Specialist Dietitian (Obesity and Bariatric Surgery)

We are looking for an enthusiastic and forward thinking Band 7 Dietitian to join our team of obesity specialist dietitians at the Denmark Hill site of King's College Hospital. The post is a fixed-term post to cover a career break. The successful applicant will have a strong clinical background within the specialist area in addition to effective leadership and operational skills. They will have excellent inter-personal skills, attention to detail and the ability to work collaboratively with other members of the team. The appointee will work closely with one other band 7 Bariatric Surgery Dietitian and a band 6 Dietitian to deliver dietetic care for patients under our tier 4 obesity service. This consists of primarily patients on the bariatric surgery pathway - both pre and post-surgery with the potential for exposure to patients on obesity pharmacotherapy. The Dietitians are key members of our multidisciplinary bariatric surgery and obesity team, consisting of Bariatric Surgeons, Obesity Physicians, an Obesity Psychiatrist and Bariatric Specialist Nurses. Main duties of the job You will be responsible for a clinical caseload and providing expert advice and guidance to other members of the team. You will be responsible for ensuring safe practice and contributing to the delivery, and evaluation of, an effective and efficient service. You will provide expertise and input into the planning and implementation of care pathways, protocols and support the leadership and management team. Our large dietetics department expects all staff to be involved in the teaching of other healthcare professionals, in line with our mission to provide excellence in clinical care, research and teaching in King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre. We also undertake student training and you would play an active role in student supervision., For the full job description and person specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description. Main Duties and Responsibilities Development, application and dissemination of expertise To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of work in compliance with the ethical code of practice set out by the Health and Care Professions Council. To work with the dietetic and multidisciplinary teams to formulate and deliver individual dietetic treatment plans for patients based on a sound knowledge of evidence based practice and treatment options using clinical assessment, critical thinking, reasoning skills and knowledge of a wide range of dietetic treatments. Contribute to the local development and delivery of structured education programmes. 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. Evaluate patient progress, reassess and alter treatment regimens as required. To manage clinical risk within own patient caseload. Work within Trust clinical guidelines and to have good working knowledge of national and local standards and monitor quality of practice as appropriate. To be responsible for maintaining accurate and comprehensive patient treatment records in line with British Dietetic Association (BDA) and Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) standards of practice. Team working, decision making and communication Represent the dietetic service and / or individual patients at multi-disciplinary team meetings, to ensure the delivery of a co-ordinated multidisciplinary service, and integrate dietetic therapy into the treatment programme. This will include discussion of patient care, patient progress and involvement in discharge planning. To provide nutrition counselling to patients and carers relating to highly complex treatments using a broad range of counselling techniques and experience, reassurance and motivational skills to encourage change particularly where there is non-compliance. To be responsible for ensuring that patients and carers have consented to dietetic intervention in line with national professional guidelines. To make clinical decisions in collaboration with the Nutrition Support Team about the appropriate and safe administration of parenteral nutrition or alternative forms of artificial nutrition support. This will involve nutritional assessment and monitoring; including the calculation of nutritional requirements based on the interpretation of biochemistry, anthropometry, clinical condition and other physical parameters. To directly prescribe nutritional supplements, vitamin and minerals as agreed with consultant medical staff. To communicate and liaise with the wider healthcare community, locally, regionally and nationally, regarding nutrition prescription and nutritional care of patients. Providing appropriate information, education and professional support to clinicians, patients and carers. This will include delivering service and expertise off-site. To be responsible for the discharge planning of patients going home on artificial nutritional support. Liaise with the Catering department to promote optimal nutrition for patients. To demonstrate flexibility in providing cover in times of staff shortage within clinical areas appropriate to the grade with senior support. To undertake any other duties appropriate to the grade as requested by the Head of Nutrition and Dietetics. Audit and research Undertake the measurement and evaluation of your work and current practices through the use of evidence based practice projects, audit and outcome measures either individually or with more senior dietitians or other healthcare providers. To initiate and participate in regular research and audit within the specialised area. This includes coordination and supervision of research projects for undergraduate dietetic students. Relevant findings will be published or presented at appropriate conferences. To undertake as directed the collection of data for use in service audit and research projects. To manage and undertake research into specific areas of clinical practice and service delivery using a range of research methodologies as part of MDT audit and departmental research initiatives. To research, develop, audit and publish evidence based departmental patient information literature for use within and outside the trust. Development will involve involvement of appropriate patient groups. Development activities Be actively involved in professional clinical groups such as departments development groups and other appropriate professional development activities To participate in the development, implementation and update of operational and professional standards and policies for the specialist dietetic service. To be an active team member of the dietetic department at Kings participating in departmental developments and attending monthly staff and continuing professional development meetings. To advise and liaise with the catering staff about the dietary needs of patients and to assist in instructing diet kitchen chefs on preparation of special meals as required. To adapt and analyse the menu cycle to ensure suitability for the inpatient population and make recommendations to the site Catering Dietitian and Manager. Participate in the staff Performance Review scheme as an appraisee and be responsible for complying with your agreed personal development programmes to meet required knowledge and competency goals. Be an active member of the in-service training programme by attendance at, and participation in, in-service training programmes, tutorials, individual training sessions, external courses and peer review. Undertake an evidence-based project develop improvements to service delivery and clinical practice. Make recommendations for change to the appropriate development group in the Department. Be actively involved in professional clinical groups, such as the departments development groups and other professional development activities. To be an active team member of the dietetic department at Kings participating in departmental developments and attending monthly staff and continuing professional development meetings. To assist the Head of Nutrition & Dietetics in ensuring that department resources are used to best effect and in appropriate aspects of budget management.

Essential

• BSc / Post graduate diploma in Nutrition and Dietetics
• HCPC registration
Knowledge and Experience Essential
• Significant previous experience in obesity management in dietetics
• Knowledge of dietetics within the NHS
• Experience of undertaking clinical audit
• Experience of multidisciplinary team working
Desirable Formal teaching / lecturing experience Skills and competencies Essential
• Good written communication skills
  
  King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£1 billion, million patient contacts a year and around 14,000 staff based across 5 main sites in South East London.
The Trust provides a full range of local hospital services across its different sites, and specialist services from King's College Hospital (KCH) sites at Denmark Hill in Camberwell and at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) site in Bromley. King's is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone's contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust's carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible. The trust-wide strategy Strong Roots, Global Reach is our Vision to be BOLD, Brilliant people, Outstanding care, Leaders in Research, Innovation and Education, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at the heart of everything we do. By being person-centred, digitally-enabled, and focused on sustainability, we can take Team King's to another level.