Highly Specialist Home Enteral Feeding Dietitian

Band 7

Main area Adult Community Physical Health Services Grade Band 7 Contract Permanent Hours Part time - 30 hours per week Job ref 277-8394386-CPH

Site Memorial Hospital Town London Salary £55,524 - £62,652 pa inc pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 17/11/2026 23:59

Job overview

***Important Sponsorship Information for this post: We are currently unable to offer a certificate of sponsorship for this post***

We are looking for a proactive and friendly Band 7 Home Enteral Nutrition (HEN) Dietitian to join our fast-paced Greenwich community dietetics team. You will provide highly specialised dietetic care across community settings, mainly managing adults requiring enteral nutrition, whilst supporting housebound patients at high risk of malnutrition. Car driving is essential to travel across the borough.

This role suits an experienced clinician who thrives in a dynamic environment, works autonomously, is a strong team player and enjoys responsibility. We are seeking a proactive problem-solver with excellent clinical reasoning, organisational skills, adaptability and a passion for service development. The post holder will maintain high standards of patient care and documentation as per HCPC standards.

Our Malnutrition Dietetics Service is collaborative so we value colleagues who demonstrate flexibility, share responsibility, support colleagues and maintain a wider service perspective. Alongside expert clinical care, you will support patients and MDT colleagues, lead HEN service development and quality improvement initiatives, supervise junior staff and deputise for the Team Manager. The successful candidate will demonstrate leadership, accountability, initiative and contribute to the needs of the HEN and wider Malnutrition Dietetics Service.

Main duties of the job

The Home Enteral Feeding Dietitian will be responsible for the delivery of a Highly Specialised Home Enteral Feeding dietetic service to patients referred for enteral nutrition via a tube.

The dietitian will also be responsible for providing support and supervision to the Malnutrition service staff (Food first, Primary care and Home Enteral Feeding). The post holder may be operationally responsible for work that impacts on dietetic service provision and be able to advise appropriately.

To deputise on the day-to-day operational management of the dietitians, assistants and staff working in the Greenwich Malnutrition service. This may include e.g. managing referrals and waiting lists, appropriate cover for clinics and home visits, creation of team rosters and timetables, authorising annual leave requests and regular local team meetings.

As a senior member of the team, the post holder will help shape the future direction of the Malnutrition Dietetics Service by leading service development, quality improvement and innovation initiatives, supported by audit, service evaluation and collaborative working with internal and external stakeholders.

Working for our organisation

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children’s centres, schools and people’s homes.
We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

• We Listen
• We Care

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Home Enteral Feeding (HEN) Dietitian will provide a highly specialised dietetic service for adults requiring enteral nutrition, alongside support for housebound Food First patients at high risk of malnutrition. The post holder will manage a complex caseload across community settings, including patients' homes, care homes, outpatient clinics and primary care services.

The post holder will provide clinical leadership, support and supervision to staff working across the Greenwich Malnutrition Service, including HEN, Food First and Primary Care pathways. They will deputise for the Team Manager as required, supporting the day-to-day operational management of the service, including referral allocation, waiting lists, clinic and visit cover, team coordination, leave management and service delivery planning.

Leadership and Management

• Support the Team Manager, Head of Profession and Service Lead in delivering an efficient, high-quality and cost-effective dietetic service.
• Manage and prioritise own workload independently while maintaining accurate patient records and care plans in line with HCPC, Trust and legal standards.
• Provide supervision, support and training to junior dietitians, dietetic assistants and students.
• Demonstrate flexibility in responding to changing service demands, deadlines and operational priorities.
• Contribute to service development, policy development, quality improvement and clinical governance activities.
• Participate in departmental CPD, training and learning activities and maintain HCPC registration.
• Ensure adherence to Trust policies, procedures and professional standards.
• Communicate effectively with senior managers regarding service developments, risks and operational issues.

Clinical Responsibilities

• Deliver a comprehensive, evidence-based dietetic service for patients requiring enteral feeding and specialist nutritional support.
• Undertake highly specialist nutritional assessment, monitoring and treatment planning using anthropometric, biochemical, clinical and dietary data.
• Make complex clinical decisions regarding nutritional requirements and the most appropriate nutrition support interventions.
• Provide expert advice on enteral feeding regimens, oral nutritional supplements, vitamin and mineral supplementation and nutritional management.
• Develop and review individualised, patient-centred care plans and coordinate care with GPs, community teams, care homes and secondary/tertiary services.
• Maintain continuity of care during transitions between hospital and community services.
• Act as an expert source of nutritional advice for patients, carers and healthcare professionals.
• Support the management of wider dietetic caseloads during periods of service pressure or staff absence where required.

Education and Communication

• Deliver education, training and clinical updates to dietetic, nursing, medical and support staff.
• Communicate complex nutritional information effectively to patients, carers and professionals using a range of communication approaches, including interpreters where required.
• Produce timely, accurate clinical documentation, reports and correspondence.
• Develop and contribute to evidence-based patient information resources and educational materials.
• Provide nutrition counselling and behaviour change support, adapting communication to meet individual needs and barriers.

Service Development, Audit and Research

• Participate in audit, quality improvement, service evaluation and research activities.
• Collect and analyse outcome data to support service improvement and demonstrate effectiveness.
• Present audit and quality improvement findings within the department and wider organisation.
• Support colleagues undertaking audit, research and quality improvement initiatives.
• Maintain practice in line with current evidence and professional standards.

Other

• Maintain knowledge of safeguarding, mental capacity, vulnerable adult and related legal frameworks.
• Attend specialist training, network meetings and professional development opportunities relevant to the role.
• The post currently does not require weekend or unsocial hours working; however, participation in future rotas may be required should service needs change.

Person specification

Education and Qualifications

• Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics
• HCPC Registration as a Dietitian
• Post-graduate training or equivalent relevant experience
• Registered member of the British Dietetic Association
• Member of a specialist interest group

Experience

• Significant experience of working with Home enteral feeding
• Experience of dietetic service delivery in various clinical settings
• Experience of multi-disciplinary and inter-agency working
• Experience in clinical supervision of junior members of staff and students
• Demonstrates highly developed motivational and counselling skills to effect change
• Experience of conducting Audit and Research
• Knowledge of cultural, social and religious needs of diverse population to support dietary change
• Contribution to/experience of service development

Skills, abilities and knowledge

• Excellent knowledge of Clinical Dietetics
• Knowledge of relevant national guidelines, frameworks and policies
• Excellent time management, organisational skills and ability to prioritise caseload
• Able to work independently, as part of a team and flexibly to meet service needs
• Effective interpersonal skills inc. problem solving and negotiating
• Recognise limits of own authority within the role and seek professional support appropriately
• Computer literacy- familiarity with dietary analysis programs, word processing, database management

Effort and Environment

• Appropriate use of anthropometric equipment (scales, hoist, wheelchair scales etc)
• To deal sensitively with clients that may be suffering from conditions that may lead to heightened behaviour
• To work in an environment where work patterns may be disrupted by frequent demands from clinical staff, assistants and administrative staff
• To be exposed to unpleasant working conditions, which may involve exposure to bodily fluids such as vomit, urine, saliva and unpleasant smells
• Car driver with current valid driving license and access to car

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that welcomes and supports individuals of all abilities. Remember, if you meet the minimum criteria for this role and you have a disability, you can be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme - Please ensure you select this on your application form. We would encourage you to be open about your needs so we can work with you to design a comfortable and accessible interview experience. Any information you provide regarding a disability or a need for adjustments will be treated in confidence and will only be shared with colleagues who are supporting this request.

If you have declared you are part of the armed forces community, you may be asked to provide evidence during the recruitment process. If you misrepresent this information, your offer may be withdrawn. For Armed Forces specific support, see our webpage: https://oxleas.nhs.uk/armed-forces-community/

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

If you choose to use AI or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting information section. While AI can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you’re applying for. There is also a risk that it can generate false or misleading information. AI-generated job applications can often be generic, impersonal and may not accurately reflect your qualifications, knowledge, skills, and experiences. It is crucial that you personalise your supporting statement by articulating these in your unique voice. Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting information section is not advocated by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust and could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process.

We monitor applications for any behaviour that could create an unfair advantage, and we check all references carefully. You are likely to be tested on your experience at interview, so be honest and make sure all the information in your application is correct.Please note that the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is prohibited during the interview process.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

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