Food Services Dietitian

Food Services Dietitian
Home Based with site travel 3 days a week
Permanent, Full time, 37.5 hours per week 
NHS Band 7 Equivalent 
 
Serco have a fantastic opportunity for a Food Services Dietitian to join our ever-growing Health Business Unit. Serco provide a full range of both hard and soft facilities services across numerous NHS and PFI hospital contacts around the UK.

In this role you will provide comprehensive dietetic support and guidance, ensuring both technical and legal compliance, to all our contracts, whilst proving in person dietetic support to University Hospital Southampton and Great Western Hospital Swindon. Reporting to the Managed Services Lead, you will have a responsibility of visiting the hospitals weekly and reporting daily activities to their Contract Directors. 
Please note registration fees and other expenses will be covered by the company, and hours can be flexible for the right candidate. We are seeking an enthusiastic and self-motivated Food Service Dietitian with excellent interpersonal skills to help us maintain the high-quality service we provide. 

Main Accountabilities: 

Dietetic Expertise

• To work as a member of the Catering Managed Services team, providing nutrition and dietetic expertise to on site teams across the business.
• To act as a source of expertise and specialist advice for others e.g. front-line staff, catering managers, supervisors, general managers, contract directors and regional directors.
• To work with key Serco and Trust stakeholders to ensure our service provides food that meets the Therapeutic, Cultural, Religious and Lifestyle needs of our patient group.
• To lead on menu review, ensuring menus meet nutritional targets, are correctly coded and allergen information is available.
• To support with bid activity, including creating menus as required.
• Working with Clients (Southampton University Hospital and Great Western Hospital)
• To represent Serco at Trust Nutrition and Catering meetings.
• Work with the Trust Clinical Teams (Dietetics, Nursing, SALT) to improve patient dining outcomes and experience.
• Act as the link between the Trust and Serco Catering Teams.
• To initiate and undertake research and audit such as service quality, food waste, food quality, food production within the team and disseminate results e.g. by presenting findings at local, regional and BU level.
• Actively contribute to and be part of internal and external assessments and audits e.g. PLACE, CQC visits.  
• Help deliver group food tasting sessions to a variety of audiences including clinical staff, facilities team and patient groups and volunteers.
• Support the Catering team to positively promote nutrition and hydration through marketing initiatives.

Legislation, Standards and Guidelines

• To keep up to date with all relevant nutrition-related standards that impact patient care within the hospital setting, including (but not limited to) those set by the Care Quality Commission, British Dietetic Association, Hospital Catering Association, Dept. Of Health and National Association of Care Catering.
• Assist patient dining teams achieve full compliance to both nationally set standards, as mentioned above, and to the Serco Health Nutrition & Hydration Policy. 
  Patient Safety
• Investigate catering complaints and patient care incidents in relation to catering and report findings through both the Trust and Serco Governance pathway. 
  Training
• Initiate, plan and deliver training in nutrition, catering and food service provision to Serco Staff such as Ward Hosts/Housekeepers, Pick and Pack Teams, Diet Chefs and Supervisors.
• Develop, update and maintain catering training resources relating to nutrition and catering.
• Professional Development & Nutrition & Dietetics Teams
• Adhere to the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) Standards of Proficiency and maintain current professional registration.
• Take responsibility for all delegated tasks and service development activities and be a role model for professional behaviour.
• To comply with Serco (always) and relevant Trust policies (when on site) including but not limited to infection control and patient information confidentiality.

 
What you will need to do the role: 

Essential

• BSc/MSc in Nutrition & Dietetics or a post graduate qualification.
• Current and up to date HCPC registration.
• Clinical experience of working with a broad range of complex patients across a variety of settings who require nutrition support and being involved in their total management.
• An appreciation of the required level of data accuracy in nutritional analysis.
• Able to demonstrate working as an autonomous dietetic practitioner.
• Clinical audits - evidence of developing, participating in, analysing, completing reports and disseminating findings.
• Excellent people skills; verbal and nonverbal communication, adaptable, effective time management and problem-solving skills.
• Strong IT skills and able to present information and an accurate and logical manner
• Must hold proof of right to work in the UK
• Hold a current UK Driving Licence 

Desirable

• Membership of the BDA
• Membership of other relevant professional support groups (e.g. Food Service Specialist Group, Nutritionists in Industry, Hospital Caterers Association, National Association of Care Catering).
• Ability to use recipe analysis software
• Catering experience of working with catering managers, food service staff where tasks may have included: delivery of special diet training, menu planning, menu analysis
• Level 3 Food Safety & Hygiene Qualification or the willingness to obtain this when in post

Benefits:

• Company car and covered expenses
• Salary:  Competitive salaries with annual reviews
• Pension: Up to 6% contributory pension scheme
• Holidays: 25 days annual leave
• Training and development: We offer a wide range of learning opportunities with over 1,100 internal courses available, funding for qualifications and apprenticeships, mentoring opportunities, and a focus on internal progression
• Wellbeing: 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme, BUPA Anytime HealthLine, wellbeing app, Simplyhealth cash plans to claim back money towards healthcare costs, 30% off at Serco-managed leisure centres
• Discounts: Save across around 1,000 retailers, from food and clothing to days out, entertainment and travel
• ShareSave scheme: Helps you save regularly with the choice to buy Serco shares at a discount at the end of your savings period
• Employee networks: Dedicated networks where colleagues can come together to find support, share challenges, discuss ideas, network and be part of a community
• Charity: Support a charity or organisation with a paid volunteering day each year. You can also choose to donate to your favourite charity tax-free, through our Payroll Giving Scheme.

About Serco
At Serco, not only is the nature of the work we do important, everyone has an important role to play, from caring for vulnerable people to managing complex public services.  We are a team of 50,000 people responsible for delivering essential public services around the world in areas including defence, transport, justice, immigration, healthcare and citizen services. We are innovators, committed to redesigning and improving public services for the benefit of everyone.

By joining Serco you will have unlimited access to our Global Employee Networks - SercoInspire (Gender), SercoEmbrace (Multicultural), SercoUnlimited (Disability) and In@Serco (LGBT & Networks). Serco Employee Networks, led by colleagues who are passionate about diversity, inclusion and belonging. 

Apply
Please click on the apply button to complete your application. Occasionally we receive a large volume of applications for our roles and when that happens we sometimes bring the closing date forward, so please apply promptly to avoid disappointment. 

At Serco, we see people first and foremost for their performance and potential. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that supports the needs of all. As such we will make reasonable adjustments at interview through to employment for our candidates and strongly encourage applications from a diverse candidate pool. We are open to discussions around flexibility and flexible working. We operate a hybrid work structure in many of our business areas. We are proudly Disability Confident Leader employers and holder of the Gold Inclusive Employer Standard. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview.  For help with your application please contact 0345 010 4000.
 

At Serco we support fair access to employment for those with unspent criminal convictions through the 'Ban the Box' pledge (some may be exempt due to the nature of the role and the security clearance required). Please contact our recruitment team directly on 0345 010 4000 to discuss.