Specialist Dietitian in Ipswich

Are you a dietitian with a keen interest in Paediatric Dietetics? An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced dietitian to join our friendly dietetic team. We are responsible for providing a service to children and their carers across East Suffolk, both in acute and community settings.

You will be based in the Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust and form part of a team delivering paediatric dietetic care in both acute and community settings. As a valued member of the paediatric MDT, you will have the opportunity to develop your skills covering the paediatric ward and outpatient clinics. You will be working closely with the Paediatric Dietetic Assistant Practitioners who are an integral part of the team.

We have recently been successful in securing additional funding for Neonatal nutrition. Your responsibilities will include:

• Managing a caseload of patients including those with complex needs in a range of settings using evidence-based, client-centred principles to assess, plan and evaluate specialised dietetic interventions.
• Undertaking nutritional assessments within paediatrics, taking into consideration biochemistry, anthropometrics, growth, clinical condition and dietary intake.
• Working with patients and carers to identify nutrition-related goals as part of an overall care plan.
• Planning, implementing and evaluating interventions in partnership with patients and carers using a range of treatment techniques to meet individuals' nutritional requirements.
• Participating in patient care meetings to ensure that dietetic outcomes influence any decision regarding the overall care plan.
• Providing support, education and advice to patients and carers regarding aspects of diet therapy e.g. dietary modification, food fortification, nutritional supplementation, enteral nutrition.

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) provides hospital and community health services to people living across a wide geographical area. We deliver care from two main hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich, six community hospitals and in patients' own homes. You will be joining a team of almost 12,000 amazing colleagues providing care to approximately a million people.

Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals, we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (if applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offers a variety of services. We offer a range of flexible working opportunities.

Our philosophy is that Time Matters to everyone. Across the Trust, we concentrate on improving the things we do and removing those which do not work or cause time delays for our staff and patients. To support our employees to achieve their career aspirations, you may be eligible to obtain a qualification via an apprenticeship. All successful applicants will be required to undertake a skills review to facilitate this.

If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge, then we are keen to hear from you.

The Paediatric dietetic team currently provides services to inpatients on the general paediatric ward and the neonatal unit, as well as undertaking general outpatient clinics, specialist MDT clinics such as Cystic Fibrosis and oncology, and providing a service to all children who are enterally fed across East Suffolk.

As a valued member of the paediatric MDT, we work closely with a team of paediatricians, specialist children's nurses, therapy staff and the wider healthcare community. We have close links with the paediatric teams in Addenbrookes and Norfolk and Norwich hospital and work closely with the adult dietetic team at Ipswich Hospital.

For those new to paediatrics, our experienced paediatric dietitians can support you through training and completion of competencies. We are a supportive team who have regular team meetings and have good links with surrounding trusts and paediatric teams.

You will be part of a team consisting of 26 Dietitians and 8 Dietetic Technicians/Assistants as well as Administrative and Secretarial staff working across both the acute and community sectors. We are a recognised department for student training in partnership with the University of Hertfordshire and high priority is given to the continuing professional development of our staff.

In addition, although this post is advertised as a full-time position, we offer flexible working and would also consider part-time hours if preferred.

If you require any further information, please feel free to contact Lindsey Mowles, Paediatric Team Leader with any queries.