Paediatric Dietitian ARFID Pathway

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our multidisciplinary ARFID Pathway, part of the East London Community Eating Disorder Service for Children and Young People (EL CEDS-CYP), working with children and young people aged 8-18 with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) or suspected ARFID. We are seeking a motivated and experienced Dietitian to join this specialist pathway.

Main duties of the job

? Assessing the nutritional needs of children and young people referred to the ARFID Pathway.

? Contributing to initial assessments and providing specialist dietetic advice to children, young people, families and the MDT.

? Demonstrating a strong understanding of refeeding syndrome and its management within an ARFID/eating disorder population.

? Acting as an advocate for dietetic interventions and promoting improved nutritional understanding among children, young people and their families.

? Complying with and implementing, as far as is practicable, NICE Guidelines for Eating Disorders and the MEED Guidelines.

About us

Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.

Job responsibilities

Designing and delivering specialised programmes of nutritional care for children and young people treated in the community, which may include decisions on alternative feeding (e.g. oral nutritional supplements, or liaison regarding NGT feeding) to enable sufficient nutritional rehabilitation.

Contributing to health promotion and prevention activities relating to ARFID and paediatric feeding difficulties as part of the specialist team.

Providing packages of care and psycho-education for children, young people and their families/carers that take account of the complexities of family systems, sensory presentations and significant social networks.

Ensuring that the needs of the client group are paramount, and being aware of and adhering to safeguarding guidelines relating to child protection.

Person specification

Education/ Qualification/ Training

Essential

• BSc in Nutrition & Dietetics or equivalent
• Registered with HCPC
• UK NHS experience (minimum 1 year)
• Evidence of post-graduate CPD in paediatric dietetics
• Evidence of other post registration education and training in nutrition support and enteral feeding
• Evidence of a range of CPD activities including paediatrics

Desirable

• Leadership and line management experience

Experience

Essential

• Significant experience as a Paediatric Dietitian at Band 6 level, managing a complex caseload
• Proven expertise in home enteral feeding, neurodisability, and complex feeding pathways
• Experience working within community paediatric services or similar multiagency settings
• Experience delivering training to other professionals, students, parents and carers
• Evidence of supervision and mentorship of junior staff and students
• Experience supporting senior staff or deputising for senior clinical colleagues

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Highly specialist knowledge of paediatric nutrition, neurodisability and complex feeding needs
• In-depth understanding of home enteral feeding products, pumps, safety, and clinical monitoring
• Knowledge of safeguarding processes, clinical governance, and quality improvement
• Knowledge of education systems (e.g., SEND, EHCP process) and social care interfaces
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills