Dietician

Introduction

Dieticians work with individuals, care/support teams, families, and groups to enable people to manage their nutrition and food-related issues and improve their health. Dieticians assess, diagnose and treat dietary and nutritional problems, using advanced communication and behaviour change skills to enable people to make appropriate lifestyle and food choices.

Dieticians working with people with learning disabilities and autism support a varied range of dietetic needs including nutritional support, enteral feeding, and weight management.

Salary, hours and benefits

---

What you’ll do

Day-to-day tasks

Your day-to-day duties may include:

• assessing, diagnosing, and treating dietary and nutritional problems,
• translating scientific and medical research related to food and health into practical guidance and accessible formats for the clients and their support teams, in line with the accessible information standard,
• teaching and providing accessible information to people about diet and nutrition,
• supervising the work of dietetic assistants,
• communicating needs and plans with the care/support team and families, G.P., teachers, key workers, social workers and many more, 
• advocating for health needs as required to achieve effective plans and outcomes.

Working environment

You could work in an NHS or private hospital or in the community in a range of care settings, such as day centres, respite services, education, residential homes, and supported living arrangements. 

You could work on a freelance basis too.

---

Characteristics and skills required

You’ll need: 

• an interest in science and food,
• an interest in people and their lifestyles,
• an interest in equality and social determinants of health,
• an awareness of the Mental Capacity Act,
• an awareness of health literacy, the accessible communication standard, and total communication approaches,
• communication skills to share information across the health and social care sectors,
• a positive and motivating attitude,
• an understanding approach,
• patience,
• a sense of humour,
• to explain complex things simply,
• organisation skills,
• business skills for freelance work.

Restrictions and requirements

You’ll need to pass enhanced background checks.

---

Career path and progression

There are a range of roles within dietetics, from support to leadership:

Career Framework level	Role	Degree?
3 and 4	Dietetic Support Worker (DSW) Works under the supervision of a qualified dietician to support their training and ensure everything is done properly. Dietetic support workers (DSW) work under the supervision of a qualified dietician to support their training and ensure everything is done properly.	No
3 and 4	Dietetic Assistant Practitioner Works more independently, with less direct supervision, under a qualified dietician.	Yes
6	Dietician Provides dietetic advice to children and adults with learning disabilities and autism	Yes
8	Consultant Demonstrates highly developed expert knowledge and skills within dietetics.	Masters degree

How to become a Dietician

To qualify as a dietician, you are required to undertake an approved programme at a university. All dietetic programmes are approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and may also apply for accreditation by The British Dietetic Association (BDA).

You can get into this job through:

• a university course (undergraduate or postgraduate programme).

University

You can do a degree in dietetics, which is usually a BSc (Hons) degree. This degree is either three or four years in length.

There are postgraduate programmes that are two years in length and can either lead to a Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) in dietetics or a Masters (MSc) qualification in dietetics.

Entry requirements

You’ll usually need:

• 2 or 3 A levels, including chemistry, maths, or biology,
• five GCSEs (grades A-C), including English language and maths,
• or BTEC, HND, or HNC which includes science subjects,
• relevant NVQ,
• science-based access course,
• equivalent level Scottish or Irish qualifications.

To get onto a postgraduate course you will normally be expected to hold an honours degree that contains an acceptable level of human physiology and biochemistry.

From within health and social care

If you are already working in the health and social care sector and you are looking for a new challenge, then you can change career to become a dietician within learning disability and autism support and care. To qualify as a dietician, you are required to undertake an approved programme at a university. You can do a degree in dietetics, which is usually a BSc (Hons) degree. This degree is either three or four years in length.

There are postgraduate programmes that are two years in length and can either lead to a Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) in dietetics or a Masters (MSc) qualification in dietetics.

From outside health and social care

If you want to work in health and social care and you are looking for a new challenge, then you can change career to become speech and language therapist within learning disability and autism support and care. To qualify as a dietician, you are required to undertake an approved programme at a university. You can do a degree in dietetics, which is usually a BSc (Hons) degree. This degree is either three or four years in length.

There are postgraduate programmes that are two years in length and can either lead to a Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) in dietetics or a Masters (MSc) qualification in dietetics.

---

Financial support

You will be entitled to receive between £6,000 and £8,000 a year towards your studies while at university. Your personal circumstances may mean you could receive more. You’ll never have to pay it back.

---

Current opportunities

Jobs in England

Most NHS trusts advertise their vacancies on NHS Jobs. Some advertise on trust websites. You can find a list of trusts on NHS Choices.