Clinical Specialist Practitioner Nutrition and Hydration

A Vacancy at Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

We are delighted to advertise the opportunity to undertake a 12 month secondment/fixed term Specialist Practitioner Nutrition and Hydration Nurse. The postholder will support the successful implementation of the MCHFT Nutrition and Hydration 2025-2027 strategy.

Through leadership and dedicated quality improvement initiatives the postholder will support our Nutritional Ninja Champions in promoting quality nutritional and hydration standards across the Trust.

This role will be key to the ongoing success of our Nutritional MDT and facilitate cross divisional working to ensure quality seamless care for patients as they transition through our services.

The post holder will develop and present nutrition and hydration assessment compliance data and drive the Trust in providing assurance that patients receive quality nutrition and hydration care whilst being cared for in MCHFT.

The post holder will work collaboratively with Dieticians, Nurses, Doctors Speech and Language therapists across all divisions and departments within hospital and community settings.

The post holder will support the ongoing review of policies and procedures together with supporting the development of any new policies/SOP's and Guidance that provide good governance around nutrition and hydration care.

The post will be predominantly working within the hospital base but their will be a need to travel and support across community services

To support in leading the multi-professional management of patients with enteral and parenteral nutritional needs through the provision of clinical leadership and expert advice across the service and primary care settings.

To support the leadership in facilitating, enabling and supporting the development of nutrition and hydration best practice ensuring delivery of high quality, effective and efficient care across the Trust.

Support to lead in developing, delivering and evaluating high quality nutritional and hydration care in conjunction with the associated clinical teams to ensure this is incorporated within the Business Group and trust objectives.

Ensures patients and their families are given appropriate oral and written information regarding planned care.

Participates/leads Nutritional MDT's with consultants, Dieticians, SALT, Nurses to discuss, review and plan complex case management

Works in close collaboration with other health care professionals across organisational boundaries to ensure service meets patient’s needs.

Promote Nutritional Champions across all services and departments.

Review national guidance related to Nutritional and Hydration and support clinicians, teams and services in developing good governance processes so that assurance can be demonstrated.

Lead/support in the development of local policies, protocols and procedures in accordance with local and national standards in relation to specialist area of expertise.

Join Central Cheshire Integrated Care Partnership, a thriving NHS Community Services Provider

Central Cheshire Integrated Care Partnership (CCICP) delivers high-quality NHS community services across Cheshire. We are a forward-thinking, dynamic organisation dedicated to continuous improvement and outstanding patient care. Collaboration is at the heart of what we do, working closely with our community partners to shape the future of healthcare.

We are ambitious in our vision to become an ‘Outstanding’ provider of community services, and we are committed to supporting our colleagues’ professional development.

Our organisation is growing rapidly—over the past eight years, our workforce has expanded from 350 to over 1,000 staff, and our services have increased from 25 to 49, with our contract value doubling in the process.

As part of Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, CCICP offers the benefits of both a supportive local team and the wider opportunities of a leading NHS provider.

Now is an exciting time to join us. With plans underway for the newLeighton Hospital in Crewe, we are at the forefront of innovation in healthcare. This cutting-edge hospital will be the most digitally advanced in the country, shaping the future of patient care and driving transformation across the region as part of theHealthier Futuresprogramme.

Join us and be part of a forward-looking, compassionate, and ambitious organisation where your career can thrive.

Role Summary

1. To undertake in-depth specialist clinical assessment, diagnosis and treatment for adult patients with enteral and parenteral nutritional needs.

2. Tosupportinleadingthemulti-professionalmanagementofpatientswithenteral and parenteral nutritional needsthroughthe provisionofclinicalleadershipandexpertadviceacrosstheserviceandprimarycaresettings.

3. Tosupporttheleadershipinfacilitating,enablingandsupportingthedevelopmentofnutrition and hydration best practice ensuring delivery of high quality, effective and efficient care across the Trust.

4. Support to lead in developing, delivering and evaluating high quality nutritional and hydration care in conjunction with the associated clinical teams to ensure this is incorporated within the Business Group and trustobjectives.

Role Duties & Responsibilities

· Supports the planning and development of clinical protocols for enteral and parenteral nutritional care.

· Works autonomously to manage their own caseload of patients whilst working as partof a multidisciplinary team without direct medicalsupervision.

· Enables patient choice and involvement and initiates appropriateaction.

· Coordinates and develops patient care pathway and liaises across organisationalboundaries.

· Undertakes specialist assessment and plans specialised programmes of care andprovides highly specialised advice to patients, relatives andcarers.

· Ensures each patient is placed in the correct treatment pathway at the appropriate time and necessary investigations and treatments areorganised.

· Provides clinical advice and support to healthcare professionals within andacross organisationalboundaries.

· Provides clinical advice in accordance with current evidence basedpractice.

· Undertakes nurse/practitioner -ledclinics.

· Participates in case conferences in relation to future management or discharge arrangements.

· Ensures patients and their families are given appropriate oral and written information regarding plannedcare.

· Maintains accurate patient records and ensures all relevant information is documentedin the patient’s medical and nursingrecords.

· ParticipatesinMDTwithconsultantsandspecialistregistrarstodiscusscomplexcase management

Governance

· Be a member of relevant professional association and attend/present at regional/national meetings and conferences asrequired.

· Identify personal learning needs and take steps to pursue personal developmentplan

· Maintain practice within the context of the professional guidelines for the relevant professional body and policies laid down by theTrust.

· Maintain a comprehensive personal profile and demonstrate appropriateprofessional development to Post Registration Education and Practicestandards.

· Evaluate professional performance and identify implications forpractice.

· Ensurethepromotionofsafety,wellbeingandinterestsofpatients,staffandvisitorsto the department.

· Ensure compliance with Trust policies, procedures and guidelines for self and others, by taking action/alerting senior management team if practice appears to contravene policy, or if concerned about any aspect of patientcare.

Managerial / Leadership

· Manages own caseload, and coordinates patient journey across business groups and organisationalboundaries.

· Works in close collaboration with other health care professionals across organisational boundaries to ensure service meets patient’sneeds.

· Supports the management of the Clinical Team in the day to day delivery/managementof services including co-ordination, delegation, and supervision of the team to facilitate effective servicedelivery.

· Assists with the recruitment and initialising of newstaff.

· Acts as a clinical supervisor to staff within thedepartment.

· Acts as a mentor to pre and post registration nurses, assisting in meeting their learning needs.

· Lead/supportinthedevelopmentoflocalpolicies,protocolsandproceduresinaccordance with local and national standards in relation to specialist area ofexpertise.

· Ensure a healthy, safe and secure working environment, ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, maintaining accurate documentation and reporting anyconcerns.

Education /Learning

· Lead/supportthedevelopment,planninganddeliveryofarangeofspecialisteducational and training programmes for healthcare professionals, patients andcarers.

· Lead in the teaching and development of healthcare professionals, patients andcarers.

· Provides clinical supervision and mentorship to junior or new clinical nurse specialists / practitioners/nurses / medical staff asrequired.

· Identifies assists and meets the educational needs of the patient and theirfamily.

· Maintainsownprofessionaldevelopment,skillsandcompetenciesthroughparticipationin training and developmentactivities.

· Maintains and updates evidence based knowledge andskills.

· Fulfils all mandatory training requirements for the trust and assists others within the department to doso.

· Undertakes health promotion across organisationalboundaries.

· Take responsibility for own learning and development by recognising and taking advantage of all opportunities to learn, including full participation in KSF/appraisal, supervision, action learning and by maintaining a professional/personal portfolio oflearning.

Research

· To participate/take the lead for clinical audit and development of knowledgewithin specialist field ofpractice.

· Tocarryoutresearchinrelationtospecialistareaofpracticetakingintoaccount localand nationalguidance

· Undertakes evidence based practice and ensures dissemination of relevant research and bestpractice

· Supportsandadvisesjuniorstaffwhomaywishtoundertakeauditandresearchinspecialist field

Continuous Improvement

1. Support the Trust’s commitment to developing a continuous improvement culture by making everyday improvements as part of your job using Improvement Matters, the Trust’s single continuous improvement approach

2. Role model the behaviours of an improver displaying; curiosity, humility, compassion, effective practice, open-mindedness to try new ideas, self-discipline

3. Take personal responsibility for the role you play in actively contributing to creating a culture which promotes learning as opposed to blame and supports colleagues to embrace change

4. Coach and enable others to innovate and make improvements happen in their area of work using Improvement Matters as the Trust’s single improvement approach

This job description is an outline of the role and function. It is not intended to describe all specific tasks.

This advert closes on Thursday 18 Jun 2026