Go back Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
Senior Family Therapist / Systemic Psychotherapist
The closing date is 12 May 2026
Would you like to be part of a service which is innovative, forward-thinking and committed to enabling people who are experiencing eating disorders to recover and discover their potential?
We are seeking an enthusiastic and motivated Senior Family Therapist/ Systemic Psychotherapist to join our busy All Age Eating Disorder Service (EDS), which covers the Lancashire and South Cumbria area. This post will be based in our West team, covering the Ormskirk, Skelmserdale, Burscough and Banks areas. You should be an excellent communicator and team player, with successful applicants joining a dynamic multi-disciplinary team of professionals, including Clinical Psychologists, Mental Health Nurses, Dietitians, specialist therapists and medics.
The successful candidate will be expected to offer systemic assessment, formulation and intervention with children, young people and adults with eating disorders. You will contribute to the broader aims of the service through joint working, consultation, training, supervision and service development/ research. You will be joining the service at a real time of development and will be able to help influence change going forward.
Main duties of the job
* To provide a high quality specialist family therapy service to service users and families with complex emotional and mental health needs as part of the All Age Eating Disorder Service.
* To provide specialist assessment, formulation and therapy within the service.
* To offer advice, consultancy and supervision, and support the work of colleagues providing care and treatment, according to expertise.
* To provide training to a range of qualified and unqualified staff across mental health areas, as agreed.
* To work autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the team's policies and procedures.
* To utilise research skills for audit, and contribute to research and training within the areas served by the teams and service.
* To be involved in service developments, as appropriate.
About us
LSCFT values diversity and inclusion, recognising that talent from varied backgrounds creates a flexible, creative, and effective workforce. We actively challenge discrimination and welcome applications from all, regardless of age, disability (including those with experience of accessing or caring for someone who has accessed mental health or learning disability services), ethnicity, gender, religion, belief, or sexual orientation.
Our aim is to reflect the communities we serve, so we particularly encourage applications from under-represented groups. If you'd like to discuss your application, please ask.
We also welcome individuals with lived experience relevant to the role or service area, as your insight brings authenticity to our services.
LSCFT support flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as term time, part time, compressed hours and flexi-time.
The wellbeing of our people is at the heart of everything we do. We offer a wide range of resources, tools and support to help you thrive both in and out of work.
Explore our full wellbeing offer here: Keeping our workforce well
Job responsibilities
Please see attached the job description and person specification for more information about this role.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Approved Family Therapy Qualification
* M.Sc./Post-graduate Diploma in Systemic Psychotherapy/Family therapy
* Advanced theoretical and practical knowledge of systemic theories, concepts and approach methods in relation to eating disorders. Specialist training in supervision that has led to AFT 'approved' clinical supervisor status
* Professional qualification in a mental health or social welfare discipline or agreed Association of Family Therapy (AFT) equivalent
* Registration as a Systemic Psychotherapist with UKCP or equivalent body
Knowledge
* 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
* 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
Skills
* Skills in the use of methods of Systemic Psychotherapy/Family based assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration
* High level of relationship and communication skills to work with clients, families and/or professionals where the atmosphere might be both pressured and emotive
* 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 emotive situations and those with impaired communication capacities
Experience
* Substantial experience of working as a family and systemic psychotherapist
* Experience of teaching and training Systemic/Family Therapy theory and skills to other professional and non-professional groups
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.
Employer name
Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
£57,528 to £64,750 a year per annum, pro rata
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