Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Dietetic and Catering services at The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals. As a Dietetic Support Worker, you will work alongside both our Oesophago-Gastric (OG) dietetic team and Lead Catering Dietitian to support patient care and develop a range of improvements in our food and fluid provision.
Our OG dietetic team consists of a Lead and 2 Specialist Dietitians at the Northern Oesophago-Gastric Unit. The OG unit is an established regional centre for both oncology and benign surgical procedures, with nutritional care playing an important part in the treatment pathway. The Specialist Dietitians provide nutritional support to this patient group via various methods including dietetic counselling, oral nutritional supplements, enteral tube feeding and parenteral nutrition.
The Lead Catering Dietitian works on improving food and fluid provision for inpatient services (children and adults) and focuses on improving the wellbeing of staff through contributing to various health and wellbeing initiatives. You will work across our two main hospital sites, Freeman and Royal Victoria Infirmary (including the Great North Children's Hospital) and will be based within the Catering Department with regular access to each Dietetic Department.
Main duties of the job
- Interview Date: 9 April 2025
- 34 Hours/Week
- You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy.
NO AGENCIES PLEASE
- Support dietitians to ensure both inpatients and outpatients are able to access suitable nutritional products (e.g. oral nutritional supplements and tube feeds)
- Telephone contact with OG outpatients to support access to specialist dietitian clinic appointments and management of home enteral feeding systems
- Carry out basic anthropometric assessments of patients (e.g. weight, hand grip strength)
- Supporting menu planning and the nutritional analysis of all hospital menus using a computer software package (training and supervision will be provided)
- Supporting key initiatives such as the implementation of electronic meal ordering
- Database development, data entry, maintenance and reporting of audits and research projects
- Development of information resources regarding catering and special diet provision including internet / intranet sites
- Linking with members of the dietetic teams including dietitians and dietetic support workers as well as the wider healthcare team including nurses, healthcare assistants, play specialists, allied health professionals and doctors
- Participation in the delivery of training for catering and ward staff as well as dietetic student.
About us
Our staff oversee over 6,500 patient contacts every day, delivering high standards of healthcare from the following sites:
o Freeman Hospitalo Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)o Health Innovation Neighbourhood (on the former Newcastle General Hospital and Centre for Ageing and Vitality site)o Newcastle Dental Hospitalo Newcastle Fertility Centreo Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbriao Northern Genetics Serviceo Cramlington Manor Walks
These include a range of flagship services which deliver cutting-edge care (supported by state-of-the-art diagnostic services in both radiology and pathology) and are a catalyst for innovation to support pioneering clinical practice in the NHS.
We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.
Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust under 'Documents to download' or 'Supporting documents'.
For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Job description
Job responsibilities
- The Dietetic Support Worker will work alongside a specialist dietitian to deliver support to individuals in hospital or the community.
- The post-holder will be trained to assist the dietitian to deliver and review basic dietary advice and weight monitoring to patients and/or carers.
- The post holder will enter information onto enteral feed databases such as nutrition company databases and patient registration systems.
- The post holder will assist in the organisation and management of resources such as patient information leaflets and nutrition products.
- The post holder will facilitate training around nutrition screening and dietary strategies and collate data in relation to dietary intervention outcomes.
- The post holder will support with health promotion activities/national campaigns related to nutrition.
- The post holder will assist with the mentoring and supervision of student dietitians .
Please note it is a requirement of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who require a DBS for the post they have been offered pay for their DBS certificate. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first months pay.
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- The Dietetic Support Worker will work alongside a specialist dietitian to deliver support to individuals in hospital or the community.
- The post-holder will be trained to assist the dietitian to deliver and review basic dietary advice and weight monitoring to patients and/or carers.
- The post holder will enter information onto enteral feed databases such as nutrition company databases and patient registration systems.
- The post holder will assist in the organisation and management of resources such as patient information leaflets and nutrition products.
- The post holder will facilitate training around nutrition screening and dietary strategies and collate data in relation to dietary intervention outcomes.
- The post holder will support with health promotion activities/national campaigns related to nutrition.
- The post holder will assist with the mentoring and supervision of student dietitians .
Please note it is a requirement of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who require a DBS for the post they have been offered pay for their DBS certificate. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first months pay.
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
Person Specification
Qualifications & Education
Essential
- NVQ level 3 in Care or equivalent knowledge and skills
- full driving licence if required for the post
Desirable
- Basic Food Hygiene certificate
- Attendance of courses/ further professional development relating to health needs of children/adults/older people at risk of under nutrition
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- Be able to demonstrate knowledge of food safety and health issues affecting children/adults in hospital
Desirable
- Understanding of basic nutrition principles Competent food preparation skills and enjoys cooking
- Evidence of employment working in a multidisciplinary team in the NHS or social care (adults or children depending on post).
- Experience of working with children/adults/groups with health care needs
Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Excellent communication skills - verbal and written
- Good organisational skills
- Computer skills i.e. email, spreadsheets
- Basic numeracy skills
Person Specification
Qualifications & Education
Essential
- NVQ level 3 in Care or equivalent knowledge and skills
- full driving licence if required for the post
Desirable
- Basic Food Hygiene certificate
- Attendance of courses/ further professional development relating to health needs of children/adults/older people at risk of under nutrition
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- Be able to demonstrate knowledge of food safety and health issues affecting children/adults in hospital
Desirable
- Understanding of basic nutrition principles Competent food preparation skills and enjoys cooking
- Evidence of employment working in a multidisciplinary team in the NHS or social care (adults or children depending on post).
- Experience of working with children/adults/groups with health care needs
Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Excellent communication skills - verbal and written
- Good organisational skills
- Computer skills i.e. email, spreadsheets
- Basic numeracy skills
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
