Professional Head of Nutrition, SLT & Dietetics

Employer University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust Employer type NHS Site UHNM Town Newcastle-under-Lyme Salary £79,504 - £91,609 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 27/08/2026 23:59

Professional Head of Nutrition, SLT & Dietetics

Band 8c

Job overview

The Professional Head of Nutrition, Speech and Language Therapy and Dietetics provides strategic, professional and operational leadership for the Nutrition, SLT and Dietetics Directorate. The post is a key member of the corporate nutrition group and will work in partnership with the CBU Head of Operations and Head of Nursing. They will support the Care Group triumvirate with the delivery of all areas/objectives that fall within the operational and professional portfolio of work for the Nutrition, SLT and Dietetics services as agreed with the Care Group Operations Director.

Main duties of the job

Proactively and positively contribute to the successful overall performance of all Nutrition, SLT and Dietetics services and the Care Group; therefore, in turn contributing to the successful overall performance of the Trust.

Proactively, meaningfully and consistently demonstrate the Trust Values in your everyday practice, decision making and interactions with patients and colleagues. (See the section in this document on the Trust’s values and promises).

Deliver excellent levels of customer service to all patients/visitors and staff at the Trust.

Develop an organisational culture that fosters collaborative working among all staff groups, to ensure a focused commitment to delivering high quality services and outcomes within own portfolio of work / Nutrition, SLT and Dietetics and more broadly across the Care Group and Trust.

Act as an advocate for Nutrition, SLT and Dietetics services, the Care Group and the Trust, and its contribution to the Health Service arena, through creating effective partnerships and relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

Comply with corporate governance structure in keeping with the principles and standards set out by the Care Group and the Trust.

Support the Trust culture of collaborative, flexible cross-team working and commitment to delivering quality services and outcomes.

Working for our organisation

University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust is one of the largest and most modern in the country. Based across two sites, Royal Stoke in Stoke-on-Trent and County Hospital in Stafford, we are proud to serve around three million people and we're highly regarded for our facilities, teaching and research. We are the specialist centre for major trauma for the North Midlands and North Wales.

All of our employees make a valuable contribution regardless of role here at UHNM and we are proud of our wide range of development packages aimed at ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to fulfil their true potential.

UHNM create and encourage a culture of inclusion, providing equal opportunities for career development that are fair and transparent. We are committed to being a diverse and inclusive employer and foster a culture in which all staff feel valued and respected. In return we ask all of our employees to make a commitment to the values, co-created by or staff, patients and carers, and that unite us as a Trust.

At University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust we know that investing in, supporting and developing our staff has a direct impact on the quality of care that we deliver. Our employees are as important as our patients and the population that we serve.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To take every reasonable opportunity to maintain and improve your professional knowledge and competence

To participate in personal objective setting and review, including the creation of a personal development plan and the Trust’s appraisal process.

Ensure the development of effective workforce strategies and develop comprehensive workforce / people plans sufficient to meet the directorate’s, Care Group’s and Trust’s strategic objectives.

Act as part of the AHP Leadership Forum identifying and delivering against the AHP Delivery Plan to support the Trust objectives.

Ensure good people management practice and effective team working is operating across the Nutrition, SLT and Dietetics services and support the improvement of and cross-service working where appropriate.

Champion good practice and creative thinking to support recruitment and retention of staff.

To advise, in conjunction with appropriate others, on the recruitment and induction of the Nutrition, SLT and Dietetics workforce.

Ensure all people related key performance indicators are achieved.

Ensure feedback secured via the national staff survey, and any local staff surveys, are acted upon to deliver a continuous improvement in the staff experience.

Take a lead in developing a culture across the Nutrition, SLT and Dietetics services / portfolio of work that proactively promotes and values equality, diversity and inclusion across all practice.

Promote a just and learning culture based on openness, learning, coaching and continuous improvement and support continuing personal development.

Promotes an environment that improves health, well-being, safety and security for staff.

To support, lead, and mentor the Nutrition, SLT and Dietetics Senior Management Team and support managers affiliated to Nutrition, SLT and Dietetics.

Person specification

Education & Training

• Master Level Education appropriate to role
• Evidence of continuing education
• Evidence of formal Leadership qualification
• Evidence of Project Management qualification
• Evidence of Mentoring qualification

Experience

• Evidence of working across boundaries to develop networks with key stakeholders
• Evidence of managing a diverse team
• Experience of delivering training programmes & presentations

Personal Qualities

• Delivers work of consistent and predictable high quality
• Consistently professional, collaborative and compassionate in their approach
• Minimum of 3 years experience in a senior role

Important information about your application

• All correspondence will be sent to you via the email address you applied from. Please ensure you check your emails regularly.
• References - please ensure you provide email addresses for all referees for the last three years of employment.
• We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from everyone regardless of ethnicity, disability, gender, age, faith or sexual orientation. Appointment will be based on merit alone.
• Flexible working will be considered in line with Trust policies
• New recruits are required to pay for their Disclosure and Barring Service check (and admin fee) prior to starting if the role requires a DBS check.
• We work with ‘trac.jobs’ to support out recruitment process. If you have any queries regarding this please read this privacy notice.

University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) has been awarded the Gold Award for proudly supporting those who serve. We actively encourage applications from the Armed Forces community.

We will communicate with you regarding your job application via email. Please be aware that we cannot guarantee the security of any emails sent/received via non encrypted format.

If you obtained your qualifications overseas, you will be required to provide an official government translation through ECCTIS (formerly known as NARIC). Please note, this is in addition to any professional registration requirements and not a replacement for your qualifications.

If you are currently in the UK on a visa, you must have at least six months remaining on your visa at the time of your start date to ensure sufficient time for the operational and training process associated with the role. The requirement of at least six months remaining on your visa does not apply to a Skilled Worker Visa, as a new Skilled Worker Visa would be required for a new role.

In line with the change of Immigration rules on 8th January 2026 if you require Sponsorship through the Skilled Worker Visa you must be able to provide B2 English evidence before a Certificate of Sponsorship can be issued.

Visa eligibility notice:
The UK Home Office has imposed an emergency brake on specific visa routes.

• Skilled Worker visas cannot currently be issued to Afghan nationals.
• Study visas cannot currently be issued to nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar or Sudan.
  As a result, we are unable to progress applications requiring sponsorship under these routes.

UHNM supports the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to assist in preparing your supporting statement. However, we reserve the right to reject applications where AI has been used in a misleading manner, for example, by implying experience or understanding that the applicant does not possess or where its use is excessive or unfair. If AI has been used to support your application, you must declare this within your submission.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

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