Specialist Dietician Learning Disability and Autism

Islet Systems; Dawlish; On-site; GBP 47,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in the UK is looking for a senior dietitian to join their team. The role involves collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams, managing a complex caseload, and leading the preparation of nutritional care plans. The ideal candidate should possess a Degree in Nutrition/Dietetics and be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council. The organization promotes a supportive working environment focused on improving lives and providing high-quality care.

Qualifications

• Professional knowledge acquired through degree supplemented by specialist training.
• Registration as a Dietitian with Health and Care Professions Council.
• Experience working collaboratively with service users and multi-disciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Act as a senior member of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Lead preparation of evidence-based diet sheets and teaching materials.
• Manage a varied and complex caseload autonomously.

Skills

Communication skills

Analytical abilities

Team collaboration

Risk assessment

Education

Degree in Nutrition/Dietetics

Professional registration/accreditation

Tools

Clinical records systems

Job description

Job Summary

Are you someone looking for a career in one of the UK's most respected mental health and learning disability trusts? Would you like to be part of a dedicated team committed to making a difference to people's lives to enjoy a better future?

About Us

We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.

Our values

We recruit based on qualifications & experience and also attract individuals who possess and demonstrate the behaviours that underpin our Trusts core values. These include showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.

Details

Date posted: 10 December 2025
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 7
Salary: £47,810 to £54,710 a year
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full‑time, Flexible working
Reference number: C9369-25-0993
Job locations: The Brook, Exeter Rd, Dawlish, EX7 0NR

Job Description

Duties And Responsibilities

Communication and Working Relationship Skills:

• Be a senior member of the learning disability and autism multi-disciplinary team and represent the team at regional/national meetings as appropriate.
• Communicate with individuals and their families who use the service, using the most appropriate verbal, written or pictorial methods, in a way that represents their views, autonomy and culture.
• Translate complex key nutritional health promotion messages into language and format appropriate for the service user and other health care professionals outside the team.
• Lead in the preparation and planning of evidence‑based diet sheets, teaching material, dietetic literature and specialist services literature.
• Work collaboratively with all members of the treatment team and share information with team members formally and informally e.g. clinical reviews, discharge summaries and provide professional options when necessary.
• Share relevant information and knowledge within the professional forum.
• Support and counsel highly distressed or confused individuals/family/carers around the dietary treatment plan.
• Deal appropriately with daily exposure to very distressed or extremely emotional circumstances e.g. individuals ambivalent about changes, distressed parents/children, individuals with low mood, depression or multi‑impulsive behaviour.
• Work autonomously as a specialist dietitian and manage own varied and potentially complex caseload in various specialist clinical areas.
• Act as a senior practitioner, sourcing appropriate peer and clinical supervision arrangements and ensuring effective use of line management supervision.
• Risk assess own workload and environment and take necessary precautions to minimise risk to self and others.

Analytical And Judgemental Skills:

• Undersee comprehensive or specialist mental health assessments and interventions for individuals presenting with highly complex needs.
• Review, analyse and report on key data relating to clinical care, interventions and outcomes.
• Make decisions under pressure, seek support, supervision and professional leadership when needed.

Planning And Organisational Skills:

• Work with others to provide a co‑ordinated response to meet the needs of the individual, progress service developments and achieve outcomes as set out in action plans or team goals.
• Organise, plan and chair multi‑agency meetings.
• Plan and organise own time to complete tasks in a timely way and prioritise clinical care appropriately.

Responsibility for Patient/Client Care, Treatment and Therapy:

• Act as a source of expertise on nutrition and diet therapy for individuals using the service and multi‑disciplinary teams.
• Communicate effectively a plan of care with other health professionals e.g. care coordinators, psychologists, community psychiatric nurses, consultant psychiatrists, general practitioners.
• Collaborate with other disciplines, ensuring delivery of a co‑ordinated multidisciplinary service. Attend and contribute to patient assessments, reviews and MDT meetings and education sessions to discuss specific patient needs and recommend dietary care plans.
• May be exposed to unpleasant working conditions such as exposure to bodily fluids and management of enteral feeding when providing support to service users requiring nutritional support in hospital settings.
• Complete full assessments of nutritional status using appropriate anthropometric, biochemical and medical records and identify nutritional requirements.
• Devise core and specialist nutritional treatment plans e.g. re‑feeding programmes, enteral feeding regimens, diabetes, weight reduction, nutritional support, food intolerances.
• Implement specialist group and individual treatments to achieve individual treatment goals.
• Identify and manage the risk of re‑feeding syndrome in nutritionally depleted individuals.
• Provide specialist dietetic expertise and advice.

Responsibility for Policy and Service Development Implementation:

• Attend and contribute to clinical governance and quality agenda activities within the organisation.
• Undertake measures to meet targets for organisational key performance indicators.
• Lead in practice development, evaluation, audit and research activities to implement evidence‑based practice.
• Share and disseminate research findings with professional colleagues in the interest of practice development.
• Ensure that own practice and that of the dietetic service are in line with NIHCE guidelines.

Responsibility For Finance, Equipment And Other Resources:

• Work to the financial policies and procedures as laid down by the employer.
• Take appropriate care of equipment entrusted to them for use.
• Maintain a clear desk policy and protect confidential information in accordance with the organisation’s policies and procedures.
• Act responsibly in terms of providing best value practice and protecting service resources.
• Take responsibility for any specific materials you are required to use, maintaining their general standard and ensuring adequate supplies are maintained.

Responsibility for Human Resources, e.g. Supervision, Training, HR Advice and Management:

• Clinically supervise the work of others, specifically assistants and trainees, including contributing to the completion of appraisals and staff development.
• Follow and implement relevant HR policies and guidance.
• Attend and deliver training, consultation and teaching as required.
• Participate in the organisation’s appraisal process.
• Act promptly on issues with regard to staff performance, sickness, attendance levels and any disciplinary, capability or grievance matters.
• Provide supervision and support to other clinicians with the ability to demonstrate compassionate leadership, understand and follow HR policies and procedures, ensure staff wellbeing and development and adopt a collaborative approach to engage staff with a range of skills and communication needs.
• Review and reflect on own practice and performance through effective use of professional supervision and annual appraisal.
• Ensure appropriate training courses have been undertaken and full awareness and accordance with trust policies.
• Maintain and demonstrate own competence, through participation in the appraisal process and continued professional development within the framework of the professional portfolio. This includes membership of the British Dietetic Association specialist interest groups and local/regional interest groups.

Responsibility for Information Resources and Administrative Duties:

• Input accurate and contemporary case notes on the relevant clinical systems in line with professional and organisational standards.
• Ensure accurate and timely input of data into the relevant data collection systems.
• Have sound knowledge of IT and the ability to use a clinical records systems.
• Ensure all employer policies, procedures and guidelines are followed.
• Complete all statutory and mandatory training as required by the employer. Identify and manage risks through incident reporting when appropriate.
• Take part in and develop activities designed to improve service delivery or quality of care such as staff surveys, participation and service development.

Responsibility for Research and Development:

• Participate in and take a lead on clinical audit and research as required.
• Be aware of and keep up to date with advances in psychological therapies and other areas of evidence based practice.

Freedom to Act:

• Act as an autonomous professional with responsibility for a defined caseload as well as the responsibility for the supervision of the practice of others, making decisions to prioritise care as appropriate.
• Make decisions, even in times of pressure or distress, in a thoughtful and informed way to meet the needs of service users and staff.
• Work in accordance with codes of practice as defined by the regulatory and professional body.
• Work in accordance with organisational policies and procedures.

• Ability to travel across the county to include access to remote locations.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Professional knowledge acquired through degree supplemented by specialist training or equivalent experience to Masters level with a relevant core dietetics professional qualification.
• Degree in Nutrition/Dietetics or equivalent leading to registration with Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
• Registration as a Dietitian.
• Training in an evidence‑based therapeutic approach.
• Professional registration/accreditation with a recognised body, e.g. HCPC.
• Training in supervision and/or leadership skills or willing to work towards.
• Evidence of Continuous Professional Development.

Experience

• Experience of working collaboratively with service users and their families/carers, including using goal‑based care and routine outcome measures in practice.
• Experience of working collaboratively in a multi‑disciplinary team and across agencies.
• Experience of working with individuals with mental health needs, families and parents/carers, maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems and verbal abuse.
• Ability to work with complex needs and undertake risk assessments.
• Experience of safeguarding and ensuring the safety of individuals in partnership with other agencies as appropriate.
• Experience that evidences an ability to tend to diversity and work in a way that promotes anti‑discriminatory practice.
• Experience of initiating, attending and contributing to multi‑professional and inter‑agency meetings.

Desired

• Experience in providing effective clinical supervision, teaching, training and assessing in clinical practice.
• Experience of providing professional teaching and training for other professionals.

Knowledge

Essential

• Evidence of working in specialist field of mental health, learning disabilities and/or autism services.
• Understanding of relevant legislation pertaining to mental health.
• High level knowledge of mental health presentations and knowledge of the theory and practice of short‑term and long‑term, evidence‑based, clinical interventions in the field of mental health.
• Extensive dietetic knowledge covering a broad background of dietetic practices e.g. diabetes, obesity, gastroenterology.
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to safeguarding procedures and policies.
• Knowledge of NHS, Social Care and Education structures, national policies and frameworks, evidence‑based practice including NICE guidelines.
• Knowledge of risk management and ability to monitor and assess risk and act accordingly to ensure safety.
• Knowledge of electronic patient record systems and the requirements around data reporting.

Desirable

• Understanding of Positive Behavioural Support and Trauma Informed Practice.
• Specialist knowledge and experience of working in mental health, learning disabilities and autism services.
• Knowledge of supervision and leadership practice.
• Knowledge of research methodology and outcome research methodology and outcome research design and ability to critically interpret research findings and data.

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Additional information

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.

UK Registration: Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer details

Employer name: Devon Partnership NHS Trust
Address: The Brook, Exeter Rd, Dawlish, EX7 0NR
Employer's website: https://www.dpt.nhs.uk/