Band 8a - Family Therapist - Children's Eating Disorder Service
We're excited to offer a fantastic opportunity for an experienced and compassionate Band 8a Family Therapist to join our Children's Eating Disorder Service (CEDS), part of Somerset CAMHS - rated "Outstanding" by the CQC.
About Us
CEDS delivers specialist care to children, young people, and families affected by eating disorders. We are a dynamic, supportive team committed to innovation, systemic thinking, and holistic care.
About the Role
We're seeking a skilled family therapist, passionate about supporting recovery through relational, family-focused approaches. You will:
* Deliver assessments and collaboratively formulate treatment plans as part of a multidisciplinary team, both in clinic and at home.
* Work systemically across CAMHS, paediatrics, and inpatient services to support integrated care.
* Contribute to service development and pathway design.
* Promote systemic thinking and psychological perspectives across the service.
* Offer systemic supervision and consultation on complex cases.
* Support and empower parents and carers as key partners in recovery.
This is an exciting time to join a forward-thinking team where your ideas and expertise will shape future practice. We are also able to offer a fully funded place on a systemic supervisors course to the successful candidate.
Main duties of the job
This role is perfect for a dedicated and skilled family therapist who is passionate about supporting children and families affected by eating difficulties. As a key member of the team, you will:
* Offer assessments, consider hypotheses relating to case formulation, create treatment plans as part of an MDT for children and young people both in clinic and at home.
* Engage in systemic collaboration with multidisciplinary professionals across CAMHS, community teams, paediatric units, and inpatient services to ensure comprehensive care.
* Play an integral role in developing clinical pathways and enhancing the specialist Eating Disorder Service.
* Advocate for the use of systemic and psychological approaches in treatment, promoting a psychological and family-oriented perspective within the service.
* Offer systemic supervision and provide consultation on complex cases using systemic expertise to guide interventions.
* Support family-focused interventions that empower parents and carers to be part of the therapeutic process, recognising their importance in recovery.
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
* 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
For a full list of duties and responsibilities, please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Relevant qualification and registration in Nursing, Social Work, Occupational Therapy or other relevant mental health profession
* Postgraduate qualification in family/systemic psychotherapy.
* Registration as a Systemic Psychotherapist with UKCP or equivalent body.
* Professional postgraduate qualification in a mental health or social welfare discipline or agreed Association of Family Therapy (AFT) equivalent
* Specialist training in supervision that has led to 'approved' clinical supervisor status.
* Specialist Training in teaching Systemic Psychotherapy.
Experience
* Skills in the use of methods of Systemic Psychotherapy/Family based assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
* Experience of working in CAMHS or similar services with children and young people.
* Experience of working therapeutically with eating disorders and/or eating difficulties.
* High level of relationship and communication skills to work with clients, families, and/or professionals where the atmosphere might be highly emotive with clients and families expressing anger and hostility.
* Well-developed skills in the ability to comprehend and communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical, and/or clinically sensitive information in a manner appropriate to a range of settings and audiences, including complex highly emotive situations and those with significantly impaired communication capacities.
* Ability to liaise with and utilise analytical skills to manage complex professional meetings, networks, and processes in relation to individuals and families
* Knowledge of and skill in using the variety of approaches and methods within systemic practice (i.e. social constructionist, narrative, solution focused, etc.) as required to work with individuals, couples, family systems, groups, and organisations.
* Skills in both live and indirect supervision of systemic psychotherapists and/or multidisciplinary colleagues.
* Ability to provide ongoing treatment in complex, often unstable and frequently changing circumstances.
* Skills in providing systemic/Family Therapy consultation, teaching, and training to other professional and non-professional groups.
* Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
* Ability to learn to use and be responsible for the safety of expensive and complex video and DVD equipment.
* Knowledge of other modalities (i.e. psychoanalytic, medical, behavioural, etc.) sufficient to engage appropriately with colleagues and their work with clients.
* Knowledge of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to mental health and the full range of client groups.
* Evidence of continuing Professional Development as required by UKCP/AFT guidelines
* Knowledge and skills of risk management and ability to perform a clinical risk assessment.
* Substantial practice in relevant first profession.
* Knowledge and application of standardised assessments and outcome measures.
* Knowledge of the theory and practice of Systemic Psychotherapy/Family therapy in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, eating disorders, dual diagnosis etc).
* Skills in providing advanced level systemic/ Family Therapy training and supervision to other professionals.
Additional Criteria
* Own transport available for work purposes
* Full UK driving licence
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
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 (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
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