CAMHS ED Service - Specialist Practitioner/Family Therapist in Taunton

Are you passionate about supporting children and young people affected by eating disorders? We have an exciting opportunity to join our specialist countywide CAMHS Eating Disorder Service as a clinician at a time of significant service growth and innovation. Our team provides specialist assessment, formulation and evidence-based treatment for children and young people presenting with a range of eating disorders, including those requiring support on paediatric wards or experiencing acute physical health challenges.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced eating disorder practitioner to combine advanced clinical practice with leadership responsibilities. You will support the development of less experienced colleagues through supervision, consultation and professional guidance, while contributing to high standards of clinical governance, service quality and patient care. As the service continues to expand, including the development of specialist pathways such as ARFID and our intensive treatment offer, you will have the opportunity to influence service development, implement innovative ways of working and help shape the future of eating disorder provision across Somerset. Working alongside an experienced and supportive leadership team, you will play a key role in ensuring children, young people and their families receive compassionate, effective and recovery-focused care.

Main duties of the job:

• You will provide specialist assessment, formulation and treatment for children and young people experiencing eating disorders, delivering evidence-based interventions in clinic settings, family homes and other community environments as appropriate.
• You will manage a complex caseload, undertaking risk assessment, care planning and ongoing review, while working collaboratively with families, carers and professional networks to ensure holistic, person-centred care.
• You will provide psychoeducation, consultation and specialist advice to young people, families and partner agencies, supporting recovery and promoting positive outcomes.
• The role includes working closely with local CAMHS teams, paediatric services, inpatient psychiatric units and other professionals involved in the care pathway, ensuring seamless and coordinated support.
• You will advocate for psychological approaches within multidisciplinary settings and contribute to the continued development of specialist eating disorder pathways.
• In addition, you will provide clinical supervision, mentoring and consultation to colleagues, helping to develop a confident and skilled workforce.
• You will contribute to service improvement initiatives, clinical governance activities and the implementation of new developments, supporting the ongoing evolution of the service.

About us:

At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer flexible working options to help you balance work and life, NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security, generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax, and a strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential. Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work. We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.

Why Somerset?

Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London. The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future. Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.

Job responsibilities:

• Responsible for providing specialist systemic/psychological assessment, clinical formulation and a range of systemic/psychological interventions for children and young people with a suspected or diagnosed eating disorder and their family/carers.
• To offer specialist therapies as part of the multi-disciplinary CAMHS team.
• To provide specialist consultancy to the multi-disciplinary team and other professionals with regard to problem assessment, formulation, therapeutic interventions, the appropriateness of CBT, how when and why approaches may need to change and client management.
• To contribute to the delivery of the eating disorder treatment pathway including working from a clinic base and to offer interventions in family's homes and community setting and in-reach to wards, as required.
• To offer family interventions and group treatment strategies as specified in the service treatment pathway.
• To assist in the development of a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings where care takes place.

Qualifications:

• Essential: Qualification in Social Work, nursing, occupational therapy or alternative core qualification. Registration with relevant professional body. Qualification in specialist therapy relevant for an Eating Disorder Service OR in delivering Family Therapy which makes the candidate eligible for appropriate accreditation.
• Desirable: Relevant specialist CPD qualification. Clinical supervision experience.

Experience:

• Essential: Experience of working with children and young people presenting with an eating disorder, and their families/carers. Experience of supervising staff. Knowledge of other specialist therapeutic interventions with the client group. Specialist psychological assessment and formulation skills.
• Desirable: Experience of designing and implementing research projects. Experience of the application of systemic and psychological therapies in different cultural contexts. Experience of working within service development projects.

Additional Criteria:

• Essential: Must be a car driver with a valid driving licence or have access to transport with appropriate business insurance in order to travel throughout the Trust, to meet the needs of the service.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions. Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications.