Advanced Specialist Clinical Lead Dietitian

NHS; Stafford; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare trust in Stafford is seeking an Advanced Specialist Clinical Lead Dietitian to lead treatment for patients with eating disorders. The role requires substantial experience in dietetics, particularly in mental health, and expertise in working within multi-disciplinary teams. Key responsibilities include assessing dietary needs, developing treatment plans, and providing training and support to staff. Join us to improve patient care and outcomes in an inclusive environment.

Benefits

Career development opportunities

Ongoing training and support

Qualifications

• Experience in working with eating disorders is essential.
• Extensive post-graduate experience in dietetic mental health.
• Proficient in complex clinical case management.

Responsibilities

• Provide autonomous dietetic assessments and treatment plans.
• Lead on multi-disciplinary team care for patients.
• Develop and educate others in dietetic service delivery.

Skills

Leadership

Assessment and management of specialist dietetic interventions

Negotiation and conflict management

Education

Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics or equivalent

Registration with HCPC

Leadership qualification or training

Tools

Nutritics

PowerPoint

Job description

Overview

Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust – Advanced Specialist Clinical Lead Dietitian (Band 7). Eating Disorders Service, Kinver Ward. The closing date is 17 October 2025. If you are an experienced Dietitian who is interested in leading dietetic services in eating disorder services, read on. This opportunity is within our Specialist Eating Disorder Service. We are seeking a compassionate, enthusiastic, self-motivated and innovative individual with excellent leadership skills in this area of clinical specialism. This role provides clinical leadership and expert specialist dietetic knowledge, skills and experience across the Adult Eating Disorder Services. The role will provide clinical expertise into the Specialist Eating Disorder Unit (SEDU), The Kinver Centre and to people receiving treatment in our Day Treatment Services and Community Outpatient services. The role will be a source of expertise on the dietary management of eating disorders to a varied multi-disciplinary team including medical staff, therapists, psychologists, nurses, dietitians and our support workforce. The role will also be expected to work in partnership with other health professionals such as GPs, integrated mental health teams, the provider collaborative and external partners and agencies. Applicants are required to have a professional registration as an HCPC registered dietitian and will be expected to have relevant mental health and eating disorder experience as a dietitian.

Main duties of the job

To provide autonomous and comprehensive dietetic assessments, treatment plans and interventions within the specialist areas of Adult Eating Disorder Services. To work as an integral member of the multi-disciplinary team leading clinically in areas of expertise. To work in a co-produced partnership with people who use our services including individualised treatment plans and service developments in order to improve patient experience and enhance recovery. Developing and educating others. Leading on service redesign, service development and the development of research-led services. To develop and build partnership with people who use our services, their families and wider networks. To manage and lead the dietetic service in a cost effective way ensuring safe quality care is at the centre of clinical practice and service delivery. To work closely with the catering team to ensure meal plans are understood and accurate. To also work with the wider organisation to ensure we are contributing towards the food and drink strategy.

About us

Come and work with us at our award-winning NHS Trust, leading the way for trying new and better ways of working to help improve life for our local communities.

We have around 9,000 staff who provide physical and mental healthcare, support for people with learning disabilities, and adult social care across Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Shropshire, and Telford & Wrekin. We also run regional and national services, including help for new parents (perinatal care), eating disorders, forensic services, sexual health, and support for people in prison with mental health, drug, or alcohol problems.

We offer great career development for both clinical and non-clinical roles, with ongoing training and support to help you learn and grow.

We are 'United in our Uniqueness' and committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels welcome and can be themselves, no matter their background or identity. We want our staff to feel supported and valued, and we aim to build a team that reflects the communities we serve. Together, we can make sure every voice is heard, and every difference is respected.

Please note, we may be required to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications

Please be aware that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in completing application forms will be monitored to ensure fairness and transparency. If you have used AI you must state this in your application.

Job responsibilities

To work autonomously to organise, provide and manage all adult patients diagnosed with an eating disorder receiving multi-disciplinary team care while an inpatient (Kinver Centre).

This will involve: Comprehensive assessment and provision of individual or group dietary advice/treatment and ongoing support to patients and/or carers according to medical history, clinical condition/diagnosis/risk, anthropometry, biochemistry, relevant medication, social circumstances, motivation and nutritional intake etc.

Routine use of a range of anthropometric techniques. Using analytical skills to understand and interpret complex clinical cases (for details see the Decision Making section of the job description).

Collaborative working including negotiation, motivational interviewing and counselling CBT-based approach with wide ranging and complex needs to support compliance with dietetic intervention and advice. This may involve translating highly complex information into a format that is appropriate and understandable for patients/carers and, as appropriate, health professionals.

Organising prescriptions of enteral feeds / oral nutritional supplements.

Providing a Care Programme Approach as part of the multi-disciplinary team, dietetic expertise at multi-disciplinary team meetings, ward reviews and case conferences.

Develop informative reports to the MDT (to inform internal CPA documents/discharge summaries) or external agencies as required.

Referral of patients to other health care professionals or specialists.

Leading and facilitating of carers groups as well as the development of educational resources for carers.

Continue to build positive partnerships with our acute physical health providers by travelling to District General Hospitals to provide training or support transfer of our high medical risk patients.

Recording all interventions in accordance with Team and organisational policies.

Being professionally, legally accountable and responsible for all aspects of own work (including prioritising highest risk cases/inpatients). Identifying risk and reporting incidents as appropriate.

Working effectively as part of an Eating Disorders Dietetic Team and wider Eating Disorders multi-disciplinary team.

To provide an extended role in the area of eating disorders (adults) supported by recognised training and competency assessment, which may include training to use the enteral feeding pump at a competency level to train / assess others.

To have a wide and accurate knowledge of prescribable oral nutritional supplements, enteral (including specialist) feeds, enteral feeding pumps and ancillaries. And have a willingness to train to offer supplementary prescribing.

To establish and maintain close working relationships with the wider Eating Disorders multi-disciplinary team.

To provide dietetic expertise on all aspects of eating disorders (adults).

To review and interpret evidence-based research and national guidance/policy (including NICE guidelines, RCP guidance - MEED) implementing these in clinical practice and developing others.

To regularly review all dietary and multi-disciplinary education resources.

To actively seek additional funding through a variety of bidding processes (internal and external) and subsequent project management of successful bids.

To develop and audit standards of practice for dietetic services. This will include developing and implementing relevant care pathways.

To evaluate the effectiveness of dietetic and multi-disciplinary services to participate in the development and collection of outcome measures (and other quality indicators)

To initiate, plan and deliver specialist on-going training and education programmes.

To develop and maintain contacts with local, regional and national clinical specialist interest groups (e.g. Specialist Groups of the British Dietetic Association, links with SATH hospital teams, etc).

To use a wide range of software packages (including dietary analysis package Nutritics, RIO, PowerPoint etc.)

To identify opportunities for service development and improvement.

To contribute to the annual business planning process including setting and achieving objectives.

To provide written and verbal reports. To contribute and/or lead projects.

Management duties, e.g.: recruitment/selection, budget, authorisation and monitoring of absence of team members, clinical supervision and peer review. Support in personal objective setting. development plan (including maintenance of personal professional portfolio).

Please see the attached Job description/Person specification for further details.

Person Specification

Qualifications & Training

• Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics or equivalent
• Registration with HCPC
• Leadership qualification or training
• Training in area of specialism or therapy skills (e.g. within Eating Disorders, Mental Health, CBT or Counselling skills such as Motivational Interviewing / Behaviour Change)
• Attendance at relevant Special Interest Groups Meetings (e.g. Mental Health Group)

Experience

• Experience/interest in working with eating disorders
• Experience of assessment and management of specialist dietetic interventions in a range of conditions in hospital and outpatient settings working at an advanced level
• Extensive post graduate experience of working in dietetic mental health and managing eating disorder risks such as malnutrition and re-feeding syndrome.
• Experience of managing complex clinical caseloads, prioritise and manage time effectively.
• Experience of working with service users, families, and carers in managing their clinical conditions through dietetic expert advice and interventions
• Experience of working effectively and positively in a multidisciplinary team
• Experience of negotiation and conflict management and in clinical situations
• Experience of public speaking and of presenting to a wide range of audiences
• Extensive experience of leading, developing and supervising others
• Experience of participating in clinical audit and project management as part of service development
• Experience of research and development connected to area of expertise
• Experience of working in a leadership role
• Experience of being involved in a research project
• Experience of leading a continuous quality improvement initiative

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust