Dietetic Assistant/Support Worker
About our Trust
Candidate Information Pack
At UHSussex we’re proud to be at the heart of the NHS. As one of the UK’s largest acute trusts, we’re a leading example of the excellence, the ambition and the values that have embodied the NHS for over 70 years.
Our hard-working, talented and dedicated people work together towards a common goal – to deliver Excellent Care Everywhere for our patients, our people and our communities. Whatever your role here at UHSussex you will play a part in driving us forwards and in improving the lives of patients across Sussex.
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us deliver Excellent Care Everywhere. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed.We have a range of staff networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 3) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
We value compassion, inclusion and respect as our core values. We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs.This can be seen in our wellbeing programme for staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.
As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop. We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do.
As part of our commitment to access for all, please see the different ways you can access the application form: https://apps.trac.jobs/accessibility?_ts=1
We look forward to receiving your application and the start of your journey with UHSussex.
Job overview
Have you got excellent people skills and are looking for part time work supporting patients in a Rehab Unit with their nutrition needs? This could be the perfect post for you!
This post has hours that could fit around school drop offs and pick ups for those with children.
It is in the Sussex Rehab Centre at the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath.
The wider department is well respected and has clinical speciality areas in acute medicine, critical care, diabetes, elderly care, gastroenterology, home enteral tube feeding, oncology, paediatrics, stroke/neurology, and surgery.
Princess Royal Hospital is located in the green and leafy town of Haywards Heath next to the beautiful Sussex Downs. It has excellent train links to Brighton, Gatwick and London making it a great commuter town.
Main duties of the job- Organising (selecting, inviting, setting up), running and evaluating lunch club on the unit.
- Introducing the menu's/ available options for long stay patients and assisting patients to make appropriate menu choices which are in line with speech and language therapy recommendations.
- Taste trials for patients who require nutritional supplements.
- Maintaining stock levels for nutritional shakes and soups for the wards.
- Monitoring and supporting patients with a malnutrition universal screening tool scores of 1 with an appropriate nutrition plan.
- Keeping the database of patients nutritional scores up to date to assist with prioritising patient reviews for the Dietitian/ dietetic assistant.
Working for our organisation
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always deliver Excellent Care Everywhere, as shown in our Outstanding for Caring CQC rating. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed.We have a range of staff networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 3) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
Candidate Pack
Detailed job description and main responsibilities- Organising (selecting, inviting, setting up), running and evaluating lunch club on the unit.
- Introducing the menu's/ available options for long stay patients and assisting patients to make appropriate menu choices which are in line with speech and language therapy recommendations.
- Taste trials for patients who require nutritional supplements.
- Maintaining stock levels for nutritional shakes and soups for the wards.
- Monitoring and supporting patients with a malnutrition universal screening tool scores of 1 with an appropriate nutrition plan.
- Keeping the database of patients nutritional scores up to date to assist with prioritising patient reviews for the Dietitian/ dietetic assistant.
See Job Description and Person Specification for full details.
Please note: This role does not meet the minimum criteria for visa sponsorship under the current UK immigration rules, which set specific salary and skill thresholds. As such, we are unable to provide sponsorship for this post. Applicants will therefore need to already have the right to work in the UK to be considered.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria- 4 x GCSEs (or equivalent) grade A-C or 4-9 including Maths and English.
- Relevant NVQ (2/3)
Skills
Essential criteria- Good Standard of written and spoken English
- Computer literate e.g. Word, Teams, Excel
- An interest and some basic knowledge of nutrition
- Experience of dealing with people in a caring capacity
- Able to follow procedures
- Well organised and able to prioritise
- Basic Admin Experience
- Experience of working in a people facing role
- Ability to communicate information to others who may have problems communicating.
Personal Qualities
Essential criteria- attention to detail
- Willingness to learn and able to identify their own learning and development needs
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Essential criteria- Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).
- Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
Important information for applicants:
A Note on AI Use in Applications
We value the individuality and authenticity that each candidate brings to the application process. While AI tools are increasingly accessible, we strongly discourage their use in completing your application. Your responses should reflect your own voice, experiences, and motivations—elements that are essential to a fair and accurate evaluation.
Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content may misrepresent your abilities and could result in your application being rejected. We encourage you to take the time to present your genuine self, as this helps us better understand your potential and ensures a transparent selection process.
Closing Adverts Early: In the event of exceptional interest, we may close adverts earlier than specified.
Some of our adverts are capped for a limited number of applications; therefore, the advert will close once the cap has been reached. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible if you are interested in the position to prevent you from missing out on applying for the opportunity.
Flexible Working: If you would like to explore potential options regarding flexible working please speak with the appropriate recruiting/line manager.
DBS Checks: As part of our commitment to a safe working environment, we undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check on all new employees where the role is eligible for a criminal record check . We make offers in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975.
Skilled Worker Visa: Applications for Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome for the roles that meet the Visa and Immigrations eligibility criteria. For further information please visit the gov.uk website searching for Skilled Worker. It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure that you meet this criteria.
UHSussex reserves the right to close the role early if we receive a high volume of applications
Further Information
For help with the application process for Nursing vacancies, please email [email protected].
For help with the application process for Non-Nursing vacancies, please email [email protected].