Job Details Role Requirements Role Requirement 1 Management - Team and Stakeholder Engagement Work with colleagues across Better Start to enhance the quality of early learning and care provision to children regarding food and the development of healthy food behaviours.
Engage with peers in the school meals programme and other relevant stakeholders including the Nutrition technical subgroup under the auspice of the Obesity Policy and Action Plan Implementation Group (OPIOG) and Healthy Eating Subgroup (HESG) as appropriate Management of a team to support existing work and aligned to new or emerging areas of work.
Ensuring effective relationship building in a teamworking context As part of this role be responsible for your own performance management, general HR and learning and Development Provide guidance and training on nutrition standards in ELC settings to Better Start Early Years Specialists (AIM and QDS) in line with Solta, the National Quality Framework, and Aistear, the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework Role Requirement 2 Service Supports and Resource Development Enhance the capabilities of Early Years Educators and School-age Practitioners by en gaging directly with early learning and care services, providing nutritional and dietetic training (in groups), individualized and/or tailored input, support and advice, and encouragement in the design of menu options available in the additional nutrition programme for pre-school children in line with the Nutrition Standards for Early Learning and Care Services Develop menu options and recipe ideas to include options that will cater for children with certain dietary restrictions such as allergy, coeliac disease etc Conduct ongoing site visits to provide advice and to support a menu plan, review healthy food learning opportunities and food waste management Complete a desktop review of compliance with Nutrition Standards in meals/recipes used in early learning and care services Develop an online training module and resources for early years educators to highlight key nutritional issues and learning opportunities to be considered in menu design for young children In collaboration with the National Manager, National Team Lead and Key stakeholders establish and ensure the quality and consistency of training delivery and reporting Ensure the programme delivery reflects a strong commitment to service excellence, customer care and Better Start Code of Ethics Support ELC settings to develop and actively implement a range of policies and practices in nutrition in accordance with the Aistear and Solta National Frameworks.
Participate in and assist in the organisation of special events, visits and any other activities required Role Requirement 3 Information, Reporting & Administration In collaboration with the National Manager, National Team Lead and Pobal's Service development specialist, develop a service delivery management and monitoring system for the Additional Nutrition programme Engage in professional supervision with the Policy Advisor for Nutrition & Obesity Health & Well Being Unit in the Department of Health.
Collect data on menu options and learning supports on healthy eating relevant to early learning and care from and using the data to construct a database Manage the collation of data at required intervals in required formats and publish reports and thematic reviews on the work of the service Collaborate with Data and Analytics on data and tracking of the Additional Nutrition programme in ELC and SAC and report on levels of participation Support the development and implementation of monitoring and evaluation frameworks for the Additional Nutrition Programme and Equal Start Conduct surveys/thematic studies on programme outcomes/identified themes Complete and maintain accurate and up to date records pertaining to the role Ensure all administration back-up and support on progress is kept updated by maintaining all relevant systems.
Provide regular progress updates to the National Team Lead and engage in professional support and supervision Review, develop and maintain efficient and effective administrative and information systems Engage in professional development as required of the role Engage in the design, delivery, evaluation and reporting of CPD as required of the role Role Requirement 4 Networking Build effective relationships with key representative groups both inside and outside of the ELC sector promoting Nutrition and lead on multi-stakeholder engagement with, but not limited to, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, Department of Education, Department of Health, HSE, FSAI, Safe Food Ireland, as well as City and County Childcare Committees, Childcare Support organisations and the community and voluntary sector Participation in key structures and working groups as led by DCDE and other relevant Government departments and relevant agencies Attendance at conferences/ seminars and professional networks as a required.
Leverage networking opportunities to keep up to date of industry trends, best practice, and regulatory change, ensuring quality supports and training programmes remain relevant and up to-date Any other duties within the general requirement of this job description which may be required from time to time.
Required Experience Minimum five years' dietetic and/or nutrition professional experience Working with children and/or in pediatrics and be able to demonstrate knowledge of dietary requirements of children, including children with specific dietary needs Experience of inter-agency working with children and families and multidisciplinary working Using dietary analysis and menu design software effectively and creatively Ability to develop age-appropriate menus in line with published standards, that are accessible and easy to understand that will meet the needs of specific groups of children.
Evidence of continuing professional development relevant to the required area of specialism, in the form of post-graduate qualifications or relevant courses Achievement in the areas of audit, research and or quality improvement initiatives Proven experience of adult learning methodologies, quality assurance and evaluation Proficient in MS packages e.g., Teams, Word, Excel, Outlook, programme databases, Share Point portal Qualifications Applicants must have a minimum of a Level 8 degree as a Dietitian or Nutritionist Dietitians must be eligible for registration with the Registration Board at CORU ( Nutritionists must be eligible for registration with Association for Registered Nutritionists (AFN).
( Full Drivers licence with suitable means of transport Desirable An interest in Public Health Nutrition and/or Food Service Nutrition and Dietetics, with a particular focus on young children Project management skills Experience of working on national and/or international focused projects Understanding and the ability to communicate in the Irish Language To be considered for this role you will be redirected to and must complete the application process on our careers page.
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