Job Description

Job Title: Nutrition Lead

Date prepared: January 2018

Location:Penny Brohn, National Centre, Pill

Main purpose of job:To lead and manage the day-to-day running of the nutritional Services at Penny Brohn UK, helping to develop, update and deliver our nutritional strategy as appropriate within the overall Services Strategy in line with current and emerging research. To give nutritional advice and support to people with cancer and their supporters including; working individually with clients on therapy courses or using day services, and giving group talks. Responsibility for developing resources, liaising with the in-house chefs and shop team as well as managing the team of nutritional therapists.

To act as a Charity Spokesperson on Nutrition and work with healthcare professionals from other organisations in both statutory and voluntary sectors, promoting the role of healthy eating and nutrition in helping people to live well with and beyond cancer.

Reporting to: Medical Director

Responsible for:Nutrition Team (3 part-time members of staff)

Relationships:

The post-holder is expected to foster excellent working relationships with all staff, supporters and clients. Close collaboration with other members of the therapy team is essential to provide multi-disciplinary, holistic support. The post holder will be a member of the Lead Services Team and as such will forge sound relationships with the other members of the team. The post-holder is expected to work inclusively, respectfully and collaboratively across the organisation, particularly with other internal teams such as Bookings, Resourcing, Research and Evaluation, Helpline, Shop and Kitchen.

MAIN DUTIES:

  1. To be responsible for management, supervision, performance review and development of the nutrition team including appraisal, recruitment, induction and development of new members where necessary.
  1. To work with clients on residential courses and 1:1 services, keeping accurate records and communicating with appropriate staff involved in their care.
  1. To keep the PB UK healthy eating and nutrition guidelines updated and evidence-based.
  1. To ensure all nutrition handouts, information sheets, website content and publications are regularly reviewed and updated.
  1. To act as a Charity spokesperson on nutritional matters in agreement with the Medical Director and Communications team.
  1. To deliver training on nutrition within and across departments, and for external audiences.
  1. To organise regularCPD and team meetings for members of the nutrition team, ensuring regular communication with the in-house medical team.
  1. To represent the Nutrition team at monthly Lead Services Team meetings.
  1. To contribute to the development and quality improvement of therapeutic services delivering the Bristol Whole Life Approach.
  1. To carry out administration and management duties in line with the post.
  1. To work with, and advise, the Head Chef, the Shop Manager and the Corporate Wellbeing Team.
  1. To contribute to policy development, risk assessment and clinical governance.
  1. To undertake other such duties as may become appropriate from time to time in order to achieve the charity’s objectives.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Skills and Experience

E = Essential, D = Desirable

  • A fully-qualified, registered, insured healthcare professional with experience in providing individual nutritional support to people with cancer, commensurate with the influence and expertise required of this role. (For example, a CNHC registered Nutritional Therapist, a Registered Dietician with a progressive attitude to food as medicine, rather than food as fuel, or another relevant healthcare professional with a postgraduate qualification in Nutritional Medicine.) (E)
  • Demonstrate basic competency in using IT. (E)
  • Experience and interest in the field of nutrition education at post-qualifying level, and of developing appropriate materials and resources to support people seeking to improve their health. (D)
  • Experience of communicating complex health issues to a range of media. (D)
  • Postgraduate qualification (MSc or PhD) which has involved active participation in research related to nutrition and health (D)
  • Experience of working with people with life-threatening illness is highly desirable as the work can be emotionally challenging. (D)

Personal Attributes

E = Essential, D = Desirable

  • Demonstrate an awareness of research issues and an ability to appraise and synthesise research evidence into balanced client-facing information. (E)
  • Demonstrate a sensitive approach to the issues experienced by people with cancer, and a commitment to integrated working with mainstream health-care professionals and senior colleagues in the nutrition field. (E)
  • Ability to embrace, understand and work within an holistic approach to health and the management of illness, where mind, body, spirit and emotions are all seen as connected and relevant to improving people’s resilience and ability to live well. (E)
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the issues faced by those on restricted incomes, or from different cultures, in making dietary changes and be committed to providing support that is accessible and relevant to all sectors of society (E)
  • Applicants should ideally be engaged in their own regular self-care practices and should “walk the talk” in terms of their own health maintenance and resilience.(D)

Professional Requirements

  • To be registered with their professional regulatory organisation and abide by its code of ethics & conduct, including regular continuing professional development
  • To carry their own professional insurance.
  • To have a clean DBS record

This job description is not exhaustive and will be reviewed, in consultation with the post holder, from time to time and amended in the light of the changing needs of the charity.

Penny Brohn UK operates a system of regular performance reviews, which includes an Annual Appraisal where the job description, progress against objectives and overall performance in post are discussed.