Job summary
Community Dietitian
Department of Nutrition & Dietetics
Salary: £38,682 - £46,580
Band 6
Hours: up to 37.5 hours / week
All MKUH roles will be considered for flexible working / part time working
Once trained, working from home will be possible each month.
Candidates with less experience are welcome to apply, as we will support their development from B5 to meet B6 competencies
Do you like to be out and about during your working day?
Are you interested in furthering your career in community dietetics?
An opportunity has arisen to join our forward-thinking and friendly, community dietetic team in Milton Keynes.
The team has a mix of patients who are on oral nutritional support or are enterally fed, in the following specialties: mental health, respiratory, dementia, frailty, cancer, head and neck cancer, neurological, stroke, gastroenterology.
We see the patients in a variety of locations including their own homes, care homes and various community inpatient units.
This post is suitable for a band 5 dietitian who can work autonomously, or a band 6 dietitian looking to widen their skills and experience. Access to a car is desirable. We will provide supervision and mentoring with experienced community dietitians.
Interview Date: 10 December 2025
Main duties of the job
We care We communicate We collaborate We contribute
"- NHS Survey, 2024'' 75.8% of Allied Health Professionals feel enthusiastic about their job roles.
As a Department and Trust, we will provide support and opportunities for clinical and leadership CPD, we are also committed to supporting external education and career development opportunities. We have a dedicated Therapy Practice Education team to support staff development.
You will be joining a forward-thinking department that is itself developing at a great rate; this opportunity couldenhanceyour dietetic experience towards your new career.
The team is based in modern city centre offices with ample free dedicated NHS parking and an on-site independent coffee shop. You are only a 5-minute stroll away from The Center:MK.
You should have excellent interpersonal and time management skills with an ability to be flexible and have a strong commitment to teamwork. The successful candidate will work closely with the community and acute colleagues to provide a holistic and patient-centred service.
You will be joining our wider team of over 30 registered dietitians, dietetic support workers and admin staff, covering acute, community, paediatric and learning disability services.
We have excellent secretarial and dietetic assistantsupport andtake students for clinical placements from the University of Surrey and Oxford Brookes University. On site accommodation is usually available.
About us
Milton Keynes University Hospital, in proud partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital committed to advancing patient care through cutting-edge research and education. With a "Good" rating from the CQC and significant investment underway, this is an exciting time to join our team and grow your career.
As a medium sized general hospital, we provide a full range of general medical and surgical services, including a busy Emergency Department, Maternity, and Paediatrics. As the population of our city and surrounding areas continues to grow rapidly, we are expanding and enhancing our facilities to meet rising demand and improve access to care for all our communities.
We are also proud to offer a growing portfolio of specialist services. In January 2025 we opened our state-of-the-art Radiotherapy Centre, bringing advanced cancer treatment closer to home. Our services also include neonatology, specialist surgical care, and a wide range of diagnostics, supported by the new Community Diagnostic Centre at Whitehouse Health Centre.
Further investment is underway, including the construction of Oak Wards - a new ward block featuring two 24-bed wards - and the recently approved Women and Children's Centre, set to open by 2030.
Visit our website to explore the latest news and opportunities at MKUH - News - Milton Keynes University Hospital -
For further information about Milton Keynes please visit - Visit Milton Keynes
Job description
Job responsibilities
Leadership
- To assist, support and supervise junior grades and students contributing to their professional development including appraisal and personal development plans.
- To build good working relationships with other members of the multidisciplinary team to ensure effective team working between different disciplines.
- To provide nutrition advice to key stakeholders and colleagues, by researching the evidence base and identifying opportunities for development and innovation.
Clinical
- To provide a clinical service to a referred complex caseload of patients, clients and carers referred to the service for home enteral feeding or oral nutritional support by other health professionals.
- To work autonomously to provide expert advice to patients. This involves nutritional diagnosis (interpretation of biochemistry, anthropometry, clinical condition, and diet history) and the development of suitable feeding plans/regimens. This necessitates the knowledge and use of the evidence base, assessment, counselling skills, motivational interviewing, and other behavioural therapies in order to formulate an individualised care plan/programme, followed by education and support of the patient, monitoring, reviewing and reassessment over time.
Education
- To recognise the need for continuous professional development. Within the performance system and in discussion with the team leader, the post holder will be responsible of identifying and attending their own training and professional development needs.
- To feedback learning from training to inform other members of the department to enhance service development through up-to-date knowledge and expertise.
Clinical governance
- To access, critically appraise and use best practice/evidence-based information to contribute to the production and review of clinical guidelines, and to inform care pathways for patients.
Organisation/administrative responsibilities
- To keep accurate and timely paper and/or electronic notes for patients. These will be completed within the guidelines of the organisation and professional body, ensuring legibility and accessibility.
- To be aware of confidentiality issues and to ensure organisational and departmental policies are adhered to.
Responsibility for resources
- To order feeding equipment when requested.
- To request prescription from GP for ACBS enteral feed products or oral nutritional supplements, and order as appropriate.
Communication
- To communicate with patients, carers, and other healthcare professionals across the local healthcare environment.
- To communicate with dietetic colleagues across the region on a regular basis.
General
- To assist in the identification of problems where changes to practices and systems or additional resources are required to support caseload and to discuss these with line manager.
- To review own practices and systems.
- To communicate clearly and sensitively to all key working relationships, using educational material, writing reports and presentations to groups.
Please refer to the job description for further details.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Leadership
- To assist, support and supervise junior grades and students contributing to their professional development including appraisal and personal development plans.
- To build good working relationships with other members of the multidisciplinary team to ensure effective team working between different disciplines.
- To provide nutrition advice to key stakeholders and colleagues, by researching the evidence base and identifying opportunities for development and innovation.
Clinical
- To provide a clinical service to a referred complex caseload of patients, clients and carers referred to the service for home enteral feeding or oral nutritional support by other health professionals.
- To work autonomously to provide expert advice to patients. This involves nutritional diagnosis (interpretation of biochemistry, anthropometry, clinical condition, and diet history) and the development of suitable feeding plans/regimens. This necessitates the knowledge and use of the evidence base, assessment, counselling skills, motivational interviewing, and other behavioural therapies in order to formulate an individualised care plan/programme, followed by education and support of the patient, monitoring, reviewing and reassessment over time.
Education
- To recognise the need for continuous professional development. Within the performance system and in discussion with the team leader, the post holder will be responsible of identifying and attending their own training and professional development needs.
- To feedback learning from training to inform other members of the department to enhance service development through up-to-date knowledge and expertise.
Clinical governance
- To access, critically appraise and use best practice/evidence-based information to contribute to the production and review of clinical guidelines, and to inform care pathways for patients.
Organisation/administrative responsibilities
- To keep accurate and timely paper and/or electronic notes for patients. These will be completed within the guidelines of the organisation and professional body, ensuring legibility and accessibility.
- To be aware of confidentiality issues and to ensure organisational and departmental policies are adhered to.
Responsibility for resources
- To order feeding equipment when requested.
- To request prescription from GP for ACBS enteral feed products or oral nutritional supplements, and order as appropriate.
Communication
- To communicate with patients, carers, and other healthcare professionals across the local healthcare environment.
- To communicate with dietetic colleagues across the region on a regular basis.
General
- To assist in the identification of problems where changes to practices and systems or additional resources are required to support caseload and to discuss these with line manager.
- To review own practices and systems.
- To communicate clearly and sensitively to all key working relationships, using educational material, writing reports and presentations to groups.
Please refer to the job description for further details.
Person Specification
Qualifications and knowledge
Essential
- An appropriate degree recognised for registration with the HCPC
- Registration with HCPC
- Documentary evidence of CPD, equivalent to post graduate level experience.
Desirable
- Documentary evidence of CPD, equivalent to post graduate level experience.(FOR BAND 5)
- Further formal training, courses or structured self-study in specialist field (cancer)
- Further formal training, courses or structured self-study in specialist field (home enteral feeding)
- Member of the British Dietetic Association
- Membership of appropriate professional interest groups
Experience
Essential
- Accurate anthropometric skills
- Strong post-registration experience in dietetics (confident in general dietetic practice in a variety of settings)
- Experience of planning and delivering education to clinical staff groups
- Experience of planning and delivering education to patient groups
- Experience working with other specialist practitioners in the field.
- Experience in the assessment for enteral feeding
Desirable
- Strong post-registration experience in dietetics (confident in general dietetic practice in a variety of settings)
- Experience working with other specialist practitioners in the field. (FOR BAND 5)
- To have sufficient previous clinical experience alongside specialist practitioners to allow for all areas of practice to be undertaken without daily guidance or supervision
- Student training experience
Skills
Essential
- Working knowledge of commonly used feeding systems
- Awareness of regulatory bodies (HCPC) and professional bodies (BDA) code of practice and professional guidelines
- Ability to plan and deliver training sessions to healthcare professionals
- Commitment to engage in CPD and department appraisal system
- Competent use of IT equipment and basic software
- Knowledge and understanding of clinical governance and evidence-based practice
Personal and people development
Essential
- To be able to communicate clearly and concisely with both staff and patients
- Ability to work well independently and as part of a team
- Ability to prioritise and manage own workload and time
- Ability to work well under pressure
Desirable
- Demonstrates initiative and the ability to develop professionally
Communication
Essential
- To be able to communicate clearly and concisely with both staff and patients
Specific requirements
Essential
- Able to perform the duties of the post with reasonable aids and adaptations
Desirable
- Car driver, with use of own car and business insurance
Person Specification
Qualifications and knowledge
Essential
- An appropriate degree recognised for registration with the HCPC
- Registration with HCPC
- Documentary evidence of CPD, equivalent to post graduate level experience.
Desirable
- Documentary evidence of CPD, equivalent to post graduate level experience.(FOR BAND 5)
- Further formal training, courses or structured self-study in specialist field (cancer)
- Further formal training, courses or structured self-study in specialist field (home enteral feeding)
- Member of the British Dietetic Association
- Membership of appropriate professional interest groups
Experience
Essential
- Accurate anthropometric skills
- Strong post-registration experience in dietetics (confident in general dietetic practice in a variety of settings)
- Experience of planning and delivering education to clinical staff groups
- Experience of planning and delivering education to patient groups
- Experience working with other specialist practitioners in the field.
- Experience in the assessment for enteral feeding
Desirable
- Strong post-registration experience in dietetics (confident in general dietetic practice in a variety of settings)
- Experience working with other specialist practitioners in the field. (FOR BAND 5)
- To have sufficient previous clinical experience alongside specialist practitioners to allow for all areas of practice to be undertaken without daily guidance or supervision
- Student training experience
Skills
Essential
- Working knowledge of commonly used feeding systems
- Awareness of regulatory bodies (HCPC) and professional bodies (BDA) code of practice and professional guidelines
- Ability to plan and deliver training sessions to healthcare professionals
- Commitment to engage in CPD and department appraisal system
- Competent use of IT equipment and basic software
- Knowledge and understanding of clinical governance and evidence-based practice
Personal and people development
Essential
- To be able to communicate clearly and concisely with both staff and patients
- Ability to work well independently and as part of a team
- Ability to prioritise and manage own workload and time
- Ability to work well under pressure
Desirable
- Demonstrates initiative and the ability to develop professionally
Communication
Essential
- To be able to communicate clearly and concisely with both staff and patients
Specific requirements
Essential
- Able to perform the duties of the post with reasonable aids and adaptations
Desirable
- Car driver, with use of own car and business insurance
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
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
