Weight Management Specialist Practitioner

at  Livewell Southwest

JOB PURPOSE To provide a specialist multi-disciplinary service to patients with morbid obesity and co-morbidities SCOPE AND RANGE To provide a specialist multi-disciplinary service to patients with morbid obesity and co-morbidities. MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES To provide a specialist role in the assessment and management of patients referred to the Weight Management service from primary and secondary care. To undertake all aspects of clinical practice as an autonomous practitioner. In the absence of the Weight Management Clinical lead to manage the day-to-day delivery of the service.
To be responsible for own caseload, working with support from Weight Management Clinical Lead as required. To undertake all aspects of clinical practice as an autonomous practitioner. Manage Clinical risk within own caseload Take part in service audit to assess the effectiveness of the service. Participate in evidence-based audit and research projects to further own and team clinical practice.
Provide support to other multi-disciplinary members of the Weight Management team as required. Responsibility for People Management To act as a role model for all staff and students demonstrating clinical skills and high standards of practice and professional conduct. To participate in team activities so as to develop and consolidate a cohesive and supportive team ensuring openness within the team. To assist with the supervision and co-ordination of junior staff in the absence of the service lead.
Ensure that own practice and that of junior staff in the absence of the service lead meets the standards set for the service. To have a flexible approach to the working day in order to respond to the needs of the service effectively. Responsibility for financial and/or physical resources To use resources responsibly and to report any problems with equipment in line with organisational/service guidelines. Responsibility for administration Maintain accurate and up to date patient records and inform other professionals about changes in patients condition.
Participate in the collection and gathering of data for audit purposes on a weekly basis. To assist in the preparation and delivery of the teaching programme for patients to help them learn to manage weight The post holder is required to comply with all infection control policies and guidance, attend relevant updates and report issues of concern to their immediate line manager (if no action or explanation received, then it is the individuals responsibility to escalate to Director of Operations/Chief Executive Office). To be responsible for maintaining accurate and comprehensive patient treatment records on caseload Requirement to use VDU equipment on a daily basis Responsibility for people who use our services To be professional and legally accountable for all aspects of own work, including the management of patients in your care. To undertake comprehensive clinical and social assessments of patients with morbid obesity including those with diverse presentations of multi pathologies; use of developed specialist clinical reasoning skills and manual assessment techniques to provide an accurate assessment of their condition Formulate and deliver individual treatment and care programme based on sound developed specialist knowledge of evidence-based practice and treatment options using clinical assessment, reasoning skills and knowledge of treatments available.
Formulate judgement involving complex facts and interpretation relating to accurate progress and recommend best course of intervention and continued care for patient. To manage clinical risks within own patient caseload and refer to appropriate multi-disciplinary team. Where required to follow patients up prior to referral for bariatric surgery and to monitor and offer support to enable patients to self-manage their condition and treatment effectively. Provide and receive complex, sensitive or contentious information, where persuasive, motivational, negating, empathic and re-assurance skills are required both verbal and non-verbal, to communicate effectively with patients, carers, GPs and consultant’s patient’s progress and treatment programmes.
This will include patients who may have difficulty understanding or communicating, e.g. patients may be dysphasic, depressed, deaf, blind or may have difficulty accepting diagnosis. When working in the community settings not directly supervised but able to contact Weight Management lead for advice/support and discuss own caseload routinely. Provide psychological support to patients who are anxious and depressed as directed.
Develop links with other professional and voluntary bodies to ensure maximum effectiveness of the service and patient care and community support. To be responsible for organizing and planning own workload to meet the service and patient priorities. Plan, manage and prioritize clinical caseload delegating patients to other staff members as required to generate a caseload for them. To demonstrate effective communication with patients, staff and other members of the multi-disciplinary team.
When communicating with patients it should be at the appropriate level for patients to understand such as patients suffering from terminal illness, dementia, disability, visually impairment and /or hearing impairment. Act as a patient advocate as required ensuring individual needs, preferences and choices are delivered by the Service. Responsibility for implementation of policy and/or service developments To be responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through CPD activities and maintain a portfolio which reflects personal development. Assist in maintaining current knowledge of evidence-based practice of junior staff within the team.
Participate in research into specific areas of clinical practice and service delivery. Assist in evaluation of the service provided to that of primary and secondary care to develop improvements to service delivery and clinical practice, to ensure high standards and innovative practice are maintained. Make recommendations on changes to Clinical Practice within Weight Management and present to line manager with full responsibility for implementation COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS Patients and their families will have complex requirements in relation to obesity, obesity surgery and related co-morbidities. The environment in which this is undertaken is highly emotive and can occasionally be hostile/antagonistic/challenging in nature.
Information is of a complex, often sensitive nature that is life changing and requires skillful assessment of the individuals ability to comprehend/understand; therefore tact , diplomacy and motivational interviewing skills are essential alongside the ability to overcome barriers to understanding. Therefore the requirement is for a high level of mental and emotional effort on a daily basis. Daily concentration on making patient assessments and making recommendation of treatments to patients and other health professionals. Regular interruptions in daily work pattern from medical staff, patients, GPs and junior members of the Weight Management team seeking support and advice.
Occasional interruptions in daily work pattern, from patient, GPs and other health professionals/agencies. PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB Occasional encounters with rude or verbal aggression Regular transfer of equipment and scales from the staff base to other venues in the community Additional information contained in full job description can be found in supporting documentation

Please refer the Job description for details