The standards of proficiency for dietitians
You must meet all the standards of proficiency to register with us and meet the standards relevant to your scope of practice to stay registered with us. It is important that you read and understand this document.
If your practice is called into question we will consider these standards (and our standards of conduct, performance and ethics) in deciding what action, if any, we need to take.
The standards set out in this document complement information and guidance issued by other organisations, such as your professional body or your employer.
We recognise the valuable role played by professional bodies in providing guidance and advice about good practice which can help you to meet the standards in this document
Your scope of practice is the area or areas of your profession in which you have the knowledge, skills and experience to practise lawfully, safely and effectively, in a way that meets our standards and does not pose any danger to the public or to yourself.
We recognise that a registrant’s scope of practice will change over time and that the practice of experienced registrants often becomes more focused and specialised than that of newly registered colleagues. This might be because of specialisation in a certain area or with a particular client group, or a movement into roles in management, education or research.
Every time you renew your registration, you will be asked to sign a declaration that you continue to meet the standards of proficiency that apply to your scope of practice.
Your particular scope of practice may mean that you are unable to continue to demonstrate that you meet all of the standards that apply for the whole of your profession.
As long as you make sure that you are practising safely and effectively within your given scope of practice and do not practise in the areas where you are not proficient to do so, this will not be a problem. If you want to move outside of your scope of practice, you should be certain that you are capable of working lawfully, safely and effectively. This means that you need to exercise personal judgement by undertaking any necessary training or gaining experience, before moving into a new area of practice.
It is important that you meet our standards and are able to practise lawfully, safely and effectively. However, we do not dictate how you should meet our standards. There is normally more than one way in which each standard can be met and the way in which you meet our standards might change over time because of improvements in technology or changes in your practice.
We often receive questions from registrants who are concerned that something they have been asked to do, a policy, or the way in which they work might mean they cannot meet our standards. They are often worried that this might have an effect on their registration.
As an autonomous professional, you need to make informed, reasoned decisions about your practice to ensure that you meet the standards that apply to you. This includes seeking advice and support from education providers, employers, colleagues, professional bodies, unions and others to ensure that the wellbeing of service users is safeguarded at all times. So long as you do this and can justify your decisions if asked to, it is very unlikely that you will not meet our standards.
We recognise that our registrants work in a range of different settings, which include direct practice, management, education, research and roles in industry. We also recognise that the use of terminology can be an emotive issue.
Our registrants work with very different people and use different terms to describe the groups that use, or are affected by, their services. Some of our registrants work with patients, others with clients and others with service users. The terms that you use will depend on how and where you work. We have used terms in these standards which we believe best reflect the groups that you work with.
In the standards of proficiency, we use phrases such as ‘understand’, ‘know’, and ‘be able to’. This is so the standards remain applicable to current registrants in maintaining their fitness
to practise, as well as prospective registrants who have not yet started practising and are applying for registration for the first time.
These standards may change in the future We have produced these standards after speaking to our stakeholders and holding a formal public consultation. We will continue to listen to our stakeholders and will keep our standards under continual review. Therefore, we may make further changes in the future to take into account changes in practice.
We will always publicise any changes to the standards that we make by, for instance, publishing notices on our website and informing professional bodies.
We also expect you to keep to our standards of conduct, performance and ethics and standards for continuing professional development. We publish these in separate documents, which you can find on our website.
Registrant dietitians must:
-
1.1 know the limits of their practice and when to seek advice or refer to another professional1.2 recognise the need to manage their own workload and resources effectively and be able to practise accordingly
-
2.1 understand the need to act in the best interests of service users at all times2.2 understand what is required of them by the Health and Care Professions Council
2.3 understand the need to respect and uphold the rights, dignity, values, and autonomy of service users and their central role in decisions about their health
2.4 recognise that relationships with service users should be based on mutual respect and trust, and be able to maintain high standards of care even in situations of personal incompatibility
2.5 know about current legislation applicable to the work of their profession
2.6 know about policy, ethical and research frameworks that underpin, inform, and influence the practice of dietetics
2.7 understand the importance of and be able to obtain informed consent
2.8 be able to exercise a professional duty of care
2.9 understand the ethical and legal implications of withholding and withdrawing feeding including nutrition
-
3.1 understand the need to maintain high standards of personal and professional conduct3.2 understand the importance of maintaining their own health
3.3 understand both the need to keep skills and knowledge up to date and the importance of career-long learning
-
4.1 be able to assess a professional situation, determine the nature and severity of the problem and call upon the required knowledge and experience to deal with the problem4.2 be able to make reasoned decisions to initiate, continue, modify or cease interventions or the use of techniques or procedures, and record the decisions and reasoning appropriately
4.3 be able to initiate resolution of problems and be able to exercise personal initiative
4.4 recognise that they are personally responsible for and must be able to justify their decisions
4.5 be able to make reasoned decisions to accept or decline requests for intervention
4.6 be able to make appropriate referrals and requests for interventions from other services
4.7 understand the importance of participation in training, supervision and mentoring
-
5.1 understand the requirement to adapt practice and resources to meet the needs of different groups and individuals5.2 understand the significance and potential effect of non-dietary factors when helping individuals, groups and communities to make informed choices about interventions and lifestyle
-
6.1 be able to demonstrate sensitivity to factors that affect diet, lifestyle and health and that may affect the interaction between service user and dietitian -
7.1 be aware of the limits of the concept of confidentiality7.2 understand the principles of information governance and be aware of the safe and effective use of health and social care information
7.3 be able to recognise and respond appropriately to situations where it is necessary to share information to safeguard service users or the wider public
-
8.1 be able to demonstrate effective and appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication skills when interacting with a diverse range of individuals, groups and communities8.2 be able to communicate in English to the standard equivalent to level 7 of the International English Language Testing System, with no element below 6.5 *
8.3 understand how verbal and non-verbal communication skills affect assessment and engagement of service users and how the means of communication should be modified to address and take account of factors such as the characteristics of the individual, group or community
8.4 be able to select, move between and use appropriate forms of verbal and non-verbal communication with service users and others
8.5 be aware of the characteristics and consequences of verbal and non-verbal communication and how this can be affected by factors such as age, culture, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status and spiritual or religious beliefs
8.6 understand the need to provide service users or people acting on their behalf with the information necessary to enable them to make informed decisions
8.7 understand the need to assist the communication needs of service users such as through the use of an appropriate interpreter, wherever possible
8.8 recognise the need to use interpersonal skills to encourage the active participation of service users
* The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) tests competence in the English language. Applicants who have qualified outside of the UK, whose first language is not English and who are not nationals of Switzerland, must provide evidence that they have reached the necessary standard. Please visit our website for more information.
-
9.1 be able to work, where appropriate, in partnership with service users, other professionals, support staff, communities and others9.2 understand the need to build and sustain professional relationships as both an independent practitioner and collaboratively as a member of a team
9.3 understand the need to empower and engage individuals, groups, and communities in planning and evaluating interventions to meet their needs and goals
9.4 be able to contribute effectively to work undertaken as part of a multi-disciplinary team
9.5 be able to empower individuals, groups and communities to make informed choices including diet, physical activity and other lifestyle adjustments
9.6 be able to work with service users to implement changes in interventions in line with new developments
-
10.1 be able to keep accurate, comprehensive and comprehensible records in accordance with applicable legislation, protocols and guidelines10.2 recognise the need to manage records and all other information in accordance with applicable legislation, protocols and guidelines
-
11.1 understand the value of reflection on practice and the need to record the outcome of such reflection11.2 recognise the value of multi-disciplinary team review and other methods of review
-
12.1 be able to engage in evidence-based practice, evaluate practice systematically and participate in audit procedures12.2 recognise the need to monitor and evaluate the quality of practice and the value of contributing to the generation of accurate data for quality assurance, governance, clinical audit, research and improvement programmes
12.3 be able to gather and share information, including qualitative and quantitative data, that evaluates outcomes
12.4 be aware of, and be able to participate in, quality improvement processes to assure the quality of their practice
12.5 be able to evaluate intervention plans using recognised outcome measures and revise the plans as necessary in partnership with individuals, groups and communities
-
13.1 understand the structure and function of the human body, together with knowledge of health, disease, disorder and dysfunction relevant to their profession13.2 be aware of the principles and applications of scientific enquiry, including the evaluation of interventions and the research process
13.3 understand the concept of leadership and its application to practice
13.4 recognise the role of other professions in health and social care
13.5 understand the structure and function of health and social care services in the UK
13.6 understand the wider determinants of health and wellbeing
13.7 understand the theoretical basis of, and the variety of approaches to, assessment, diagnosis, intervention and evaluation
13.8 understand, in the context of nutrition and dietetic practice:
- biochemistry
- clinical dietetics
- clinical medicine
- epidemiology
- genetics
- immunology
- microbiology
- nutritional sciences
- pathophysiology
- pharmacology
- physiology
- public health nutrition13.9 understand, in the context of nutrition and dietetic practice:
- food hygiene
- food science
- food skills
- food systems management
- menu planning
- the factors that influence food choice13.10 understand the principles behind the use of nutritional analysis programs to analyse food intake records and recipes and interpret the results
13.11 understand in the context of nutrition and dietetic practice legislation relating to food labelling and health claims
13.12 understand, in the context of nutrition and dietetic practice, the use of appropriate educational strategies, communication, and models of empowerment, behaviour change and health promotion
13.13 understand, in the context of nutrition and dietetic practice:
- management of health and social care
- psychology
- public health relevant to the dietetic management of individuals, groups or communities
- social policy
- sociology13.14 understand the methods commonly used in nutrition research and be able to evaluate research papers critically
-
14.1 be able to accurately assess nutritional needs of individuals, groups and populations, in a sensitive and detailed way using appropriate techniques and resources14.2 be able to change their practice as needed to take account of new developments or changing contexts
14.3 be able to gather appropriate information
14.4 be able to select and use appropriate assessment techniques
14.5 be able to undertake or arrange investigations as appropriate
14.6 be able to analyse and critically evaluate the information collected in order to identify nutritional needs and develop a diagnosis
14.7 be able to analyse and critically evaluate assessment information to develop intervention plans including the setting of timescales, goals and outcomes
14.8 be able to conduct appropriate diagnostic or monitoring procedures, treatment, therapy, interventions or other actions safely and effectively
14.9 be able to monitor the progress of nutrition and dietetic interventions using appropriate information, techniques and measures
14.10 be able to critically evaluate the information gained in monitoring to review and revise the intervention
14.11 be able to use nutritional analysis programs to analyse food intake, records and recipes and interpret the results
14.12 be able to use research, reasoning, and a logical and systematic approach to problem solving skills to determine appropriate actions
14.13 recognise the value of research to the critical evaluation of practice
14.14 be able to use statistical, epidemiological, and research skills to gather and interpret evidence to make reasoned conclusions and judgements to enhance dietetic practice
14.15 be aware of a range of research methodologies and be able to critically evaluate research in order to inform practice
14.16 be able to use information and communication technologies appropriate to their practice
14.17 be able to choose the most appropriate strategy to influence nutritional behaviour and choice
14.18 be able to undertake and explain dietetic interventions, having regard to current knowledge and evidence-based practice
14.19 be able to advise on safe procedures for food preparation and handling and any effect on nutritional quality
14.20 be able to advise on the effect of food processing on nutritional quality
14.21 be able to advise on menu planning, taking account of food preparation and processing, nutritional standards and requirements of service users
14.22 be able to interpret nutritional information including food labels which may have nutritional or clinical implications
-
15.1 understand the need to maintain the safety of both service users and those involved in their care15.2 be aware of applicable health and safety legislation, and any relevant safety policies and procedures in force at the workplace, such as incident reporting, and be able to act in accordance with these
15.3 be able to work safely, including being able to select appropriate hazard control and risk management, reduction or elimination techniques in a safe manner and in accordance with health and safety legislation
15.4 be able to select appropriate personal protective equipment and use it correctly
15.5 be able to establish safe environments for practice, which minimise risks to service users, those treating them and others, including the use of hazard control and particularly infection control
These standards are effective from 1 March 2013.
Reviewing the standards of proficiency
We keep our standards under continual review, to look at how they are working and check whether they continue to reflect current practice. We also conduct a periodic review of the standards every five years.
In August 2022, we updated our standards of proficiency for the first time since 2015. The changes, which will come into effect on 1 September 2023, have been made following an extensive period of engagement with a wide range of stakeholders.
We will provide a host of resources and activities which will assist different stakeholder groups prepare ahead of the implementation date.
The revised standards set clear expectations of registrants’ knowledge and ability in a healthcare landscape which has changed and evolved in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Updating them is a crucial component in fulfilling our purpose to promote excellence in the professions we regulate, and championing high quality care that the public can access safely and with confidence.