Job overview
We are excited to offer an opportunity for a skilled dietitian to join our collaborative team, leading nutritional support, specialist interventions and pathway optimisation across the Mental Health Care Division.
This exciting post is based across inpatient mental health services. You will manage a diverse caseload of patients requiring weight management support, including those with co-morbidities and patients requiring nutritional support. You will also support colleagues with their caseloads, provide supervision and develop confidence and competence as a team leader.
You will deliver daily ward-based clinics to assess and review patients, attend MDT meetings to communicate treatment plans and monitoring requirements and work closely with a range of health professionals. You will also deliver nutritional screening training, support audit activity and contribute to the Nutrition and Hydration Strategy.
Evidence-based practice and working within the British Dietetic Association Professional Code of Conduct are essential.
The role may be considered as a Band 6 to Band 7 development post, offering experienced Band 6 practitioners the opportunity to progress once competencies are achieved. Competencies are expected within 3–6 months of commencement.
Main duties of the job
To provide specialist evidence based clinical care (and expertise and team leadership) to ensure an effective dietetic service which aims to maximise the nutritional status of service users within in-patient areas of the Mental Health Care Division.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- Flexible and adaptable, comfortable working in a dynamic health care environment. Provide care, advice, and guidance in the treatment of others, when dealing with complex highly specialist conditions.
Responsible for the delivery of identified training.
Work in partnership with the other services/stakeholder partnership agencies to enable patients/clients to be treated in the appropriate setting. This may include procurement and enteral feed contract reviews.
Ensure that the team provides a high-quality service to its patients/clients by providing caseload and clinical supervision.
Ensure that team work proactively in order to deliver anticipatory and maintenance care, providing a responsive service to patients with both planned and unplanned care needs.
Develop partnerships and joint working with service users and stakeholders to improve patient/client care.
Work in partnership with other organisations to support the effective and co-ordinated provision of health and social care services.
Participate in the development of caseload management across the local health economy.
Provide leadership and mentoring to those staff developing into a caseload management role.
Challenge professional and organisational boundaries to ensure that the role is focused on meeting the needs of service users.
Act as an advocate and champion for patients/clients in a variety of forums and professional groups and challenge attitudes and behaviour.
Act as a role model to others ensuring that patients receive the most effective care possible
Contribute to the development of policy and services to reflect the needs of the target population.
Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for a full list of duties and responsibilities.
Person specification
Skills
Essential
- Ability to organise effectively and communicate complex information verbally and in writing
- Highly developed communication and clinical skills to enable engagement with patients with challenging behavioural problems e.g. eating disorders
- Highly developed motivational skills to meet the challenge of changing the lifestyles of patients who are mentally ill coupled with pharmacologically induced problems
- Ability to facilitate and lead discussions in professional/ multi -agency meetings
- Evidence of professional development
- Information Technology skills (word processing, e -mail, dietary analysis, internet searching, recording clinical notes etc)
- Presentation skills with the ability to present to large groups
- Ability to respond to unpredictable work patterns and frequent interruptions
- Competence at boundary setting, assertiveness and interpersonal skills
- Proficient at time management, working to deadlines and good organisational skills
- Ability to work in a physically and emotionally demanding environment
- Ability to analyse work commitments to reflect service priorities
- Ability to analyse blood test results to inform clinical treatment
- Knowledge and understanding to be able to manage complex dietary situations
Desirable
- Accurate anthropometric skills
Knowledge
Essential
- Code of conduct and professional ethics
- Aware of current DOH initiatives
Experience
Essential
- Significant demonstrable experience in adult dietetics.
Desirable
- Wide range of experience in NHS
- Working with hospital or commercial caterers
- Experience of working in mental health setting
Qualifications
Essential
- BSc Nutrition and Dietetics or relevant degree with post graduate diploma in dietetics
- Health Professions Council registration for dietetics
Desirable
- Full member of British Dietetic Association (BDA)
- Teaching qualification
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Dietitian with Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust in Prescot, North West, England. It is listed as a Band 6 Dietitian role. The advertised salary is £39,959 - £56,515 per annum. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 12 Jul 2026.
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