Specialist Dietitian

If you are a compassionate and caring individual, who works well within a team and has a strong desire to maximise the quality of life for people in the community with an artificial feeding tube, then this could be the role you are looking for


This exciting post has developed from an expansion in the clientele of the Home Enteral Feeding (HEF) Dietetic team to include those with Profound & Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD), who have feeding tubes in situ.


This post combines specialist MDT working within the Learning Disabilities care team to provide a high standard of dietetic service for the HEF PMLD clients for 0.4WTE will be spent working with the small but dedicated HEF Dietetic Team, providing dietetic support and advice to home enterally fed adults, their carers/families/wider care team and to other Health Care Professionals across Cornwall.


The dietetic role as a HEF specialist within the Learning Disabilities care team is newly funded and as such there is the opportunity to establish, mould and develop the HEF service within the LD team and would therefore suit a driven and motivated individual.
35 patients with PMLD out of the 140 HEF patients working closely with the multi-disciplinary team for learning disabilities, to ensure a holistic & collaborative approach.


Monitoring progress and making relevant adjustments is key to ensure a successful feeding care plan and a happy service user


Communication between all healthcare professionals is essential & thus is a key required skill.


Creating & developing supporting protocols, policy's and procedures is integral to the service.


Supervision of assisting staff, peer support and student training is expected as part of this profession.
The adult HEF RD team consists of a band 6 peer dietitian, the team lead and an Assistant Practitioner, with additional close working alongside the gastrostomy specialist dietitian. We currently work remotely due to essential work being completed in our office building. This means we link mostly through Microsoft Teams, which can be isolating at times. Whatever area of HEF you are active in, we all share the same objective of working hard to maintain the wellness of our clients striving to help achieve or maintain quality of life.
To work as a senior autonomous practitioner providing dietetic support and advice to home enterally fed adults, their carers and other Health Care Professionals.
To be responsible for, but not limited to, the dietetic care of the cohort of enterally fed patients with Profound & Multiple Learning Disabilities throughout Cornwall.
To be involved with pre-PEG assessments and planning for tube insertion in appropriate patients, to ensure a smooth transition into the HEF service.
This involves close working with acute dietetic & specialist learning disability colleagues, as well as the MDT & nutrition nurses, to ensure smooth transfer of care.
Regularly monitoring and advising patients and community teams on enteral feeding at home
To promote patient wellness & quality of life by creating feed & fluid care plans to meet nutritional requirements and maintain adequate hydration whilst minimising the impact of enteral feeding.
To coordinate service cover of the adult HEF caseload with dietetic colleagues.
To contribute to policy development.
To help to support and/or establish research and development, including annual audit of the HEF Nutrition and Dietetic service

Degree in Nutrition/Dietetics or equivalent
Health Professions Council (HPC) Registration as a Dietitian
Advanced certificate in counselling skills or counselling experience
PENG course in clinical nutrition
Attendance of the BDA course of Advancing Dietetics in Learning Disabilities

Extensive and wide range of post registration dietetic experience in a health care setting.
Experience of delivering dietetic services in the community
Experience of providing a dietetic service to clients with learning disabilities

Evidence of being able to evaluate and report on complex data
Car driver with the ability to travel between sites and to patients' homes in a timely manner and as required by role.
Ability to be flexible as role requires
Camborne Redruth Community Hospital