Job summary
- Main area
- Band 6 Specialist Nutritionist
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 6
- Contract
- 12 months (Fixed Term/Secondment)
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday- Friday)
- Job ref
- 346-TSA-073-25-A
- Employer
- Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- 9-11 Imperial Avenue
- Town
- Norton
- Salary
- £37,338 - £44,962 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 13/07/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Nutritionist
NHS AfC: Band 6
We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby.
From education and prevention, to crisis and specialist care —our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.
We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health.
We’re committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it.
We won’t rest until everyone in our region has the mental health care they need, to lead their best possible life.
Job overview
Are you interested in working with adults with eating disorders? We are delighted to announce an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic Specialist Nutritionist to join the Durham, Tees Valley Adult Community Eating Disorders Service, on a 1-year fixed term basis. This post will be based at the Day Service at Imperial Avenue, Stockton as part of the IDS@home team.
Candidates should be a registered Nutritionist with significant experience of working with service users in the field of nutrition. They should have excellent communication and IT skills. A working knowledge of motivational interviewing would be desirable. Supervision will be provided by the Clinical Lead Dietitian for Adult Eating Disorders and there will be a strong emphasis on Continued Professional Development and the team can support with specialist training.
Applicants must be a Registered Nutritionist (RNutr) on the UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists (UKVRN) held by the Association for Nutrition (AfN)
Website: http://www.associationfornutrition.org/Default.aspx?tabid=134
Main duties of the job
Our Dietetic Team is the largest and most established Specialist Mental Health and Learning Disability dietetic team in the UK and has strong links with the British Dietetic Association. Our Dietitians also work into Adult Eating disorders, Adult Mental Health, Learning Disabilities, Mental Health Services for Older People and Secure Inpatient Services. We are supported by our Professional Head of Dietetics and have a large group of highly skilled Clinical Specialist and Lead Dietitians.
We have regular speciality team meetings and whole dietetic team events to develop skills; provide peer support; and can provide training to meet the complex needs of the patient group. We have a robust clinical and management supervision structure and support continued professional training and development.
Working for our organisation
We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby.
From education and prevention, to crisis and specialist care —our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.
We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health.
We’re committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it.
We won’t rest until everyone in our region has the mental health care they need, to lead their best possible life.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for further detailed information to ensure that you meet the role criteria before applying.
Applicants must ensure that prior to applying they have agreement from their current line manager that they can be released on a secondment basis. In the event that permanent funding is secured for this post the successful applicant will be confirmed in post on a permanent basis.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- B.Sc. (hons.) or M.Sc. in a Nutritional Science
- Registration as a Registered Nutritionist (RNutr) or Registered Associate Nutritionist (ANutr) on the UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists (UKVRN) held by the Association for Nutrition (AfN) or SENR (Sport and Exercise Nutrition Register)
- Willingness to undertake the Preceptorship Programme and Competency Framework (within an agreed timescale)
- BDA Clinical Supervisory Skills course (or willingness to undertake within agreed timescale)
- Certificate in Food Hygiene (or willingness to undertake within agreed timescale)
- Willingness to undertake Trust training in Appraisal and Recruitment (within an agreed timescale)
- Numeracy, Literacy and ITQ level 2 (or equivalent)
- Motivational Interviewing
Desirable criteria
- Mental Health First Aid
Experience
Essential criteria
- Significant professional nutritional experience (gained within the last 5 years)
- Experience of working with service users with mental health conditions or learning disabilities
- Experience of applying behaviour change mythologies and tool to empower people to make changes years).
- Experience of developing tailored inpatient programmes (Group and 1:1) for patients with severe and complex needs
- Experience of delivering training to the MDT
- Experience of evaluating lifestyle programmes
- Experience of effective team working
- Experience of working within a multidisciplinary team
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Professional Organisation’s Standards of Ethics, Conduct and Performance and its application to practice
- Health and Safety legislation and its application in practice
- Clinical Risk Assessment and Management and its application in practice.
- Clinical Governance and Clinical Supervision
- Safeguarding and its application in practice
- Evidence based practice in mental health or learning disabilities and knowledge of the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act
- Research and development methodology
- Care Programme Approach
- Understanding of the needs and difficulties of service users with mental health conditions or learning disabilities and the impact this may have on nutritional status
- Software packages e.g. Nutritics U
- Understanding of the needs of individuals from diverse social, ethnic and cultural backgrounds
- Knowledge of evidence based practice in relation to food, health and behaviour change practices for patients with severe and complex nutritional needs
- Ability to communicate effectively with a variety of groups, including groups, presentations, training around physical health risks within a mental health and learning disabilities setting
- Excellent motivational interviewing skills
- Ability to work autonomously without a high level of supervision
Desirable criteria
- Excellent teaching or delivery skills.
Skills
Essential criteria
- Communicate complex and sensitive information in a manner appropriate to the individual and situation
- Good observational skills and ability to describe such observations verbally and in writing
- Record keeping and report writing.
- Ability to relate therapeutically to the needs of the service user group
- Work collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team
- Manage own caseload and prioritise effectively
- Delegate tasks appropriately
- Apply latest research evidence and evaluative thinking in practice.
- Ability to develop and lead therapy group sessions
- Provide (within agreed timescale) effective teaching, training and clinical supervision.
- Breakaway techniques (within agreed timescale)
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Hannah Sturman
- Job title
- Team Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01642 550863
- Additional information
Sarah Cross (Lead Dietitian) [email protected]
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