Job summary
Provide highly specialist advice, education and support to patients with diabetes who are resident within the borough of Croydon. Provide a key link between the secondary and primary care diabetes management in this multicultural community. To be a source of expertise, knowledge and support, upskilling community health care professionals through joint and virtual clinics. Act as an expert resource on the nutritional management of diabetes and educate and train dietetic students, other care professionals within Croydon Health Services and Primary care staff i.e. GP's and Practice Nurses. To work within the community based services to provide structured education for people with diabetes. Be actively involved in the Trusts clinical governance programme by taking responsibility for professional development, audit and service development within this specialist area.

Main duties of the job

• Develop and provide a dietetic diabetes service to the residents within the borough of Croydon as part of the multidisciplinary community diabetes team, acting as a key dietetic resource within the team.
• Provide a dietetic diabetes service to patients within the 9 Primary Care Networks (PCNs) located across the borough of Croydon by providing a comprehensive and effective dietetic service, offering specialist, complex dietary advice to adult patients with diabetes and their carers.
• Deliver structured education programmes for groups of patients with Type 1 (DAFNE) and Type 2 diabetes (DESMOND).
• Educate patients in carbohydrate counting and adjustment of their insulin.
• Make recommendations to primary care staff regarding adaptation of medication for the management of diabetes based on the interpretation of biochemical parameters.
• Liaise with other hospital and community services and act as a resource.
• Lead in providing highly specialist dietetic advice to the multidisciplinary team through attendance and participation in multidisciplinary team meetings.
• Participate in health promotion activities.
• Monitor the level and standard of work undertaken by your team. Guide, coach & advise them as appropriate. Provide briefing prior to and debriefing after all training & development activities.
• Take part in the training of student dietitians with emphasis on the treatment of diabetes.
• Induct new staff into the Trust/department in accordance with the Trust's induction programme.

About us
Croydon Health Services NHS Trust provides hospital and community services across Croydon through a range of clinics and specialist centres. Formed in August 2010 from the integration of Croydon Community Health Services and Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust, we employ around 4,100 staff serving a diverse population of over 360,000 people. Our main site, Croydon University Hospital, is one of the busiest in London. We are also leading the way in delivering more healthcare in community settings and people's homes. Our district nursing teams, Allied Health Professionals and community matrons care for people of all ages across the borough. Like the wider NHS, we are working hard to meet increasing demand. With the right people on board, we continue to innovate and transform our services to provide the highest quality care for local residents. We place strong emphasis on education, training and career development for all staff. If you want to make a real difference, challenge yourself and be part of a Trust that's shaping local healthcare, Croydon Health Services could be the place for you. At Croydon Health Services NHS Trust, we are committed to supporting flexible working arrangements. Applicants are encouraged to discuss any flexibility they may need during the recruitment process.

Education and Qualifications
Essential

• BSc in Nutrition and Dietetics or equivalent qualification or Postgraduate Diploma in Dietetics
• Current HCPC registration
• Evidence of further study in diabetes and ongoing Continued Professional Development.

Desirable

• Member of the British Dietetic Association (BDA) Diabetes Specialist Group (DSG)
• DESMOND trained
• BIDAC or DAFNE trained
• Behaviour Change training
• Leadership Course
• Pump Training

Experience
Essential

• Extensive experience of working as a diabetes dietitian
• Understanding of team dynamics and experience of working within a multi-disciplinary team
• Experience of teaching structured education programmes specifically for diabetes including those for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
• Specialist dietetic knowledge in diabetes in addition to up-to-date knowledge across all current issues in diabetes
• Experience of working within a multidisciplinary team
• Experience of liaison between acute and community services.
• Experience of undertaking audit
• Awareness and understanding of current NHS issues, including stands, initiatives, NSF, NICE, CQC Patient and Public Involvement
• Experience of health promotion activities relating to nutrition and diabetes.
• Experience of teaching to patients, carers, other health professionals including nursing and medical staff, allied health professionals and students.
• Experience of working with patients from a wide variety of cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds.

Desirable

• Experience and working knowledge of insulin pumps

Skills & Abilities
Essential

• Excellent oral and written communication skills with people from a variety of backgrounds e.g. via advocacy/interpreters
• Experience of delivering undergraduate student supervision and clinical education to graduate standard in area of speciality
• Supervision of junior members of clinical staff
• Ability to work with individuals and groups to support them in understanding information to enable them to self-manage their condition
• Able to use specific diabetes computer programmes, devices and apps to monitor and make recommendations for patient care
• Keyboard skills - data inputting, word processing, internet and dietary analysis
• Ability to problem solve, analyse complex clinical problems and create practical solutions to provide best clinical care
• Advanced skills in the dietetic assessment and management of patients with diabetes
• Ability to communicate complex medical conditions in a sensitive and easily understandable language
• Ability to present complex information to large groups of staff or patients
• Ability to take own initiative and to be the lead for clinical speciality

Other Requirements
Essential

• Confident
• Self-motivated
• Flexible, adaptable and creative
• Able to set priorities and meet deadlines in spite of repeated interruptions
• Able to reflect and appraise own performance
• Able to deal with distressed client's relatives and staff
• Able to maintain effective working relationships with relevant colleagues

Disclosure and Barring Service Check: This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration: Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.