Lead Specialist Dietitian

The closing date is 4th Jan 2026

Job summary

An exciting opportunity for an experienced eating disorder dietician to lead on a new initiative across the HIOW Children and Young Peoples Eating Disorder care pathway. We are looking for an experienced 8A dietician to lead a newly developing dietetic service that will provide specialist dietetic intervention across our community and inpatient services, including Serenity Path Hospital and Austen House.

The successful candidate will lead on the creation of the service, ensuring the development of robust clinical dietetic pathways ensuring equity of delivery across all the related services. Development of the dietetic strategy will be a key component of this role, working alongside the Allied Health Professional Consultant. With a focus on recruitment, retention and professional development of the dieticians working within the service.

The role will allow for a mix of clinical, leadership and strategic tasks, ensuring a varied and stimulating post. The postholder and their team will work closely with the various multidisciplinary teams to provide collaborative, evidence based and needs lead care to young people.

Experience and knowledge of eating disorders when young people's eating is disordered in the context of other mental health difficulties is an essential skill set for this role.

We welcome applications from practitioners who share our passion for this client group and providing a high-quality level of care.

Main duties, tasks & skills required

To act as the Lead Specialist Dietitian, providing advanced clinical expertise within the CAMHS Eating Disorder Care Pathway, with a key role in shaping strategic developments related to nutrition and advancing evidence-based clinical practice.

Develop and lead a newly established Specialist Dietetic Service, ensuring strong clinical and strategic leadership.

Support the team in delivering a high-quality, evidence-based service aligned with the CAMHS Eating Disorder Care Pathway.

Work within the Specialist Dietetic Service, supporting young people and their families through their recovery journey across community, day service, and inpatient settings.

Develop inpatient strategy around disordered eating in context of co- occurring mental health difficulties.

Collaborate with the AHP Lead to develop a strategic vision for dietetics, fostering recruitment, retention, and professional development opportunities.

• To develop and manage Dietetics care pathway and processes across specialist Dietetics service.

To manage a complex caseload.

To provide specialist clinical advice and input for clients with complex problems and needs.

To ensure dietetic contribution to the provision of quality clinical care and performance standards working in collaboration with the wider MDT.

To lead on the strategic planning, development and evaluation of dietetics in conjunction with wider system consideration and collaboration with parallel agencies.

About us

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a newly established organisation, bringing together expertise from across mental health, learning disabilities, community, and physical health services. We are dedicated to delivering compassionate, high-quality, and accessible care to the diverse communities of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

With over 13,000 dedicated staff working across more than 300 sites, we place patients and staff at the centre of everything we do. Our goal is to create an integrated healthcare system that improves accessibility and ensures more consistent care for patients. By working together, we aim to improve patient outcomes, drive innovation, and meet the unique needs of the populations we serve.

Our Trust unites services from Southern Health, Solent NHS Trust, Isle of Wight NHS Trusts community and mental health teams, as well as Hampshire CAMHS, originally part of Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. This transformation enables us to deliver more seamless care across the region, ensuring that patients receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time.

Join us as we embark on this exciting journey to shape the future of healthcare across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. We are deeply committed to our CARE values of compassion, accountability, respect, and excellence, and offer outstanding opportunities for career development, training, and collaborative working.

Job description

Further information about the Trust and this role can be found on the Job Description and Person Specification document attached. It is important to us that we ensure our recruitment processes are accessible and inclusive to everyone - if as a potential candidate you are concerned a person specification may prevent or restrict your application for employment as a result of unintentional barriers on the grounds of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, religion/belief or disability please initially contact the Trust's Recruitment team - detailed in the advert. The Trust will seek to resolve this issue wherever possible.

We are happy to talk Flexible Working - all requests for flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process.

Person specification
Qualifications
Essential

Specialist clinical training to degree level, plus specialist dietetic training to post graduate diploma level.

Registration with the HCPC as a dietitian.

Evidence of post graduate level study/training at master's level.

Management/Leadership training.

Desirable

Practice Education training.

Experience
Essential

Extensive post qualification experience in mental health.

Broad experience of working with clients with a range of mental health problems.

Specialist experience, including having worked as a clinical specialist (Band 7) in the area of specialty.

Experience of both group and individual work.

Experience of multidisciplinary working.

Experience of supervising staff and students.

Experience of multi-agency work.

Experience in applying a range of assessment tools.

Quality improvement and research experience.

Experience of having influenced and implemented change.

Experience of clinical and management leadership.

Additional Criteria
Essential

Communication / Relationship skills:

Able to communication complex condition related information to CYP, carers and colleagues.

Lead others in the development of knowledge, ideas and work practices including policies and strategies.

Develops, sustains and evaluates partnerships working with individuals, groups, communities and agencies.

Delegate work to others.

Analytical & Judgement skills:

Ability to act as lead specialist dietician for the clinical area, provide a high level of specialist advice in complex situations.

Planning & Organisational skills

Ability to coordinate dietetic activity across the area in collaboration with operational managers.

Demonstrate track record of writing and delivering key strategies.

People Management / Leadership / Resources:

Ability to set up and maintain clinical and professional supervision systems for junior staff, including appraisal, allocation of work, training and appointment.

Management of delegated budget when appropriate.

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 Professional Registration

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

For help with your application, contact:

Nicky Duncombe

Pay scheme

Agenda for Change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£ to £ Yearly

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-Time, Flexible Working

Reference number

348-CFS-9806

Job locations

Avalon House

Chesil Street

Winchester

Hampshire

SO23 0HU

---