Specialist Dietician Learning Disability and Autism
The Brook, Langdon Hospital, Dawlish EX7 0NS, UK
Full time
£47,810 - £54,710 per year
Job summary
- Are you someone looking for a career in one of the UK's most respected mental health and learning disability trusts?
- Would you like to be part of a dedicated team committed to making a difference to peoples lives to enjoy a better future?
An exciting opportunity to join the team at the new Regional Learning Disability and Autism Unit in Dawlish (The Brook).
The new regional service based in Dawlish offers inpatient support to both adults with a learning disability and autistic adults. The building and environment is state of the art and the service aims to become a centre of excellence.
The job offers a challenging yet rewarding environment with opportunities to consistently learn.
We are committed to the ongoing training and development of all our staff and offer a range of opportunities for career progression.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will demonstrate courageous and critical thinking and is a caring, compassionate, committed and experienced person who, acting within their professional boundaries, will provide care for the presenting patient from initial nutritional assessment, dietary treatment plans and evaluation of nutritional care.
They will demonstrate safe and competent clinical decision-making and provide expert care, incorporating enhanced assessment and diagnostic skills.
The post holder will communicate and work collaboratively with the multi-professional team to meet the needs of patients, supporting the delivery of policy and procedures, and providing leadership as required.
The post holders enhanced clinical role aims to work with the wider MDT to prevent unnecessary acute hospital admissions and (where safe, appropriate and in the persons best interest to do so) keep patients in their own homes.They will provide expert specialist dietetic input to individuals on the Brook unit, ensuring that their nutritional needs are met during the admission and ensuring any special/specific dietary needs are met, along with education/supporting staff with the nutritional aspects of care.
The post holder will be central to the continued development of the DPT Learning Disability and Autism Outreach Service. As part of The Brook Service Offer, the post holder will work with patients who are admission-vulnerable and whilst they are in-patients on the Brook as well as post-discharge from The Brook.
About us
About Devon Partnership Trust
We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.
We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do
Our values
We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.
We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.
Details
Date posted
10 December 2025
Pay scheme
Agenda for change
Band
Band 7
Salary
£47,810 to £54,710 a year
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time, Flexible working
Reference number
C9369-25-0993
Job locations
The Brook
Exeter Rd
Dawlish
EX7 0NR
Job description
Job responsibilities
Duties and Responsibilities
Communication and Working Relationship Skills
- Be a senior member of the learning disability and autism multi-disciplinary team and represent the team at regional/national meetings as appropriate.
- Communicate with individuals and their families who use the service, using the most appropriate verbal, written or pictorial methods, in a way that represents their views, autonomy and culture.
- Translate complex key nutritional health promotion messages - into language and format appropriate for the service user and other health care professionals outside the team.
- Lead in the preparation and planning of evidence-based diet sheets, teaching material, dietetic literature and specialist services literature.
- Work collaboratively with all members of the treatment team and share information with team members formally and informally e.g. clinical reviews, discharge summaries and provide professional options when necessary.
- Share relevant information and knowledge within the professional forum.
- Support and counsel highly distressed or confused individuals/family/carers around the dietary treatment plan.
- To have the ability to deal appropriately with daily exposure to very distressed or extremely emotional circumstances e.g. and individuals who are ambivalent about making changes, distressed parents/careers, individuals with low mood, depression or multi-impulsive behaviour
- Work autonomously as a specialist dietitian and manage own varied and potentially complex caseload in various specialist clinical areas.
- Will be required to work as a senior practitioner, will be responsible for sourcing appropriate peer and clinical supervision arrangements and ensure effective use of line management supervision.
- Risk assess own workload and environment and take necessary precautions to minimise risk to self and others
Analytical and Judgemental Skills
- To undertake and oversee comprehensive or specialist mental health assessments and interventions for individuals presenting with highly complex needs.
- To review, analyse and report on key data relating to clinical care, interventions and outcomes.
- To work as an autonomous practitioner with the ability to use your own judgement to make decisions under pressure and seek support, supervision and professional leadership when needed.
Planning and Organisational Skills
- The ability to work with others to provide a co-ordinated response to meet the needs of the individual , progress service developments and achieve outcomes as set out in action plans or team goals
- The ability to organise, plan and chair multi-agency meetings
- The ability to plan and organise own time in order to complete tasks in a timely way and prioritise clinical care appropriately
Responsibility for Patient/Client Care, Treatment and Therapy
- To act as a source of expertise on nutrition and diet therapy for individuals using the service and multi-disciplinary teams.
- To communicate effectively a plan of care with other health professionals e.g. care coordinators, psychologists, community psychiatric nurses, consultant psychiatrists, general practitioners.
- To work collaboratively with these other disciplines, ensuring delivery of a co-ordinated multidisciplinary service. This will include regular attendance at patient assessments, reviews and MDT meetings and education sessions to discuss specific patient needs and recommend dietary care plans.
- At times may be exposed to unpleasant working conditions such as exposure to bodily fluids and management of enteral feeding when providing support to service users requiring nutritional support in hospital settings
- Complete full assessments of nutritional status, using appropriate anthropometric, biochemical and medical records and identify their nutritional requirements.
- Devise core and specialist nutritional treatment plans e.g. re-feeding programmes, enteral feeding regimens, diabetes, weight reduction, nutritional support, food intolerances.
- Implement specialist group and individual treatments to achieve individual treatment goals
- Identify and manage the risk of re-feeding syndrome in nutritionally depleted individuals.
- To provide specialist dietetic expertise and advice.
Responsibility for Policy and Service Development Implementation
- Attend and contribute to clinical governance and quality agenda activities within the organisation.
- Undertake measures to meet targets for organisational key performance indicators.
- Lead in practice development, evaluation, audit and research activities to implement evidence-based practise.
- Share and disseminate research findings with professional colleagues in the interest of practice development.
- Ensure that own practice and that of the dietetic service are in line with NIHCE guidelines and
Responsibility for Finance, Equipment and Other Resources
- To work to the financial policies and procedures as laid down by the employer
- The post holder will take appropriate care of equipment entrusted to them for use.
- The post holder is responsible for maintaining a clear desk policy and protecting all confidential information in accordance with the organisations policies and procedures.
- The post holder will be required to act responsibly in terms of providing best value practice and protecting service resources.
- To take responsibility for any specific materials you are required to use, maintaining their general standard and ensuring that adequate supplies are maintained.
Responsibility for Human Resources, e.g. Supervision, Training, HR Advice and Management
- To clinically supervise the work of others, specifically assistants and trainees, including contributing to the completion of appraisals and staff development.
- To follow and implement relevant HR Policies and guidance.
- To attend and deliver training, consultation and teaching as required.
- To participate in the Organisations appraisal process.
- Ensure prompt action is taken in raising issues with regard to staff performance, sickness, attendance levels and any disciplinary, capability or grievance matters.
- Provide supervision and support to other clinicians with the ability to demonstrate compassionate leadership, to understand and follow HR policies and procedures, ensure staff wellbeing and development and adopt a collaborative approach to engage staff with a range of skills and communication needs.
- To review and reflect on own practice and performance through effective use of professional supervision and annual appraisal
- Ensure that appropriate training courses have been undertaken and full awareness and accordance with the trusts policies.
- Be responsible for maintaining and demonstrating own competence, through participation in appraisal process and continued professional development within the framework of the professional portfolio. This will include membership of the British Dietetic Association specialist interest groups and local/regional interest groups.
Responsibility for Information Resources and Administrative Duties
- To ensure the inputting of accurate and contemporaneous case notes on the relevant clinical systems in line with professional and organisational standards.
- To be responsible for accurate and timely inputting of data into the relevant data collection systems.
- To have a sound knowledge of IT and the ability to use a clinical records systems.
- To ensure all employers policies, procedures and guidelines are followed.
- To complete all statutory and mandatory training as required by the employer. To identify and manage risks through incident reporting when appropriate.
- To take part in and develop activities designed to improve service delivery or quality of care such as staff surveys, participation and service development.
Responsibility for Research and Development
- To participate in and take a lead on clinical audit and research as required.
- Be aware of and keep up to date with advances in psychological therapies and other areas of evidence based practice.
Freedom to Act
- To act as an autonomous professional with responsibility for a defined caseload as well as the responsibility for the supervision of the practice of others, making decisions to prioritise care as appropriate.
- Ability to make decisions, even in times of pressure or distress, in a thoughtful and informed way to meet the needs of service users and staff.
- To work in accordance with codes of practice as defined by the regulatory and professional body.
- To work in accordance with organisational policies and procedures.
Any Other Specific Tasks Required
- Ability to travel across the county to include access to remote locations
Job responsibilities
Duties and Responsibilities
Communication and Working Relationship Skills
- Be a senior member of the learning disability and autism multi-disciplinary team and represent the team at regional/national meetings as appropriate.
- Communicate with individuals and their families who use the service, using the most appropriate verbal, written or pictorial methods, in a way that represents their views, autonomy and culture.
- Translate complex key nutritional health promotion messages - into language and format appropriate for the service user and other health care professionals outside the team.
- Lead in the preparation and planning of evidence-based diet sheets, teaching material, dietetic literature and specialist services literature.
- Work collaboratively with all members of the treatment team and share information with team members formally and informally e.g. clinical reviews, discharge summaries and provide professional options when necessary.
- Share relevant information and knowledge within the professional forum.
- Support and counsel highly distressed or confused individuals/family/carers around the dietary treatment plan.
- To have the ability to deal appropriately with daily exposure to very distressed or extremely emotional circumstances e.g. and individuals who are ambivalent about making changes, distressed parents/careers, individuals with low mood, depression or multi-impulsive behaviour
- Work autonomously as a specialist dietitian and manage own varied and potentially complex caseload in various specialist clinical areas.
- Will be required to work as a senior practitioner, will be responsible for sourcing appropriate peer and clinical supervision arrangements and ensure effective use of line management supervision.
- Risk assess own workload and environment and take necessary precautions to minimise risk to self and others
Analytical and Judgemental Skills
- To undertake and oversee comprehensive or specialist mental health assessments and interventions for individuals presenting with highly complex needs.
- To review, analyse and report on key data relating to clinical care, interventions and outcomes.
- To work as an autonomous practitioner with the ability to use your own judgement to make decisions under pressure and seek support, supervision and professional leadership when needed.
Planning and Organisational Skills
- The ability to work with others to provide a co-ordinated response to meet the needs of the individual , progress service developments and achieve outcomes as set out in action plans or team goals
- The ability to organise, plan and chair multi-agency meetings
- The ability to plan and organise own time in order to complete tasks in a timely way and prioritise clinical care appropriately
Responsibility for Patient/Client Care, Treatment and Therapy
- To act as a source of expertise on nutrition and diet therapy for individuals using the service and multi-disciplinary teams.
- To communicate effectively a plan of care with other health professionals e.g. care coordinators, psychologists, community psychiatric nurses, consultant psychiatrists, general practitioners.
- To work collaboratively with these other disciplines, ensuring delivery of a co-ordinated multidisciplinary service. This will include regular attendance at patient assessments, reviews and MDT meetings and education sessions to discuss specific patient needs and recommend dietary care plans.
- At times may be exposed to unpleasant working conditions such as exposure to bodily fluids and management of enteral feeding when providing support to service users requiring nutritional support in hospital settings
- Complete full assessments of nutritional status, using appropriate anthropometric, biochemical and medical records and identify their nutritional requirements.
- Devise core and specialist nutritional treatment plans e.g. re-feeding programmes, enteral feeding regimens, diabetes, weight reduction, nutritional support, food intolerances.
- Implement specialist group and individual treatments to achieve individual treatment goals
- Identify and manage the risk of re-feeding syndrome in nutritionally depleted individuals.
- To provide specialist dietetic expertise and advice.
Responsibility for Policy and Service Development Implementation
- Attend and contribute to clinical governance and quality agenda activities within the organisation.
- Undertake measures to meet targets for organisational key performance indicators.
- Lead in practice development, evaluation, audit and research activities to implement evidence-based practise.
- Share and disseminate research findings with professional colleagues in the interest of practice development.
- Ensure that own practice and that of the dietetic service are in line with NIHCE guidelines and
Responsibility for Finance, Equipment and Other Resources
- To work to the financial policies and procedures as laid down by the employer
- The post holder will take appropriate care of equipment entrusted to them for use.
- The post holder is responsible for maintaining a clear desk policy and protecting all confidential information in accordance with the organisations policies and procedures.
- The post holder will be required to act responsibly in terms of providing best value practice and protecting service resources.
- To take responsibility for any specific materials you are required to use, maintaining their general standard and ensuring that adequate supplies are maintained.
Responsibility for Human Resources, e.g. Supervision, Training, HR Advice and Management
- To clinically supervise the work of others, specifically assistants and trainees, including contributing to the completion of appraisals and staff development.
- To follow and implement relevant HR Policies and guidance.
- To attend and deliver training, consultation and teaching as required.
- To participate in the Organisations appraisal process.
- Ensure prompt action is taken in raising issues with regard to staff performance, sickness, attendance levels and any disciplinary, capability or grievance matters.
- Provide supervision and support to other clinicians with the ability to demonstrate compassionate leadership, to understand and follow HR policies and procedures, ensure staff wellbeing and development and adopt a collaborative approach to engage staff with a range of skills and communication needs.
- To review and reflect on own practice and performance through effective use of professional supervision and annual appraisal
- Ensure that appropriate training courses have been undertaken and full awareness and accordance with the trusts policies.
- Be responsible for maintaining and demonstrating own competence, through participation in appraisal process and continued professional development within the framework of the professional portfolio. This will include membership of the British Dietetic Association specialist interest groups and local/regional interest groups.
Responsibility for Information Resources and Administrative Duties
- To ensure the inputting of accurate and contemporaneous case notes on the relevant clinical systems in line with professional and organisational standards.
- To be responsible for accurate and timely inputting of data into the relevant data collection systems.
- To have a sound knowledge of IT and the ability to use a clinical records systems.
- To ensure all employers policies, procedures and guidelines are followed.
- To complete all statutory and mandatory training as required by the employer. To identify and manage risks through incident reporting when appropriate.
- To take part in and develop activities designed to improve service delivery or quality of care such as staff surveys, participation and service development.
Responsibility for Research and Development
- To participate in and take a lead on clinical audit and research as required.
- Be aware of and keep up to date with advances in psychological therapies and other areas of evidence based practice.
Freedom to Act
- To act as an autonomous professional with responsibility for a defined caseload as well as the responsibility for the supervision of the practice of others, making decisions to prioritise care as appropriate.
- Ability to make decisions, even in times of pressure or distress, in a thoughtful and informed way to meet the needs of service users and staff.
- To work in accordance with codes of practice as defined by the regulatory and professional body.
- To work in accordance with organisational policies and procedures.
Any Other Specific Tasks Required
- Ability to travel across the county to include access to remote locations
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Professional knowledge acquired through degree supplemented by specialist training or equivalent experience to Masters level with a relevant core dietetics professional qualification.
- Degree in Nutrition/Dietetics or equivalent leading to registration with Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
- Registration as a Dietitian
- Training in an evidence-based therapeutic approach
- Professional registration/accreditation with a recognised body, e.g. HCPC
- Training in supervision and/or leadership skills or willing to work towards
- Evidence of Continuous Professional Development
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working collaboratively with service users and their families/carers, including using goal-based care and routine outcome measures in practice.
- Experience of working collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary team and across agencies
- Experience of working with individuals with mental health needs, families and parents/carers, maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems and verbal abuse
- Ability to work with complex needs and undertake risk assessments
- Experience of safeguarding and ensuring the safety of individuals in partnership with other agencies as appropriate.
- Experience that evidences an ability to tend to diversity and work in a way that promotes anti-discriminatory practice
- Experience of initiating, attending and contributing to multi-professional and inter-agency meetings.
Desirable
- Experience in providing effective clinical supervision, teaching, training and assessing in clinical practice.
- Experience of providing professional teaching and training for other professionals.
Knowldege
Essential
- Evidence of working in specialist field of mental health, learning disabilities and/or autism services
- Understanding of relevant legislation pertaining to mental health.
- High level knowledge of mental health presentations and knowledge of the theory and practice of short term and long term, evidence-based, clinical interventions in the field of mental health
- Extensive dietetic knowledge covering a broad background of dietetic practices e.g. diabetes, obesity, gastroenterology.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to safeguarding procedures and policies.
- Knowledge of NHS, Social Care and Education structures, national policies and frameworks, evidence-based practice including NICE guidelines
- Knowledge of risk management and ability to monitor and assess risk and act accordingly to ensure safety.
- Knowledge of electronic patient record systems and the requirements around data reporting
Desirable
- Understanding of Positive Behavioural Support and Trauma Informed Practice.
- Specialist knowledge and experience of working in mental health, learning disabilities and autism services
- Knowledge of supervision and leadership practice
- Knowledge of research methodology and outcome research methodology and outcome research design and ability to critically interpret research findings and data
Qualifications
Essential
- Professional knowledge acquired through degree supplemented by specialist training or equivalent experience to Masters level with a relevant core dietetics professional qualification.
- Degree in Nutrition/Dietetics or equivalent leading to registration with Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
- Registration as a Dietitian
- Training in an evidence-based therapeutic approach
- Professional registration/accreditation with a recognised body, e.g. HCPC
- Training in supervision and/or leadership skills or willing to work towards
- Evidence of Continuous Professional Development
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working collaboratively with service users and their families/carers, including using goal-based care and routine outcome measures in practice.
- Experience of working collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary team and across agencies
- Experience of working with individuals with mental health needs, families and parents/carers, maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems and verbal abuse
- Ability to work with complex needs and undertake risk assessments
- Experience of safeguarding and ensuring the safety of individuals in partnership with other agencies as appropriate.
- Experience that evidences an ability to tend to diversity and work in a way that promotes anti-discriminatory practice
- Experience of initiating, attending and contributing to multi-professional and inter-agency meetings.
Desirable
- Experience in providing effective clinical supervision, teaching, training and assessing in clinical practice.
- Experience of providing professional teaching and training for other professionals.
Knowldege
Essential
- Evidence of working in specialist field of mental health, learning disabilities and/or autism services
- Understanding of relevant legislation pertaining to mental health.
- High level knowledge of mental health presentations and knowledge of the
Salary range
- £47,810 - £54,710 per year