Job overview
National and Specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (N&S CAMHS) are seeking to recruit enthusiastic and skilled Principal (band 8b) CAMHS Practitioner to the Intensive Treatment Programme at the Maudsley Centre for Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders (MCCAED). The post holder will join a dynamic multidisciplinary team providing specialist assessment, formulation and treatment to young people with eating disorders, and their families.
We are committed to get the very best out of our staff and support staff in their career aspirations. We have career pathways available, where you will be able to develop your skills and build on your experience to progress into other roles across different specialties. For this role, we offer career pathways to more senior positions. In addition, we offer ongoing training and development in evidence-based treatments for eating disorders.
Main duties of the job
• An opportunity to manage and lead a highly specialist, multi-disciplinary child and adolescent eating disorder service
• Supervise and manage a range of senior clinicians providing specialist clinical interventions
• Deliver and supervise individual, family and group therapy interventions for young people with eating disorders and their families.
• Take on a senior leadership position within the wider MCCAED service
• Lead on several areas of service development and staff wellbeing
Working for our organisation
About our locations:
Maudsley Hospital (headquarters)
Our Trust headquarters is located at Denmark Hill less than 5 minutes from the train station (zone 2) and is within walking distance from the beautiful green spaces of Ruskin Park and the vibrant high-street that offers great shopping opportunities and with a wide range of restaurants.
The Maudsley Centre for Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders is based at the Michael Rutter Centre for Children and Young People, Maudsley Hospital. (Due to move to the Pears Maudsley Children and Young People (PMCYP) at the Maudsley Hospital in early 2026)
Flexible working
As one of the few Trusts in London we are proud to offer flexible working as part of our new ways of working, and we are happy to talk flexible working at the interview stage. In this role you will be able to work Monday to Friday in the time frames from 8am to 6pm, giving you the very best of good work life balance. You may also be required to work up until 6.30pm to cover meals on a rotated basis giving you the very best of good work life balance. (This may include working early mornings, late evenings or some Saturdays as part of the core working hours/working pattern for this post)
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
• Support with leadership and management of the multi-disciplinary team of specialist clinicians supporting young people with eating disorders and their family members
• Deliver highly specialist individual, family, group and multi-family clinical interventions
• Provide high quality supervision and management to senior MCCAED team members
• Deliver national and international teaching, consultation and training in the models of treatment offered at MCCAED
• Support the operational management of the service, including rostering, leave management, performance management and recruitment
• Work closely with the senior leadership team within MCCAED
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. To have undertaken a recognised qualification in one of the core mental health professions, e.g. psychiatric nursing, clinical psychology, medicine, social work and occupational therapy OR to have equivalent relevant experience and demonstrable competence to work in the mental health field in the NHS.
2. Entry-level qualification in applied psychological therapy/mental health/social welfare profession or equivalent and demonstrable practice in this field (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level/supervised practice/additional training) that has been accepted for the purposes of professional registration. (A/I)
3. Additional training beyond entry-level qualification in a specialised area of psychological practice (e.g. eating disorders) through formal post-qualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses and/an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice–based learning in a specialist area of clinical practice, assessed by a registered body and/or an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma or higher. (A/I/R)
Desirable criteria
4. PhD in related field
5. Management qualification, management training course completion or line management experience
Experience
Essential criteria
6. Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in child and adolescent eating disorders. (A/I)
7. Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature in child and adolescent eating disorders. (A/I)
8. Experience of supervising assistants and trainees having completed the relevant training. (A/I)
Desirable criteria
9. Experience providing supervision to Band 8a and 7 psychologists, trainee psychologist and other staff members in the field of eating disorders (A/I)
Knowledge
Essential criteria
10. Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for child and adolescent eating disorders (A/I/R)
11. Advanced knowledge of the theory of psychological therapy and it’s therapeutic application.
Desirable criteria
12. Training in single- and multi-family therapy models for child and adolescent eating disorders
Skills
Essential criteria
13. To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with clients, carers and colleagues overcoming barriers to communication including sensory, and emotional difficulties, cultural differences and hostility to or rejection of information. (A/I/R)
14. Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups. (A/I/R)
Abilities
Essential criteria
15. Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles. (A/I/R)
16. Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour. (A/I)
Desirable criteria
17. Ability to work with complex physical and psychological comorbid risk (A/I)