Family & Systemic Psychotherapist

The Vincent Square Eating Disorder Service offers specialist services for children and young people suffering from eating disorders. The service provides a range of treatments across the existing outpatient service. We currently have a permanent position for a band 7 Family Therapist to work in the Children and Young People’s Eating Disorder Service. The post holder will work alongside a team of family therapists, psychiatrists, nurses, psychologists, occupational therapists and other disciplines. The job will be split between our sites in South Kensington & Chelsea, and Harrow-on-the-Hill.

Main duties of the job:

• You will provide specialist systemic interventions for child and adolescent eating disorders in the outpatient service, including Family Based Treatment (FBT) and Family Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa (FT-AN).
• You will carry out regular initial assessments of newly referred patients to the service.
• You will deliver and facilitate an existing carer’s skills/parent group.
• You will provide duty support to external professionals and families looking for advice and support, including triaging of new referrals.

Qualifications:

• Masters or Doctoral level qualification in Systemic Psychotherapy or AFT agreed equivalent UKCP Registered OR in training working towards completing the MSc in Family Therapy (Qualifying level).
• Possession of a relevant degree or in the process of obtaining.
• Postgraduate training in eating-disorder-specific therapies (e.g. CBT-E, AFT family-based treatment, IPT).

Previous Experience:

• CAMHS Experience/Eating Disorder Experience.
• Experience and understanding of the needs of a multicultural population.
• Providing consultation, liaison with a range of professionals, and multidisciplinary working.
• Research in relation to children and adults’ mental health problems.
• Skilled in using outcome-focused resources such as ROMS and PREMS with Service Users, and making use of such information in therapy.
• Training in parent management and experience of group work.
• Working with children & YP with an eating disorder.
• Experience of audit.

Skills:

• Skills in working with children and families with mental health and social problems.
• Ability to assess, including risks, and to formulate comprehensive assessments and offer a range of effective treatments based on formal psychological and specialist therapies and act in accordance with Child Protection and Risk Policies.
• Systemic culturally sensitive skills.
• Ability to communicate complexity verbally and in writing with relevant administrative capacity.
• Ability to apply analytical skills to multi-layered complex cases.
• Ability to liaise with and manage complex professional networks in relation to individuals and families.
• Knowledge of relevant research and practice developments within professional discipline of family therapy.
• Parent management training.

Knowledge:

• Understanding of systemic theory and practice.
• Evidence base in relation to child mental health.
• The impact of abuse, trauma and other adverse experiences on children and families.
• Legislation and DOH guidelines relevant to children and mental health.
• Child development in relation to mental health difficulties.
• Child protection policies and procedures and understanding.
• Experience of working independently in the community.

Personal Attributes, Aptitudes:

• Flexible.
• Ability to treat service users with respect and dignity at all times, adopting a culturally sensitive approach which considers the needs of the whole person.
• Able to build constructive relationships with warmth and empathy, using good communication skills.

CPD:

The post holder is expected to have had ongoing CPD since qualification.

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and, of course, patients and service users when working in our healthcare settings.

Due to the high response levels we receive for some vacancies, we may expire any of them prior to the advertised closing date and advise you to submit your application as soon as possible. Applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. Before submitting your application and to avoid disappointment please check that you are eligible under the UKVI points-based system. Our Agenda for Change employment contracts are subject to a contractual 13-week probationary period. If you are offered a job, information will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

You must have appropriate UK professional registration. This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.