Dietetic Assistant

First Dietitians is a friendly, approachable team of 24 dietitians, dietetic assistants and administrators, delivering adult and paediatric services across East Surrey and parts of West Sussex in a range of community settings, including clinics, specialist schools and patients own homes. Our vision is to be a trailblazer for food and nutrition and we are committed to service development through public involvement, quality improvement and innovative new service models. We encourage all members of the team to be involved in service development to improve the efficiency of our services and patient experience. This is an exciting opportunity to work with us as a dietetic assistant. You will have an integral role supporting the delivery of diabetes group education and the running of the service we provide to patients with diabetes in the East Surrey area. You will also support our adult and paediatric teams, working closely with the lead community dietitians to support our patients in the community. As a key member of the multi-disciplinary team you will be uniquely placed to build relationships with our patients and their families, positively influencing their health and wellbeing. You will work as an autonomous assistant practitioner, with appropriate levels of supervision and support, contributing to the delivery of excellent nutritional care by the team. We recognise the importance of flexible working; we encourage you to discuss opportunities for this at interview., As a dietetic assistant, you will work across our diabetes, adult and paediatric services and in a variety of settings. The role offers a good deal of opportunity to gain experience in different areas of dietetics. Tasks will include,

• Organising, planning and delivering group education to patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (appropriate training will be given to become a DESMOND accredited educator)
• Contacting patients by phone, e-mail or letter to book education sessions, clinic appointments and home visits
• Visiting patients in care homes or their own homes to carry out nutritional assessments
• Working with the lead community dietitians to improve the service where possible
This list is not exhaustive and all tasks are important to ensure the service runs smoothly and that patients receive the best possible care. Excellent communication and people skills are paramount as you will be communicating with a wide range of individuals on a daily basis, but a background in general administration and evidence of good planning and organisational skills would be desirable.

We are looking for a team player who cares about patients and has an interest in food and nutrition. Our mission is changing lives through food and we pride ourselves on the wide variety of skills and knowledge the team possesses. There will be ample opportunities to contribute to and take part in continuing professional development.

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 to 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.