Specialist Dietician in Lowestoft

Specialist Dietitian for adolescents (13–17 year olds) requiring admission whilst receiving inpatient mental health treatment. To work autonomously providing advanced nutritional and dietetic advice/support to patients affected by mental health conditions including eating disorders.

To provide comprehensive assessment and provision of individual or group dietary advice/treatment and on‑going support to patients and/or carers according to medical history, clinical condition, diagnosis, risk, anthropometry, biochemistry, relevant medication, social circumstances, motivation, and nutritional intake.

To be a source of expertise on the dietary management of eating disorders to the MDT, other health professionals, GPs, external agencies, and the local dietetic department.

To liaise and support acute hospital colleagues whilst co‑working and managing severe presentations of eating difficulties and eating disorders.

To undertake complex dietetic assessments, formulate nutritional plans tailored to the person’s needs, collaboratively with families and carers as appropriate.

To lead on current best practice regarding dietetics and eating disorders. Be involved in audit and evaluation of practice using research methodology.

To be involved in the designing, writing and delivery of training both internally and externally.

To develop resources and contribute to service development alongside dietetic colleagues.

Key Duties

• Specialist Dietitian for Dragonfly unit at Carlton Colville, Lowestoft.
• Provides highly specialised nutritional advice and support in treatment of adolescents experiencing a acute mental health episode including eating disorders.
• To educate and support patients and their families / supporters on nutritional needs, using appropriate language and education tools to meet their needs and requirements.
• To ensure all members of the different teams are aware of specific plans made with their patients by attendance at team meetings and via the electronic record.
• To work with the multidisciplinary team in assessing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating a programme of care for adult eating disorder patients.
• Participate in decision making meetings as appropriate, evaluating care with members of the multidisciplinary team, making recommendations for change, and evaluating outcomes.
• To manage a patient caseload with the support of the multidisciplinary team.
• To ensure that dietary recommendations are communicated by utilising the highest level of interpersonal skills to all members of the team and incorporated in the patients’ overall package of care.
• To identify the need for development of relevant evidence based written information for patients and health care professionals and to review them at agreed intervals.

At Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, inclusion is at the heart of how we work. We are committed to creating a fair, transparent and accessible recruitment process where every candidate has the opportunity to succeed. We actively encourage applications from people from all backgrounds, particularly those currently underrepresented in our workforce. We recognise that not everyone has equal access to opportunities and are working to address this. We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process and ensuring all candidates receive a positive and equitable experience.