Lead Children's Dietitian

Job Summary

Do you want the exciting opportunity to jointly lead the paediatric team in First Dietitians?

First Community Health and Care are looking for an enthusiastic and dynamic person to lead the childrens team of dietitians (3 x Band 6 dietitians and dietetic assistant support).

Join our friendly team of 19 dietitians, dietetic assistants and administrators delivering adult and childrens services across east Surrey and parts of West Sussex.

The post holder will need to have excellent communication skills and clinical skills covering nutrition support, tube feeding and more complex special needs. This role will also line manage others in the paediatric team and support students.

You will support the team to continue to deliver excellent patient care based on the needs of the local community.

The post holder will be supported by the service lead to jointly formulate the operational delivery plans and strategic direction of the service in line with First Community's objectives. This is a great opportunity to jointly lead and develop the children's dietetic service with a friendly, supportive and innovative team of dietitians.

Main duties of the job

You will manage a caseload of complex HEF patients, providing specialist nutritional assessment, support, and ongoing monitoring in the community setting. You will have regular general clinics and clinics in special schools.

You will work as a part o

f a friendly, patient focused multiagency team (including community paediatricians, acute paediatricians, community nurses, SLT, school nurses, health visitors etc) and have regular liaison with tertiary centres, special schools and social care.

You will have children under safeguarding plans and be a part of the core groups and multiagency support networks managing these cases.

We run different parent education groups for conditions such as complex feeding/ARFID and cows milk protein allergy that you will be involved in delivering.

You will line manage a Band 6 Paediatric Dietitian and/or Dietetic Assistant offering supervision and guidance as needed.

The dietetic team undertakes regular student placements from different universities, and they all spend some time in the paediatric team.

Reviewing and developing the service to meet the needs of the local population and in line with the service objectives.

About Us

Do you want to be part of an organisation that was rated best provider of NHS care to work for nationwide? (2023 staff survey results)

First Community is a staff owned social enterprise rated Good by CQC, which delivers NHS community services across east Surrey and parts of West Sussex. We are looking for individuals who share our values First-rate care, First-rate people, First-rate value.

First Community is a great place to work, everyone has a voice and is supported t

o develop their career to its full potential. We offer all our staff: NHS terms and conditions, high quality training and development opportunities, flexible working to enable a good work life balance, an inclusive and friendly work environment, an NHS pension, flexible retirement options and various employee benefits.

Please talk to us before applying or at interview about the flexibility you need. We may not be able to meet your needs exactly, but we do promise to fully consider your request and meet your needs where possible. Please note, flexible working options may vary depending on the role.

At First Community we welcome applications from black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and candidates with disabilities. We ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process, including the consideration of reasonable adjustments.

Sustainability is integral to First Community achieving the NHS Net Zero target.

Details

Date posted

06 March 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time, Job share, Flexible working

Reference number

B9078-FC1085

Job locations

Crawley & Horsham Nhs Trust

West Green Drive

Crawley

West Sussex

RH11 7DH

Job Description

Job responsibilities

The post holder is responsible for the nutrition and dietetic management of community paediatric clients under the care of the First Community Health & Cares Dietitian services. The service covers Crawley, Horsham and east Surrey areas.

The post holder will provide a specialist dietetic service to a caseload of children including those with complex special needs and those receiving enteral tube feeding. The caseload may have varied, unpredictable and complex health needs.

The post holder will be required to use specialist dietetic skills and knowledge: assessing, planning, implementing treatment and delivering dietetic interventions to children and advise their carers in a variety of settings including clinics, special schools or at home.

This role is one of an expert practitioner who works autonomously, but also involves joint liaison with other professionals involved with the child and their families both within the health sector and other agencies.

When completing your application please refer to both the Application Guide and full Job Description & Person Specification - these can be found under supporting documents.

Job Description

Job responsibilities

The post holder is responsible for the nutrition and dietetic management of community paediatric clients under the care of the First Community Health & Cares Dietitian services. The service covers Crawley, Horsham and east Surrey areas.

The post holder will provide a specialist dietetic service to a caseload of children including those with complex special needs and those receiving enteral tube feeding. The caseload may have varied, unpredictable and complex health needs.

The post holder will be required to use specialist dietetic skills and knowledge: assessing, planning, implementing treatment and delivering dietetic interventions to children and advise their carers in a variety of settings including clinics, special schools or at home.

This role is one of an expert practitioner who works autonomously, but also involves joint liaison with other professionals involved with the child and their families both within the health sector and other agencies.

When completing your application please refer to both the Application Guide and full Job Description & Person Specification - these can be found under supporting documents.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council
• Degree/Postgraduate Diploma in Dietetics
  
  

Desirable

• To have commenced post graduate dietetic study
• Member of the BDA and the BDA paediatric group
  
  

Experience

Essential

• Minimum 4 years post graduate clinical experience with appropriate experience in paediatric dietetics at a senior level
• Relevant post graduate training in paediatric dietetics
• Understanding the importance of effective multi-disciplinary working
• Experience in training/teaching other health professionals
• Experience in giving guidance and advice to families and carers of children with complex special needs
  
  

Desirable

• Experience of supervising Dietetic students
• Experience of supporting child protection cases, and attending case conferences and core groups
  
  

Other

Essential

• Willingness to participate in continuous professional development
• Is motivated to take responsibility for own actions and promotes good team working practice appropriately

Treats others with courtesy and respect at all times

Excellent interpersonal qualities

Access to a car/car owner/full UK drivers licence

Skills

Essential

• Ability to work effectively autonomously and as part of a team with excellent communication, liaison, negotiation and influencing skills
• Ability to assess and treat children and evaluate dietetic intervention across a range of clinical needs
• Ability to prioritise workload unsupervised
• IT competency
• Good organisational and time management skills
• Ability to deliver presentations and training as required
• Ability to remain calm under pressure and flexible to the needs of the service
  
  

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of a variety of paediatric neurological / developmental conditions
• Demonstrates consolidated clinical dietetic knowledge and skills in the specified field of paediatric dietetics
• Demonstrates good knowledge of, and ability to apply, evidence base in relation to dietetic practice
• Show understanding of value of audit within clinical practice.

Demonstrates good knowledge of all aspects of enteral feeding in children

Person Specification

Essential

• Knowledge of a variety of paediatric neurological / developmental conditions
• Demonstrates consolidated clinical dietetic knowledge and skills in the specified field of paediatric dietetics
• Demonstrates good knowledge of, and ability to apply, evidence base in relation to dietetic practice
• Show understanding of value of audit within clinical practice.
• Demonstrates good knowledge of all aspects of enteral feeding in children
  
  

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 (opens in a new window).

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