Advanced Paediatric dietitian

• To use an advanced level of knowledge, skills and experience to provide highly specialist evidence based clinical dietetic services within identified paediatric sub specialities within the Trust. This includes assessment, treatment and monitoring of patients and the provision of nutrition support, both enteral and parenteral, dietetic treatment and education of families to enable continuous treatment at home. It incorporates both in-patient and out-patient care.
• To collaborate with the other members of the sub speciality dietetic team to develop and maintain evidence based educational resources which enable families to manage the on- going dietetic care of their child.
• To communicate effectively within the multi-disciplinary care team both at an individual patient level and regarding wider aspects of dietetic and nutritional care standards.
• To continuously review the evidence base for nutrition and dietetic interventions in children and young people.

• Accept clinical responsibility for the dietetic management of children and young people with a broad range of complex and highly complex clinical conditions. Organising workload effectively and efficiently according to clinical priorities.
• Undertake comprehensive assessment of clinical and nutritional status including anthropometrics, biochemistry, clinical condition and nutritional requirements.
• Analyse and interpret the results of the nutritional, biochemical and clinical assessment to help formulate both a diagnosis and a treatment plan taking into account clinical, social and cultural factors.
• Plan and implement dietetic intervention based on the results of the nutritional assessment to achieve the expected clinical outcome.
• Comprehensively assess patients requiring nutrition support including parenteral nutrition and be able to manage all the dietetic aspects of these interventions
• Provide suitable written and verbal information to families, nursing staff, special feeds unit and catering to ensure the provision of correct dietary treatment for in-patients.
• Continuously evaluate the young persons clinical parameters and outcomes and modify the dietetic treatment plan as necessary to achieve expected long term dietetic and clinical outcome.
• Advise medical staff on the prescribing of appropriate medications and nutritional supplements to support treatment e.g. vitamins, minerals, protein and energy substitutes, pancreatic enzymes
• Communicate complex and sensitive information to children and their families in a way which is understandable to them and which may include unwelcome or difficult to accept information
• Engage and negotiate with children and their families to enable and motivate them to agree and achieve the required dietetic intervention in a supportive and empathetic framework.
• Attend and contribute to multi-disciplinary team meetings and ward rounds appropriate to the needs of the speciality area of work and ensure that the dietetic aspects of care are communicated effectively within the multidisciplinary team
• Ensure safe and timely discharge of patients including liaison with GPs, community dietitians and other key agencies.
• Undertake community, school and home visits when necessary to support the dietetic treatment of the child.
• Continuously monitor and review the dietetic management and other associated medical treatments against outcome measures adjusting treatment and goals as appropriate to the clinical situation.
• Develop and maintain a range of educational resources to support dietetic advice which have a clear evidence base and which are understandable by children, young people and their families.

Essential

• HCPC registration
• Experience as a band 6 paediatric dietitian
• Demonstrated leadership skills
• Experience of working in MDT
• Good communication skills
• Relevant experience

Desirable

• Experience as band 7 dietitian
• Experience in paediatric cardiology
• Experience of line management