Dietetic Service Manager

Job overview

Are you self-motivated, a team player who is passionate about quality improvement and service development and  looking for a new opportunity for 2025, then we have an exciting opportunity to join our dietetic team as the Dietetic Service Manager working for a trust who has just won the 'Trust of the Year' in the prestigious Health Service Journal Wards in November. 2024

We are looking for a leader with proven strategic and operational management, service development and clinical leadership skills to continue to drive forward the service.

The role will be based across sites including Warwick Acute, Leamington Rehabilitation Hospital, George Elliot Hospital and community bases.  We have a team of approximately 70 staff working across adult, children's, and home enteral feeding.  the team is made up of Dietitians, Dietetic Assistant Practitioners, Dietetic assistants and clerical staff covering the population of Warwickshire.

To provide professional leadership and hold management accountability for the dietetic team.  To ensure that agreed performance standards and service targets are met.  To interpret and implement national and local policies relevant to Childrens and Adult Dietetics, ensuring that policy translates into practice.  To provide advice on matters pertaining to Childrens and Adults Dietetics and to contribute to the strategic planning of dietetic services across SWFT and other organisations and agencies through analysis and interpretation of data.

Main duties of the job

The Dietetic Service Manager is the senior manager within Dietetic Service with responsibility for the operational management and business planning of the service across Hospital and Community settings for children and adults.

The post holder is responsible for:

The strategic management of Dietetic services to children and adults provided by South Warwickshire Foundation Trust across acute and community services, ensuring that the services are effective, integrated, high quality and well-coordinated across different teams and service areas.

Holding professional responsibility for all Trust registered Dietitians, Dietetic Assistant Practitioners, Dietetic assistants and Clerical staff.

All financial, human and physical resources within the Dietetic Service.

The development of local policies and implementation of national policies in accordance with NHS strategy, to continuously improve/modernise the Dietetic Service and to ensure compliance with the Healthcare Governance and CQC standards.

The promotion and marketing of Dietetic Service to external customers and the negotiating of service level agreements

To promote the ethos of self-management and prevention to patients, staff and carers to prevent nutritional problems, medical conditions and complications.

The post holder represents Dietetic service for children and adults at a strategic and professional level within Allied Health Professionals working within SWFT.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES:

Provide professional leadership and hold management accountability for Dietetic staff, including registered Dietitians, non-registered support staff and clerical staff.

To ensure that agreed performance standards and service targets are met.

To interpret and implement national and local policies relevant to Childrens and Adult Dietetics, ensuring that policy translates into practice.

To provide professional advice on matters relating to Childrens and Adult Dietetics, and contribute to, the strategic planning of the SWFT board and other organisations/agencies.

To ensure delivery of services which meets the nutrition and hydration needs of children and adults both within SWFT and external organisations.

To advise SWFT and commissioners on all issues of the Childrens and Adult Dietetic service delivery including performance against contract, shortfalls, service pressures and proposed remedial action.

To hold responsibility for the collection, collation, analysis and interpretation of Dietetic data, to provide reports and recommendations to the Board and other organisations

To prepare business cases/proposals for service developments and to be proactive in procuring funding for these developments.

To develop clinical policies, procedure, protocols, prioritisation systems and outcome systems in line with evidence vase, professional clinical guidelines, national polies and Trust clinical governance strategy

To ensure that Childrens and Adult Dietetic staff are actively engaged in the development of training packages and information materials for different client groups, as a key component of the provision of high-quality services

To develop and monitor the professional standards of the Department, in line with the British Dietetic Association (BDA), HCPC and National Service Frameworks, ensuring that all staff are supported through appraisal and clinical supervision and are engaged in Continuing Professional Practice activities.

To ensure that principles of Clinical Governance are embedded in professional practice within the Childrens and Adult Dietetic service

To have responsibility for compiling comprehensive Department Training Plans, and to ensure that a robust system of CPD is in place for all qualified Dietetic staff, in order that professional registration with HCPC can be maintained.

To attend and take an active role in local, regional and national Dietetic activities/professional agenda: to represent the service at the West Midlands Dietetic Professional Managers Forum. · To develop and performance manage Service Level Agreements with other organisations including other Trusts.

To engage in a continuous cycle of skill mix across the Childrens and Adult Dietetic service to ensure more effective and efficient use of resources.

To take responsibility for the recruitment of new staff to the Childrens and Adult Dietetic teams and ensure that appropriate induction is provided.

To ensure a team structure which encourages professional development of staff, offers career development opportunities, and is effective in achieving staff retention.

To be accountable for all disciplinary and grievance procedures which may arise within the service.

To hold responsibility for sickness absence monitoring in line with SWFT policy

To facilitate the development of Childrens and Adult Dietetic staff in problem solving, negotiation skills, reflective practice and a cycle of continuous service improvements through the organisation of clinical supervision, peer review and team planning meetings

Ensure a comprehensive programme of student and apprenticeship placements and assessments is provided within the Childrens and Adult Dietetic teams.

To have responsibility for resolving informal and formal complaints, undertaking the role of complaints investigator when requested for the Dietetic department and other disciplines/departments.

To ensure that a work plan for involvement of users in the development of Dietetic services for Children and Adults is in place

To attend SWFT Allied Health Professions leads meetings to represent Childrens and Adult Dietetics and contribute to the wider AHP strategy

In relation to Childrens and Adult Dietetics, to take a lead on and participate in multidisciplinary policy development and working groups within SWFT. To take responsibility for the development, implementation and monitoring of a range of objectives/projects in line with national and local priorities.

To ensure that the Childrens and Adult Dietetic service observes data protection guidelines and maintains required standards of case notes and record keeping in line with BDA professional standards and SWFT standards.

To carry out clinical duties and direct patient care as required to support service delivery.

To work alongside the Trust AHP Lead to shape the strategic direction of dietetic service, to enhance service delivery and patient outcomes through a seamless approach to care.

SERVICE EVALUATION AND RESEARCH

In the area of Childrens and Adult Dietetic service, to take on agreed responsibilities in the following areas:

Health and Safety and Risk Management

Contribute to an up-to-date portfolio of evidence and action plans for the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and other regulatory bodies.

To oversee the development of innovation in areas of risk management, quality standards settings, clinical effectiveness and building a local evidence base in line with SWFT’s priorities

To ensure that a programme of Clinical Governance/Audit projects is developed, including the identification of required resources.

To represent the Childrens and Adult Dietetic service within multidisciplinary systems of clinical governance within SWFT.

To collect and provide research data as required.

Clinical outcomes – Therapy Outcome Measures (TOMs), BDA Complexity Tool

FINANCIAL RESOURCE AND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Manage the financial performance of the Dietetic department, highlighting potential problems at the earliest opportunity and be instrumental in implements corrective action.

Ensure that all resource implications and changes in services within the Dietetic Department are clearly communicated to the Associate Director of Operation for the Division.

Support the Divisional ACOO and the Divisional Finance Manager in the negotiation and agreement of the Department budget.

Manage the performance of the Department to achieve effectiveness and efficiency targets including Cost Improvement Programmes.

To negotiate detailed service level agreements with commissioners/users of Dietetic services.

Enteral feed contract – SWFT (acute & community) & GEH [feed and equipment]. Monitor ICB spend on feed. Partnership agreement / SLA for industry nursing service. Involvement in procurement process. Monitor the contract

Soft Services / catering contract – participate in the procurement process and advisory role to enable the contract to be monitored

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION

Take lead in the implementation of the SWFT and the Divisions communication strategies in relation to the Childrens and Adult Dietetic service, ensuring that methods of organisation and sources of information are patient centre. Communication with other appropriate professional bodies, clinical specialities across the Trust and other agencies locally and nationally, to promote and improve the services in line with the Trust’s objectives and nationally agreed initiatives.

Ensure that communication systems support the effective management of the service and ensure that staff views are actively sought.

Ensure that flexible and imaginative feedback exist to receive user and carer views on the running of current services, as well as planning those for the future.

EPR – EMIS + multiple other Trust patient systems

Use of multiple Trust IT systems – recruitment, purchasing, L&D, staff systems (ESR & LOOP)

GENERAL MANAGEMENT & ORGANISATIONAL

In conjunction with the other AHP managers in the Division to provide cover and/or deputise for the Divisional Associate Chief Operating Officer (ACOO)

Where agreed with the Divisional ACOO, to take a Division wide lead of specific corporate issues

Provide appropriate management leadership, in line with the Divisional management structure.

Ensure working hours of staff under your responsibility are managed to maintain a healthy work/life balance and comply with the Working Time Directive.

Ensure delivery of the Trust Governance agenda, including risk management, health and safety and quality standards, through the development, implementation and review of governance systems to ensure a safe clinical and working environment within the Dietetic department.

Represent the Division and be actively involved in Trust side team/committees as directed by the divisional ACOO.