Job summary We are delighted to announce an excellent opportunity for an enthusiastic and self-motivated Associate Practitioner to work in the Community Adult Learning Disability teams in Durham and Darlington. This busy and rewarding post will provide a rare opportunity to develop your knowledge and skills in the specialist field of Learning Disabilities and Mental Health. This role has a strong emphasis on the management of obesity and associated long term health problems; oral nutrition support; and health promotion. The successful post holder will be enthusiastic about working with this client group; have a warm, compassionate manner and an appreciation of the challenges that individuals with an LD experience. This role requires excellent time management and organisational skills and the ability to work autonomously as well as part of a team. Main duties of the job The successful post holder will be enthusiastic about working with this client group; have a warm, compassionate manner and an appreciation of the challenges that individuals with Mental health / Learning Disabilities and Autism. This role requires excellent time management and organisational skills and the ability to work autonomously as well as part of a team. The successful candidate would work across Durham and Darlington and will work alongside Dietitians as well as other Allied Health Professionals with the service and will be supported by regular specific dietetic team meetings to develop your skills in Mental Health / Learning Disabilities and Autism and to provide peer support. The post holder will have access to both formal and informal training and will be supported to engage with the complex needs of this client group. Our Trust is committed to providing regular opportunities to participate in first class Continuous Professional Development (CPD), policy development, audit, research activities, pathway development, staff and student training. There are regular opportunities to network with colleagues; to share best practice; and to celebrate our successes as a profession working within Mental Health and Learning Disabilities. About us TEWV provides specialist care across Teesside, Darlington, County Durham, North Yorkshire and the Vale of York. The successful post holder will be a valued part of a supportive, wider dietetic team which covers Adult Mental Health, Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Eating Disorders, Mental Health Services for Older People and Secure Inpatient Services. The TEWV Dietetic Team is the largest and most established specialist Mental Health and Learning Disability dietetic team in the UK and has strong links with the British Dietetic Association (BDA) and Mental Health Specialist Group of the BDA. Our dynamic dietetic team is supported by the Professional Head of Dietetics and highly skilled Lead dietitians. We offer placements for students on the MSc pre-registration course in Dietetics at Teesside University. This is a very exciting new development for our local area. We are keen to support involvement in student training. Please see our Trust Website to hear about all the benefits of working for TEWV. Date posted 24 October 2024 Pay scheme Agenda for change Band Band 4 Salary £26,530 to £29,114 a year per annum Contract Permanent Working pattern Full-time Reference number 346-DDL-056-24 Job locations Green Lane Spennymoor DL16 6JQ Job description Job responsibilities Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for further detailed information to ensure that you meet the role criteria before applying. You must have the Right to Work in the UK in order to be successfully appointed to this role. Please note, this role does not meet the required eligibility criteria for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa and therefore the Trust is unable to offer sponsorship for this particular role. Job description Job responsibilities Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for further detailed information to ensure that you meet the role criteria before applying. You must have the Right to Work in the UK in order to be successfully appointed to this role. Please note, this role does not meet the required eligibility criteria for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa and therefore the Trust is unable to offer sponsorship for this particular role. Person Specification Qualifications Essential Numeracy, Literacy and ITQ level 2 (or equivalent) Either: Minimum of level 3 qualification or equivalent in healthcare related subject e.g. A Level, Foundation Degree etc OR Equivalent experience of working in a relevant health and/or social care setting. (Individual can demonstrate considerable understanding of the needs of and issues encountered by those with mental health difficulties or learning disabilities, and demonstrable application of this in practice, helping them to reach their potential.) AND Specific qualification relating to area of specialism within the role e.g. art, nutrition, fitness, communication, woodwork Experience Essential Previous experience working as a Dietetic assistant or closely related work e.g. nursing/care or AHP assistant Experience of supporting people working with service users with mental health conditions or learning disabilities Experience working as part of a team Experience of actively engaging in a supervision system Knowledge Essential Basic knowledge of specific eating, drinking and nutritional matters relating to service users in own service area Basic knowledge of nutritional analysis Basic therapeutic terminology and therapeutic procedures Evidence base supporting frequently used assessment & treatment interventions Software packages e.g. Dietplan 6 Needs and difficulties of service users with mental health conditions or learning disabilities Safeguarding requirements for vulnerable adults and children Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act Understanding of health & safety issues Understanding of the needs of individuals from diverse social, ethnic and cultural backgrounds Person Specification Qualifications Essential Numeracy, Literacy and ITQ level 2 (or equivalent) Either: Minimum of level 3 qualification or equivalent in healthcare related subject e.g. A Level, Foundation Degree etc OR Equivalent experience of working in a relevant health and/or social care setting. (Individual can demonstrate considerable understanding of the needs of and issues encountered by those with mental health difficulties or learning disabilities, and demonstrable application of this in practice, helping them to reach their potential.) AND Specific qualification relating to area of specialism within the role e.g. art, nutrition, fitness, communication, woodwork Experience Essential Previous experience working as a Dietetic assistant or closely related work e.g. nursing/care or AHP assistant Experience of supporting people working with service users with mental health conditions or learning disabilities Experience working as part of a team Experience of actively engaging in a supervision system Knowledge Essential Basic knowledge of specific eating, drinking and nutritional matters relating to service users in own service area Basic knowledge of nutritional analysis Basic therapeutic terminology and therapeutic procedures Evidence base supporting frequently used assessment & treatment interventions Software packages e.g. Dietplan 6 Needs and difficulties of service users with mental health conditions or learning disabilities Safeguarding requirements for vulnerable adults and children Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act Understanding of health & safety issues Understanding of the needs of individuals from diverse social, ethnic and cultural backgrounds 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. Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab). From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab). 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. Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab). From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab). Employer details Employer name Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust Address Green Lane Spennymoor DL16 6JQ Employer's website https://www.tewv.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)