Therapy Helper - Dietetics

Job description

Job responsibilities

Home Enteral Feeding service support

• Provide administrative, practical and logistical support to home enteral feeding services under the direction of registered dietitians and senior staff.
• Support the accurate processing of patient correspondence and service documentation using approved manual and electronic systems.
• Assist with ordering, receipt checking and distribution of enteral feeding products, ancillary items, feeding pumps and associated equipment in accordance with local procedures.
• Maintain accurate stock and equipment records.
• Identify and report low stock, discrepancies, damaged items, delivery issues and equipment concerns promptly.
• Prepare routine paperwork, patient information and equipment for clinics, patient contacts, collections or deliveries, ensuring that items are complete and handled safely.
• Liaise with approved suppliers, internal departments, patients and carers regarding routine, non-clinical matters, working within agreed boundaries and using approved information or scripts where provided.
• Support the collection and entry of activity, stock, equipment and service data for monitoring, audit and reporting purposes.

Wider Dietetics support

• Provide flexible support across inpatient, outpatient and other Dietetics services in response to workload and service priorities.
• Assist with clinic and departmental preparation, housekeeping, filing, scanning, photocopying, post, stationery and other general administrative tasks.
• Support patient administration following appropriate training, using relevant electronic systems such as Lorenzo where required.
• Undertake routine patient-related support tasks delegated by a registered dietitian only after completing the required training and competency assessment.
• Follow the instructions and care plans provided by registered practitioners without making independent clinical decisions or changing a patients care plan.
• Maintain clear, accurate and contemporaneous records of work undertaken.
• Promptly report concerns, changes in a patients circumstances or information requiring clinical review to the appropriate registered practitioner.

Communication and working relationships

• Work closely with registered dietitians, dietetic support staff, administrative and secretarial colleagues, ward teams, outpatient and community services, procurement, supplies and finance colleagues, and approved enteral feeding product and equipment providers.
• Communicate clearly, courteously and sensitively with patients, carers, visitors and colleagues.
• Adapt communication to individual needs and seek support where required.
• Take accurate messages and pass clinical questions or concerns to an appropriate registered practitioner.
• Maintain professional boundaries and recognise when a request or issue is outside the scope of the role.

Quality, safety and governance

• Maintain confidentiality and handle personal and patient information securely in accordance with Trust policy, information governance requirements and departmental procedures.
• Work within agreed competencies, procedures and delegated authority, seeking clarification when instructions are unclear.
• Escalate risks, incidents, complaints, safeguarding concerns and other issues appropriately.
• Follow infection prevention, health and safety, manual handling, lone-working and departmental procedures.
• Check equipment before use and report defects, hazards or safety concerns promptly.
• Use Trust resources appropriately and contribute to sustainable working practices.
• Attend Trust induction, mandatory training, supervision, appraisal and role-specific training and competency development.
• Contribute to team meetings, audit, data collection and service improvement activities as requested.
• Work flexibly across Dietetics service areas and locations where reasonably required, according to service need.

Responsibility and accountability

The post holder will work under the direction of registered dietitians and designated senior staff. They will be responsible for completing delegated duties accurately, safely and within agreed procedures and competencies.

The post holder must recognise the limits of the role, seek advice when unsure and promptly escalate any clinical concern or matter requiring professional judgement. The role does not include independent clinical decision-making, alteration of care plans or line-management responsibility.

For further details with regard to this vacancy opportunity, please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification.

We reserve the right to close the advert early in the event of high levels of interest. Therefore early applications are encouraged.

Job responsibilities

Home Enteral Feeding service support

• Provide administrative, practical and logistical support to home enteral feeding services under the direction of registered dietitians and senior staff.
• Support the accurate processing of patient correspondence and service documentation using approved manual and electronic systems.
• Assist with ordering, receipt checking and distribution of enteral feeding products, ancillary items, feeding pumps and associated equipment in accordance with local procedures.
• Maintain accurate stock and equipment records.
• Identify and report low stock, discrepancies, damaged items, delivery issues and equipment concerns promptly.
• Prepare routine paperwork, patient information and equipment for clinics, patient contacts, collections or deliveries, ensuring that items are complete and handled safely.
• Liaise with approved suppliers, internal departments, patients and carers regarding routine, non-clinical matters, working within agreed boundaries and using approved information or scripts where provided.
• Support the collection and entry of activity, stock, equipment and service data for monitoring, audit and reporting purposes.

Wider Dietetics support

• Provide flexible support across inpatient, outpatient and other Dietetics services in response to workload and service priorities.
• Assist with clinic and departmental preparation, housekeeping, filing, scanning, photocopying, post, stationery and other general administrative tasks.
• Support patient administration following appropriate training, using relevant electronic systems such as Lorenzo where required.
• Undertake routine patient-related support tasks delegated by a registered dietitian only after completing the required training and competency assessment.
• Follow the instructions and care plans provided by registered practitioners without making independent clinical decisions or changing a patients care plan.
• Maintain clear, accurate and contemporaneous records of work undertaken.
• Promptly report concerns, changes in a patients circumstances or information requiring clinical review to the appropriate registered practitioner.

Communication and working relationships

• Work closely with registered dietitians, dietetic support staff, administrative and secretarial colleagues, ward teams, outpatient and community services, procurement, supplies and finance colleagues, and approved enteral feeding product and equipment providers.
• Communicate clearly, courteously and sensitively with patients, carers, visitors and colleagues.
• Adapt communication to individual needs and seek support where required.
• Take accurate messages and pass clinical questions or concerns to an appropriate registered practitioner.
• Maintain professional boundaries and recognise when a request or issue is outside the scope of the role.

Quality, safety and governance

• Maintain confidentiality and handle personal and patient information securely in accordance with Trust policy, information governance requirements and departmental procedures.
• Work within agreed competencies, procedures and delegated authority, seeking clarification when instructions are unclear.
• Escalate risks, incidents, complaints, safeguarding concerns and other issues appropriately.
• Follow infection prevention, health and safety, manual handling, lone-working and departmental procedures.
• Check equipment before use and report defects, hazards or safety concerns promptly.
• Use Trust resources appropriately and contribute to sustainable working practices.
• Attend Trust induction, mandatory training, supervision, appraisal and role-specific training and competency development.
• Contribute to team meetings, audit, data collection and service improvement activities as requested.
• Work flexibly across Dietetics service areas and locations where reasonably required, according to service need.

Responsibility and accountability

The post holder will work under the direction of registered dietitians and designated senior staff. They will be responsible for completing delegated duties accurately, safely and within agreed procedures and competencies.

The post holder must recognise the limits of the role, seek advice when unsure and promptly escalate any clinical concern or matter requiring professional judgement. The role does not include independent clinical decision-making, alteration of care plans or line-management responsibility.

For further details with regard to this vacancy opportunity, please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification.

We reserve the right to close the advert early in the event of high levels of interest. Therefore early applications are encouraged.