The BDA has been successful in securing significant funding from Health Education England to drive forward our education and professional practice workforce agenda, which will support our work across all four nations.
What is the Dietetic Workforce Development Programme?
The BDA's Dietetic Workforce Development Programme is a programme funded by Health Education England but will support our workforce throughout the UK to allow us to secure and develop our current and future dietetic workforce.
What will the BDA be focusing on?
The BDA will be focusing on three key areas throughout this programme to ensure that we are supporting and developing the dietetic workforce.
The first key area we will be focusing on is future supply. We will be ensuring that dietetics and working as an AHP is seen as an exciting and rewarding career option. Alongside this we will be developing the capacity of the future supply by developing new courses and innovative practice-based learning opportunities.
The second area we will focus on is bridging the between education and employment. We will be encouraging diversity and expansion via apprenticeships and supporting early careers through preceptorship.
The third area of focus will be enabling the entire dietetic workforce to deliver and grow. We will be supporting the development of new and emerging roles including advanced practice, digital technology and leadership roles. We will also be focusing on retaining AHPs and making the NHS the best place to work.
How will we collectively achieve these areas of focus?
In order to achieve the above areas of focus, we have broken these down into five key themes:
Future Careers
Within this project we will revisit the Future Dietitian 2025 Report and its recommendations to ensure it is still fit for purpose and embraces the digital agenda and meets the challenges of the effects of a post COVID-19 pandemic world.
Pre-registration Education and Training
The BDA will be undertaking projects that identify approaches for delivering practice-based learning across a variety of dietetic-practice settings. We will achieve this by developing a campaign to promote practice-based learning, alongside developing a new practice-based learning area of the BDA website to share relevant resources and information across a range of dietetic settings. We will also explore the feasibly of a common assessment tool within practice-based learning. As well as continuing to contribute to the national AHP placement demand and capacity work.
Clinical Practice Development
We will be working to implement and evaluate standardised language within the dietetic consultation which will link with SNOMED CT and NHS Digital to established a standardised record template.
We will also be undertaking a primary care project to raise awareness of first contact practitioner roles. This will also include the development of a network of first contact practitioner roles and undertake a feasibility scoping review to identify key indicators that will inform a common data set to measure outcomes.
The BDA will also be undertaking further work in the national priority of neonatal care and we will be working to increase the profile of dietitians in mental health services.
Diversity and Inclusion
The BDA will be working to ensure that the dietetic roles and opportunities are open for all across our workforce. We will be working to drive improvements in equality, diversity and inclusion within pre-registration.
Career Development
The BDA aims to push the boundaries of dietetics and create the opportunity for a long a rewarding career. To ensure we achieve this, we will develop and implement a dietetic support workforce Professional Development Framework to ensure that we are supporting the entire dietetic workforce as much as possible. We will also be working to ensure we support newly graduated dietitians as much as possible by reviewing the implementation of our already existing preceptorship guidance. We will also be developing our webpages on preceptorship by providing examples and case studies of best practice in early dietetic careers. Alongside this we will be creating resources to support international recruits.
We will be investigating advance research and practice opportunities build and utilise the evidence base of our profession and will be investigating advance research and practice opportunities.
As well as the above, we will also be supporting individuals to return to practice via and awareness campaign and resource development to ensure the returning workforce feel supported.
See a detailed breakdown of the work that will be undertaken:
Learn more about our exciting key areas of focus over the next 12-18 months:
Future Careers
1. Review of the Future Dietitian report to ensure it is fit for the mid-21st century and reflects the digital agenda and post COVID implications.
Pre-Registration Education & Training
2. Identify approaches for delivering practice-based learning across a variety of dietetic settings to meet BDA Curriculum practice-based learning hour requirements.
3. Develop a campaign promoting practice-based learning innovation to BDA members and health and social care stakeholders.
4. Develop the BDA website for shared practice-based learning resources across a range of dietetic landscapes.
5. Explore the feasibility of using a common assessment tool for dietetic practice-based learning.
6. Contribute to Health Education England’s AHP placement demand and capacity project.
Diversity and Inclusion
7. Drive improvements in equality, diversity and inclusion within pre-registration education and careers.
8. Promote dietetic roles across the NHS and social care services.
Career Development
9. Develop resources to support career progression at advanced practice level
10. Undertake a review of the implementation of the BDA preceptorship guidance.
11. Develop examples and case studies of best practice in early dietetic careers.
12. Create dietetic resources to support the education, scope of practice and pastoral guidance of international recruits.
13. Advance research and practice opportunities.
14. Support individuals to return to practice through awareness-raising campaign and resource development.
15. Develop and implement a dietetic support workforce Professional Development Framework.
Clinical Practice Development
16. Implement and evaluate standardised language within the dietetic consultation, aiming to link with SNOMED CT and NHS Digital to establish a standardised record template. Watch our webinar on PASS statements
17. A new neonatal project – details are to be confirmed.
18. Increase the profile of dietitians in mental health services through an awareness-raising campaign and resources.
19. Primary care project to: raise awareness of first contact practitioner roles, develop a network, and undertake a feasibility scoping review identifying key indicators to inform a common data set to measure outcomes.
Learn more about our projects and what we will be doing over the next 12-18 months in our summary webinar.
What about other work the Education and Professional Practice team supports?
We will also be continuing to support the ongoing core functions of the Education and Professional Practice team which are:
- To support responses to national consultations
- Ongoing CPD and document endorsement
- To support Practice-based Evidence in Nutrition system (PEN)
- Monthly Evidence & Expertise ezine
- HCPC fitness to practise cases
- Insurance renewal queries
- Involvement in professional record standards body and nutritional care process terminology group
- Pre-registration BDA and SENr accreditation
- BDA Learning Zone development
- Existing 2021-2022 Health Education England funded projects
- CPD joint statement promotion
- Promoting dietetic research
Get in touch
If you have a question or want to know more about our Dietetic Workforce Development Programme, contact the team via [email protected].