Adult Home Enteral Feed (HEFT) Lead Dietitian, Band 7

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Gloucester; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in the region is seeking a Clinical Lead Dietitian to oversee the Home Enteral Feed Team. The role involves managing a team of specialist dietitians, delivering high-quality dietetic care to patients, and conducting research. The position requires significant expertise in HEF dietetics and offers opportunities for professional development.

Benefits

Structured development programmes

Mentoring opportunities

Leadership training

Qualifications

• Expertise in adult HEF dietetics required.
• Demonstrated experience in leading a dietetic team strongly preferred.
• Ability to conduct research and implement evidence-based practices.

Responsibilities

• Manage a team of specialist HEF Dietitians and support staff.
• Develop and oversee adult HEF service delivery.
• Conduct domiciliary visits and provide dietetic support.

Skills

Leadership

Dietetic expertise

Communication

Team management

Research skills

Education

Relevant degree in Dietetics

Tools

Clinical auditing tools

Nutrition assessment software

Job description

Overview

To lead and provide line management to a team of specialist dietitians and a Dietetic Assistance Practitioner. To work alongside other team leads (dietetic & nursing) to help in the day-to-day management of the teams and service. Have the opportunity to extend your scope of practice with practical tube competencies. To utilise well developed communication skills to liaise with members of diverse MDTs. To have the opportunity to undertake research and further post-graduate study at Master level if desired.

Role and Service

The post holder will work within the Home Enteral Feed Team (HEFT) to manage and clinically lead a small team of specialist HEF Dietitians and Dietetic Support workers within the Adult HEF specialism of the HEFT service. The post holder will be accountable for the oversight and delivery of a specialist adult HEF nutrition and dietetic service for the community of Gloucestershire within a variety of settings. The role will involve domiciliary visits to provide ongoing dietetic care to those who are enterally fed in the county. The role also provides specialist Dietetic advice to patients within a third level disability college. This post will be responsible for ensuring a high level of dietetic care, evidence-based practice and efficient and effective service delivery. The post holder will report regularly on service delivery and outcomes within their specialism and will lead on service development projects and research within the Adult HEF Dietetic team.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the clinical caseload assigned to members of the HEF Adult service, to ensure safe caseload balance and to manage patient complexity allocation within the team.
• Develop the adult HEF service in areas where increased clinical input is needed.
• Develop staff within the team, facilitating and supporting learning opportunities.
• Support the Band 6 Specialist Adult Dietitian with line management of the Dietetic Support Worker within that specialism.
• Lead on induction and training of the HEF Adult specialism's staff against local and national frameworks, with support from the Deputy HEF Service leads.
• Work collaboratively with all other Team Leads within HEFT to deliver agreed strategies and clinical workload.
• Keep up-to-date and lead on changes to local and national frameworks relevant to HEF.
• Support training programmes within the HEFT, covering Dietetic students, junior and specialist staff within the team with support from the Deputy HEF Service leads and senior leadership team.
• Be a key resource for the creation and management of documentation for enteral nutrition support, including competency development for staff, internal policy, patient and carer literature development, and external publication.
• Contribute to and support the clinical governance agenda within the HEFT and the wider Nutrition and Dietetic department for audit and research as part of the MDT within the Trust.
• Adopt and adapt new ways of working to improve outcomes and reflect on own practice to improve quality of care through continual innovation and peer review.
• Work countywide and act as an authorised signatory for HEFT staff timesheets, participate in staff recruitment, inductions and appraisals.

Clinical

• Use highly specialist knowledge and clinical expertise to assess, agree, implement and monitor a nutrition and dietetic care plan for adult HEF patients with complex medical, nutritional and psychological needs, including domiciliary assessments and handovers for acutely unwell patients.
• Manage a specialist caseload of adult HEF patients, including overseeing clinical work delegated to the Dietetic Assistant Team within the specialism.
• Provide specialist training to all members of the specialism and wider service when required.
• Prescribe appropriate feeds for patients using expert knowledge in adult HEF dietetics.
• Use advanced communication/behaviour change skills to negotiate lifelong dietary and care changes for enteral feeding tubes and stoma sites with patients and carers.
• Overcome barriers to dietary change by motivating and delivering information and skills to meet nutritional requirements, including patients with multifaceted dietary needs across age groups and medical conditions.
• Address communication barriers due to social, emotional, cognitive or physical impairments and understand working with communication devices.
• Keep abreast of new clinical practices and support senior service leads to embed them locally, mitigate risk, and ensure budgeting is covered.
• Undertake an extended role providing care/repair of gastrostomy tubes and stoma sites at patients’ homes, escalating complex issues to the ENNS Team within HEFT to avoid hospital readmission.
• Support and advise other health professionals as part of an MDT; communicate treatment plans to nursing, medical staff and other health professionals with appropriate verbal and written instructions.
• Update the MDT on patient progress and changes to the treatment plan, including swallow, feeds or physical condition changes.
• Identify other medical and social problems, refer appropriately, and ensure patient information is accurately completed for departmental and nationwide reports in a timely manner.
• Provide up-to-date feeding regimens to all relevant agencies and care settings.

Evidence Based Practice

• Maintain clinical knowledge of the most up-to-date evidence in adult HEF Dietetics and lead on implementation.
• Lead on development of clinical guidelines, policies and written information for nutrition and dietetic HEF services.
• Work with the Dietetic department and MDT on audit projects within adult HEF and enteral feeding clinical areas; be the key expert on nutrition support for adult HEF patients.
• Lead and participate in research within the Adult HEF cohort of patients.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Lead on adult HEF nutritional support training for the department and provide clinical updates for multidisciplinary staff across the county.
• Play a leading role in networking and planning of service improvements.
• Provide expert clinical support to junior dietitians and support staff in delivering nutritional care to adult patients within HEFT and acute settings, and be an expert resource to them.
• Lead development of staff within the specialism through tutorials, clinical supervision and development reviews.
• Plan the programme, supervise and assess dietetic students within adult HEF areas.
• Lead recruitment and selection of staff within the specialism, assist in developing job descriptions and partake in interviews and inductions.

Professional and Managerial

• Be the professional lead for the Adult HEF specialism, delivering and progressing staff training and development.
• Be the line manager for the Adult HEF specialism in the HEFT, appraising staff annually and setting objectives.
• Ensure care is given in line with agreed protocols and service levels; provide support and guidance to colleagues for a client-focused service.
• Support senior service leads in cross-department process improvement and planning; develop strategies to promote and improve enteral nutritional health.
• Support clinical risk management within the clinical setting and lead risk management for the un-registered workforce.
• Ensure reporting of adverse incidents via Datix; use information systems to aid audit and reporting.
• Support resource use within budget to provide a cost-effective service and monitor monthly spending with senior leads.
• Recognise ethical and legal issues in dietetic practice and escalate gaps in service provision to senior leads.
• Create effective links within primary, secondary and tertiary care for communication; advocate for patients and carers and maintain confidentiality.
• Observe policies, procedures and statutory/professional obligations; maintain a professional portfolio aligned with the trust competency framework and HCPC guidelines.

At Gloucestershire Hospitals, our people are at the heart of everything we do. As the largest employer in the county, we provide outstanding acute, elective, and specialist services to over 650,000 people across our county. We offer structured development programmes, mentoring, and leadership opportunities. Gloucestershire has a great place to live and work with culture, countryside, and community. We value diversity and are committed to equality of opportunity. We offer opportunities to train and develop you and provide a rewarding career. Gloucestershire Hospitals is one of the largest hospital trusts in England, serving a diverse population with hospitals in Cheltenham and Gloucestershire Royal, and Stroud Maternity Hospital. We strive for a Journey to Outstanding and to make a difference in patients’ lives, with support for ongoing training and development.