Senior Nurse Specialist - CYP Eating Disorders Service

Welcome to CNWL Community Eating Disorders Service for Children and Young People. Eating Disorders is a specialism within children's mental health, therefore finding candidates with rich experience is really important. It would be fantastic to have staff ready-to-go, but we appreciate the need to grow and develop people in this field and improve young people's access to care.

In this role you will provide senior nurse leadership, line management and supervision to allocated members of the CYP nursing team. You will also contribute to the wider nursing initiatives within the All-Age Eating Disorders Service and the wider CAMHS Eating Disorders Service line, as appropriate.

The recommended evidence-based intervention indicated for this patient group is Family Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa (FT-AN) and Family-Based Treatment (FBT) for eating disorders which all clinicians in the team deliver. We offer systemic therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT-E) for those for whom an individual therapy approach is more appropriate. In addition, we also offer a parent group to support those caring for a young person with an eating disorder. We link with CNWL CAMHS for joint work (for co-morbidities) and other agencies as necessary.

The team consists of nursing, psychology, assistant psychologists, systemic psychotherapists, a dietician, occupational therapists, paediatrician and psychiatry. The leads of the service are a Clinical Team Lead, Consultant Psychiatrist, Lead Psychologist, Lead Family Therapist and part of the All-Age Eating Disorder service which is overseen by Head of ED and a Clinical Director for ED. More recent developments are improved transition work, development of an Intensive Community Treatment Team and new projects with our neighbours at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

Our main base is in Chelsea (next to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital). Thanks to the heavy NHS influence many local cafes, restaurants and bars give discounts ranging from 10-20% to all NHS staff. Our second site is based at Roxborough Road which has the tube station of Harrow-on-the-Hill very close by, and clinicians typically work there once or twice per week with the option for this to be frequent if preferable to the staff member.

We look forward to welcoming you to our team and helping you to grow. If you have any questions about us and the role please get in touch.

Role responsibilities:

• The post holder will be responsible for the assessment and treatment of children, young people and their families affected by eating disorders, as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• To deliver clinical interventions relevant to the patient group including FT-AN and FBT, DBT skills, CBT-E skills and other evidenced based models of care.
• Provide liaison to GPs, Paediatricians, CAMHS Teams and other stakeholders, ensuring ease of access and support for children and young people with an eating disorder.
• To work closely with the Adult Eating Disorder Service to ensure a seamless transition into Adult Services from Child and Adolescent Services when required.
• To provide effective nurse leadership, expertise, advice and support to the team and ensure the provision of high-quality care to children and families.
• To act as a role model and highly competent practitioner.
• To supervise other nurses within the service and contribute to the wider nursing initiatives within the All Age Service and the wider CAMHS/Eating Disorders Service line, as appropriate.
• To act as a designated resource to children and families, and other professionals caring for them.
• To contribute to the continued development of the Community Eating Disorder Service treatment pathway from the point of referral through to discharge as part of the multidisciplinary team.
• To promote an innovative and progressive attitude to the continual improvement of patient care through research and evidence-based practice.
• To work with families as appropriate.
• To provide consultation and advice to referrers; children & young people and their families.
• To work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of systemic practice within the service.
• To take an active role, as and when necessary, in the development of specialist provision of specific projects and services in collaboration with other members of the MDT and in response to service need.
• To contribute to research, audit, policy and service development in line with clinical governance.