Assistant Practitioner

Locala Community Partnerships Cic; Newtown; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 29,000; Full time

Job summary

Locala Health & Wellbeing is seeking an Assistant Practitioner to join the Home Enteral Nutrition (HEN) Team in South Kirklees on a permanent basis. You will support Dietitians and Nurses to deliver safe, person-centred nutritional care at patients' homes.

You will collect clinical data, coordinate feeds and prescriptions, maintain records in SystmOne and Nutricia Homeward, and help with discharge planning and home-based care.

Qualifications

• Experience relevant to an Assistant Practitioner role and an understanding of nutrition and dietetic principles.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build positive relationships.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage clinical information, administrative tasks and competing priorities.
• Compassionate, sensitive and professional approach when supporting people with complex health needs.
• Willingness to learn, develop your skills and contribute to service improvement.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical and administrative support to the HEN Team.
• Assist Dietitians with collecting patient information and data for feed regimes.
• Help order and monitor nutritional products, feeds and prescriptions.
• Register patients on systems and maintain accurate clinical records (SystmOne, Homeward).
• Weigh patients using equipment and keep records up to date.
• Support communication with patients, families, and AAC needs.
• Assist with discharge planning and home transitions for enteral feeding.
• Attend MDTs and share information to support patient care.
• Support training and placement for student Dietitians.

Skills

Nutrition principles understanding

Communication skills

Organisational skills

Empathy and professionalism

Willingness to learn

Full UK driving licence

Tools

SystmOne

Nutricia Homeward

Job description

Make a real difference to people living with complex nutritional needs Are you an experienced Assistant Practitioner with a passion for delivering compassionate, person-centred care in the community? Do you have excellent communication and organisational skills, a proactive approach to your work, and a good understanding of nutrition and dietetic principles? Locala Health & Wellbeing has an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and motivated Assistant Practitioner to join our Home Enteral Nutrition (HEN) Team in South Kirklees on a permanent basis. Our HEN Team supports people who require tube feeding at home, helping them to receive safe, effective and personalised nutritional care while maintaining their independence and quality of life. You will play an important role in supporting patients with complex health needs, including those living with neurological conditions such as Motor Neurone Disease (MND), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), learning disabilities and other long-term conditions. Working alongside our HEN Dietitians and Nutricia Nurses, you will also collaborate with a wider network of community healthcare professionals, including Speech and Language Therapists, Physiotherapists and Specialist Nurses. Through multidisciplinary team working, you will help ensure patients receive joined-up care and can remain safely supported in their own homes. This is a rewarding opportunity for someone who enjoys working independently while being part of a supportive, multidisciplinary team, and who understands the importance of treating every patient with dignity, compassion and respect. The role can involve supporting patients and their families through challenging circumstances, including end-of-life care, so emotional resilience, sensitivity and empathy are essential.

What will you be doing?

As an Assistant Practitioner, you will provide a combination of clinical and administrative support to help the HEN Team deliver a high-quality service. Your responsibilities will include:

• Supporting nutritional care: Assisting Dietitians with collecting relevant patient information and clinical data to inform individual feed regimes and nutritional planning.
• Coordinating nutritional supplies: Helping to order and monitor nutritional products, feeds, supplements and prescriptions in line with Dietitians' guidance.
• Managing patient information: Registering patients on relevant systems and maintaining accurate, timely clinical records using SystmOne and the Nutricia Homeward platform.
• Monitoring patient progress: Weighing patients using a range of equipment, including hoist, stand-on and wheelchair scales, and ensuring measurements and records are kept up to date.
• Delivering person-centred communication: Adapting your communication style to meet individual needs and demonstrating an understanding of Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC).
• Supporting safe transitions home: Assisting with discharge arrangements for patients who require enteral feeding, helping to ensure the appropriate equipment, nutritional supplies and support are in place.
• Contributing to multidisciplinary working: Attending multidisciplinary team meetings (MDTs) and proactively sharing relevant information to support coordinated patient care.
• Supporting learning and development: Assisting with the training and placement experience of student Dietitians.

Throughout your work, you will be expected to maintain professional standards, follow national guidance and Locala policies, and contribute to the safe and effective delivery of community-based nutritional care.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for someone who is caring, proactive and organised, with the confidence to work with patients who have a wide range of clinical and communication needs.

You will bring:

• Experience relevant to an Assistant Practitioner role and an understanding of nutrition and dietetic principles.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build positive relationships with patients, families and colleagues.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage clinical information, administrative tasks and competing priorities accurately.
• A compassionate, sensitive and professional approach when supporting people with complex health needs and their families.
• The ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team while taking responsibility for your own duties.
• A commitment to maintaining accurate records, following clinical guidance and delivering safe, high-quality care.
• A willingness to learn, develop your skills and contribute to the ongoing improvement of the service.
• A full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle for work purposes are essential, as the role involves travelling between community locations and transporting clinical equipment, including wheelchair scales.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy earlier than the stated date should we receive