Specialist Dietitian for Diabetes Neighbourhood Health Programme
South and East Leeds GP Group
Leeds, LS14 1HX
Salary
£39,959 to £48,117
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Not specified
Closing date
13 September 2026
13 days left
Job description
Are you an experienced diabetes specialist dietitian looking for a new challenge in integrated community diabetes care? A rare opportunity has arisen ...
You will hold a patient-facing
caseload within the Year 1 cohort adults aged 18 to 67 living with diabetes
and two or more other long-term conditions. Your focus is specialist dietetic
care in complex multimorbidity, particularly cardio-renal-metabolic disease,
MAFLD, severe obesity and gastrointestinal disorders, working as an autonomous
clinician within an experienced multidisciplinary team.
The day-to-day mix includes
advanced dietetic assessment and consultation, delivery of structured diabetes
education (DAFNE, Confidence with Carbohydrates, DESMOND or equivalent),
targeted recruitment into the National Type 2 Path to Remission Programme
(Xyla), carbohydrate counting and dose-adjustment support, cultural adaptation
of dietary advice, and pre-conception or gestational diabetes dietetic input.
There is a regular rhythm of Tier 2 MDT case discussion and weekly Tier 3 MDT
participation.
Alongside the clinical caseload,
you will play an active role in cascade education across Tier 1 and Tier 2
including quarterly TARGET education sessions and support for joint clinics
with Practice Diabetes Leads. You will provide Advice and Guidance to primary
care within tight response times, and contribute to service development,
quality improvement and equity of dietetic care as the model scales towards
citywide delivery.
Active outreach and engagement with people in
deprivation deciles 1 to 3 and named priority groups is a core expectation, not
a bolt-on.
The Specialist Dietitian for
Diabetes is the operational dietetic
lead within the Tier 2 Neighbourhood Support Team. Responsibilities include
specialist dietetic assessment and intervention in cardio-renal-metabolic
multimorbidity, including CKD stages 3b to 5, heart failure, MAFLD, severe
obesity and gastrointestinal disorders. The postholder delivers structured
education (DAFNE, Confidence with Carbohydrates, DESMOND or equivalent),
supports carbohydrate counting and dose adjustment for basal-bolus regimens,
and targets recruitment to the National Type 2 Path to Remission Programme.
Contributes to the Tier 2 MDT and the weekly Tier 3 MDT, provides Advice and
Guidance to primary care within 24-hour urgent and one-week routine SLAs,
delivers dietetic content in quarterly TARGET education, provides cultural
adaptation of dietary advice for ethnic-specific patterns, supports
pre-conception and gestational diabetes dietetic care, and contributes to
quality improvement and equity of dietetic access.
Key
duties and responsibilities
Specialist
dietetic assessment and intervention in complex multimorbidity
Assess, plan, deliver and evaluate specialist dietetic
care for adults on the Tier 2 caseload with diabetes and complex
multimorbidity, working as an autonomous practitioner within a wider MDT.
Specialist dietetic intervention for complex
co-morbidity including CKD stages 3b5, heart failure, MAFLD
(metabolic-associated fatty liver disease), severe obesity, and
gastrointestinal disorders.
Dietetic management of complex insulin regimens
carbohydrate counting and dose adjustment for those on basal-bolus regimens,
use of Continuous Glucose Monitoring and Flash Glucose Monitoring data to
support decisions.
Combination therapy support alongside dietetic
intervention including SGLT2i, GLP-1 receptor agonists (subcutaneous and oral),
and other pharmacotherapy in liaison with the Specialist Pharmacist.
Dietetic management of steroid-induced hyperglycaemia
and hypoglycaemia risk reduction.
Reconciliation of dietetic plans following discharge
from hospital or transfer from other services.
Type 2
remission and structured education
Targeted recruitment of eligible patients into the
National Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme (Xyla in Leeds), including
engagement with under-served communities.
Support and shape a proposed option to commission
bespoke local Xyla-style sessions for underserved communities, in partnership
with the Programme Manager and VCSE partners.
Good knowledge of the delivery of the Leeds Programme
of structured education, DAFNE, and Confidence with Carbohydrates.
Delivery of DESMOND or equivalent Type 2
self-management education where relevant.
Adaptation of structured education for people with
learning disability, sensory impairment or lower literacy in partnership with
LD nursing and easy-read materials.
Cultural adaptation of dietary advice supporting
ethnic-specific dietary patterns and food traditions across the diverse
populations of south and east Leeds.
Lifestyle,
physical activity and behaviour change
Resistance training advice alongside aerobic exercise
not assumed within general lifestyle advice.
Behaviour-change consultation using recognised
frameworks (Making Every Contact Count, motivational interviewing or
equivalent).
Weight management dietetic input aligned with local
pathways.
Pre-conception dietetic input for women planning
pregnancy with diabetes, and gestational diabetes follow-up support with clear
handover into the LTHT maternity team.
MDT
participation and clinical decision-making
Active participation in the Tier 2 MDT fortnightly
for complex / high-risk cases and 812 weekly for moderate-risk cases.
Weekly attendance and active contribution to the Tier 3
Clinical Oversight Group MDT, combined with the existing LTHT community
diabetes MDT.
Presenting cases, drafting shared care plans and taking
responsibility for dietetic-related actions arising from MDT discussion.
Escalation to Tier 4 for antenatal diabetes, bariatric
pathway, high-risk foot MDT, and other specialist pathways as required.
Advice
& Guidance and joint clinics with primary care
Provide Advice and Guidance to primary care within
agreed SLAs 24 hours for urgent enquiries, one week for routine for
dietetic questions beyond the Tier 1 remit and short of MDT escalation.
Support quarterly joint clinics with the Practice
Diabetes Lead in each footprint practice, on the model described in the
Programme Education, Training and Support Plan.
Deliver dietetic content within the quarterly TARGET
education sessions for Practice Diabetes Leads, cascading learning into wider
practice teams.
Support Practice Diabetes Leads to cascade dietetic
learning through practice clinical meetings.
Outreach,
equity and engagement
Active recruitment and engagement from deprivation deciles
13, with DNA monitoring and proactive approaches to reduce DNAs.
Outreach to named priority groups people with
learning disability, serious mental illness, those homeless or vulnerably
housed, those with substance-use co-morbidity, adults living alone.
Flexible appointment access including evening, digital
and asynchronous options; home visits where clinically indicated.
Liaison with mental health teams for patients with SMI
and antipsychotic-induced metabolic disturbance.
Liaison with drug and alcohol services and homelessness
services.
Workplace engagement and reasonable-adjustment support
via Healthy Working Lives.
Working in partnership with third-sector and
asset-based community delivery partners as active collaborators, not downstream
referrals including food-poverty and community food initiatives.
Quality,
safety and improvement
Work to HCPC standards and the British Dietetic
Association Standards of Proficiency; ensure practice is grounded in
evidence-based theoretical and practical knowledge.
Identify cohorts of patients at high risk of
nutritional harm through structured searches (EMIS / SystmOne) and act on
findings.
Contribute to clinical audit within the Tier 2 caseload
and across the Programme; feed back results and implement changes with the Tier
2 team, Practice Diabetes Leads and the Tier 3 Clinical Oversight Group.
Contribute to the Programme's outcomes and evaluation
framework, particularly on dietetic outcomes, remission rates, HbA1c, weight
and lipid changes, and equity of access.
Comply with the organisations Infection Prevention and
Control requirements, including bare below the elbows dress code.
Leadership,
supervision and workforce development
Provide dietetic leadership within the Tier 2
Neighbourhood Support Team.
Provide supervision and mentorship to dietetic support
workers, dietetic students and less experienced colleagues within scope.
Contribute to workforce development plans across Tier 1
and Tier 2 dietetic capability, in partnership with the senior dietetic lead in
the wider Leeds diabetes dietetic pathway.
Practice supervisor / educator role for
pre-registration and post-qualification dietetic learners as required.
Act as a role model, ensuring a professional service
and image is maintained at all times.
Service
development
Contribute dietetic advice for the development and
iteration of the Diabetes Neighbourhood Health Programme model including
step-up / step-down criteria, pathway design and operational standards.
Contribute to Year 2 and Multi-Neighbourhood expansion
planning.
Analyse, interpret and present dietetic and outcomes
data to highlight issues, opportunities and risks to support programme
decision-making.
Collaborative
working relationships
South and East Leeds General Practice
Group brings together general practices across the south and east of Leeds to
deliver joined-up primary care, PCN services and integrated community
programmes. As one of the hosting partners for the new Diabetes Neighbourhood
Health Programme, we work in close partnership with Leeds Community Healthcare
Trust, Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust, West Yorkshire ICB and our neighbourhood
Primary Care Networks to deliver a genuinely place-based model of care.
You will be joining a team that
is comfortable with new ways of working, collaborative across professional and
organisational boundaries, and committed to reducing health inequalities in
some of the most under-served neighbourhoods in the city. The culture is honest
about the challenges of complex multimorbidity, patient-centred in its everyday
decision-making, and generous with peer support and shared learning.
As your employer SEL GP offer a competitive
salary, including the NHS Pension Scheme, annual leave, occupational sickness
scheme and salary-sacrifice options. We support flexible working, protected CPD
time, professional supervision and access to formal advanced-practice
development pathways. You will have regular clinical supervision, access to
Tier 3 MDT mentorship, and structured opportunities to contribute to service
evaluation, research and Year 2 business-case development.
Personal Qualities & Attributes
Essential
- Commitment to reducing health inequalities and proactively working to reach people from all communities.
- Person-centred, trauma-informed approach with a working understanding of the wider social determinants of health.
- Ability to communicate with a wide range of colleagues from the NHS and other organisations and with patients including good written and oral communication skills.
- Recognises personal limitations and refers to more appropriate colleagues when necessary.
- Able to identify and assess / manage risk when working with individuals.
- Able to work under pressure and meet deadlines, managing unpredictable service demands.
- Accountability for delivering professional expertise and direct service provision.
- Emotional resilience, self-awareness, humility and curiosity.
- Willing to challenge and be challenged including consultants and GPs in the patients best interest.
- Reliability and integrity in a small MDT where the model depends on trust.
- Ability to organise, plan and prioritise on own initiative.
- Ability to work flexibly and enthusiastically within a team or on own initiative.
- Comfortable with the ambiguity of a new service willing to iterate, evaluate and adjust.
- Cultural competence for supporting ethnic-specific dietary patterns and adaptation.
- Positive and flexible attitude to dealing with change.
Desirable
- Leadership experience and previous experience of supervising or mentoring more junior staff or students.
Qualifications
Essential
- BSc (Hons) in Dietetics or equivalent professional dietetic degree.
- Postgraduate qualification in a specialist field (Diabetes, Renal, Obesity, MAFLD or Behaviour Change), or working towards.
- Must be willing to participate in any relevant training identified to develop skills required to carry out duties.
- Maintains a portfolio of CPD in line with HCPC standards.
Desirable
- Supporting Learning in Practice (SLIP), Practice Educator qualification or equivalent.
- Formal teaching qualification (PGCert HE or equivalent).
- Leadership or management qualification (ILM 3, NHS Leadership Academy or equivalent).
- Certified DAFNE, DESMOND, Confidence with Carbohydrates or Xyla Path to Remission educator.
- Formal training in health inequalities, trauma-informed care or behaviour-change approaches (Making Every Contact Count, motivational interviewing).
Skills and knowledge
Essential
- Detailed theoretical and clinical dietetic knowledge appropriate to diabetes, multimorbidity and cardio-renal-metabolic disease.
- Highly specialist knowledge of diabetes across Type 1, Type 2, atypical presentations and complex multimorbidity.
- Confident with carbohydrate counting, dose adjustment for insulin regimens and use of CGM / Flash data.
- Knowledge of Type 2 remission pathways (Xyla) and structured education programmes.
- Understanding of the wider determinants of health and their impact on communities, including food access and food poverty.
- Autonomous within scope of practice and knows when to escalate.
- Excellent verbal, non-verbal and written communication skills, including complex or potentially distressing conversations with patients and families and managing conflict when appropriate.
- Advanced consultation skills and shared decision-making with people whose lives are shaped by health inequalities.
- Confident with EMIS / SystmOne, digital consultation modes, MDT tools and asynchronous working.
- Able to plan, manage, monitor and review dietetic care for a long-term-conditions cohort.
- Able to obtain and analyse complex clinical and outcomes information.
- Complex analytical and creative problem solving in unpredictable situations.
- Workload management including delegation and day-to-day team leadership.
Desirable
- Understanding of research governance and quality improvement methodology.
- Awareness of the Leeds Proactive Care and Integrated Neighbourhood Health frameworks.
Professional Registration
Essential
- Mandatory registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Dietitian.
Desirable
- Membership of the British Dietetic Association (BDA).
- Membership of the BDA Diabetes Specialist Group.
Experience
Essential
- Substantial post-registration dietetic experience in diabetes and multimorbidity.
- Experience of dietetic management of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes including insulin regimens and carbohydrate counting.
- Experience of dietetic management in CKD stages 3b5, heart failure, MAFLD or severe obesity.
- Experience of delivering structured diabetes education (DAFNE, DESMOND, Confidence with Carbohydrates or equivalent).
- Experience of MDT working across community and acute care.
- Experience of supervising and delegating to other members of staff, dietetic support workers or students.
- Experience of contributing to service development, quality improvement or clinical audit.
- Experience of working with people affected by health inequalities.
Desirable
- Experience of practice-based, PCN-based or community-based dietetic delivery.
- Experience of the National Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme (Xyla) delivery or referral.
- Experience of gestational diabetes and pre-conception dietetic care.
- Experience of behaviour-change consultation using recognised frameworks.
- Experience of delivering dietetic education to Tier 1 clinicians (nurses, GPs, HCAs).
- Working experience of EMIS and SystmOne clinical systems.
- Experience of contributing to research or service evaluation.
Experience
Essential
- Substantial post-registration dietetic experience in diabetes and multimorbidity.
- Experience of dietetic management of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes including insulin regimens and carbohydrate counting.
- Experience of dietetic management in CKD stages 3b5, heart failure, MAFLD or severe obesity.
- Experience of delivering structured diabetes education (DAFNE, DESMOND, Confidence with Carbohydrates or equivalent).
- Experience of MDT working across community and acute care.
- Experience of supervising and delegating to other members of staff, dietetic support workers or students.
- Experience of contributing to service development, quality improvement or clinical audit.
- Experience of working with people affected by health inequalities.
Desirable
- Experience of practice-based, PCN-based or community-based dietetic delivery.
- Experience of the National Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme (Xyla) delivery or referral.
- Experience of gestational diabetes and pre-conception dietetic care.
- Experience of behaviour-change consultation using recognised frameworks.
- Experience of delivering dietetic education to Tier 1 clinicians (nurses, GPs, HCAs).
- Working experience of EMIS and SystmOne clinical systems.
- Experience of contributing to research or service evaluation.
Other
Essential
- Meets DBS reference standards and has a clear criminal record, in line with the law on spent convictions.
- Adaptable.
- Works effectively independently and as a team player.
- Self-motivated.
- Up to date with safeguarding and other mandatory training.
- Up to date immunisation status.
- Ability to work in different locations across the footprint and to help provide cover for absent colleagues; ability to take part in an extended working day in line with the models flexible-access commitment.
- Access to own transport and ability to travel across the multi-neighbourhood footprint, including home visits.
Desirable
- .
How to apply
Applications are handled entirely by the employer on the original advert. We do not collect CVs, supporting statements or application data.
Provenance
Source
NHS Jobs
First seen
21 August 2026
Last checked
25 August 2026
Salary, closing date and description are taken from the employer's advert. The original advert always takes precedence.
About the employer
NHS organisation
This listing was structured from NHS Jobs. Vacancy details and the application process remain the responsibility of the original source.
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