policy and service developments, to take the lead on specific projects, identifying unmet needs and limitations or gaps in service provision. This will include the provision of evidence and data to support service proposals and developments as well as the design and implementation of policies and procedures within the Therapies directorate or specialist area.

MANAGEMENT

• To be responsible for the self-development of skills and competencies through participation in learning and development activities, and to maintain up to date technical and professional knowledge relevant to the post.
• Promote the role of the dietitian to other disciplines and client groups.
• To be responsible for the recruitment, interviewing and selection of staff.
• To liaise with other specialist staff to develop nutritional policies, procedures and patient information literature.
• Keep workload statistics as required by the triumvirate management team to support the continued evidenced need for the post.
• Ensure that practice complies with the Health and Care Professions Council standards.
• To participate in the Trust Appraisal Scheme and to work to objectives set annually.
• Ensure People Advisory issues for the service are effectively managed to optimise employee performance and attendance. Monitoring of staff records, including annual leave, sick leave, and study leave etc.
• To undertake statutory training as required by the Trust.
• To undertake duties requested by the line manager.

CLINICAL GOVERNANCE

• To undertake activities of clinical governance.
• Demonstrate a commitment to continuous professional development by attending where possible relevant courses and study days, registering with relevant interests’ groups, and attending meetings.
• To be up to date with current practice and research in acute medial conditions, sharing knowledge with the wider dietetic team