Job summary
We are seeking to recruit a passionate, knowledgeable and dynamic Principal Family and Systemic Psychotherapist to join our specialist Sussex-wide Family Eating Disorder Service (SFEDS).
SFEDS works with young people aged 10-18 with Anorexia Nervosa/ Bulimia Nervosa and Atypical Anorexia Nervosa and their families. The service supports recovery through Evidence Based Interventions such as Maudsley Family Therapy models, group work, and CBT-E. We pride ourselves on delivering high quality evidenced based treatment in accordance with NICE Guidelines and National Access and Waiting Time Standards.
You will be joining a service of highly skilled and experienced practitioners. These include Family and Systemic Psychotherapists, Psychiatry, Paediatrics, Clinical Psychologists, Assistant Psychologists, Nurses (RMN & RGN), Support Workers, Dietitian, and Occupational Therapy with support from our administration team.
Our team is responsible for covering East & West Sussex and Brighton & Hove, operating as a hub and spoke model with Crawley Down Health Centre is our current team base.
We offer and support hybrid and flexible working: we require staff to be on site for 60% of their working week.
Main duties of the job
To work as a senior member of the Sussex Family Eating Disorder Service, providing a high quality, specialist applied systemic family therapy service to clients, their families or carers where there are highly complex presentations.
To be responsible for the supervision and governance of a defined group of systemic family therapists in SFEDS and to support systemic practice within the team.
To work alongside other members of the leadership team to develop and promote best practice within allocated resources and to guide the team around any future developments.
To lead on agreed parts of the clinical and social care governance framework within the care group/service.
To supervise and support the psychological assessment and practice provided by other systemic therapist and other clinical members of the team who provide systemic based care and treatment and to provide clinical and professional leadership to appropriate clinical staff.
To manage a complex caseload
You will have the opportunity to provide direct clinical work and groups with young people and families, facilitate and support MDT meetings, facilitate and support systemic case consultations as well as supervising the Eating Disorder Therapists. You will be responsible for supporting the MDT with allocation of young people who have been assessed as requiring NICE Concordant evidence based treatment for eating may be required to travel across sites.
About us
At SPFT we provide mental health and learning disability care for children, young people and adults across Sussex.
Working in Sussex:
Travel easily between coast and countryside, with a blend of picturesque villages and seaside towns Embrace the city life with great access to visit Brighton and London With easy access to Gatwick and Heathrow and excellent railway links across the UK there is plenty of opportunity for adventure
We'd love you to join our organisation that is rated 'good' overall and 'outstanding' for caring by the CQC. Our staff agree, in our recent staff survey 82% told us that they recognise that care for patients is our top priority.
Key staff survey results include:
70% highlighting flexible working opportunities as a key point for satisfaction at work 79% reporting feeling able to make suggestions to improve the work within their team 77% identifying the opportunities to show initiative in their roles
Job description
Job responsibilities
REQUIREMENTS
To be a successful Family and Systemic Psychotherapist in our team you will be:
- Registered with UKCP
- Skilled in specialised systemic assessment, and comfortable in providing highly specialised therapy for patients with an eating disorder and their families
- Able to provide specialist advice and consultation to CAMHS colleagues, external agencies, working autonomously within professional guidelines
- Able to support systemic and family practice within the service, providing effective leadership and management as well as staff supervision, consultation and training
- Have considerable experience of working young people and families with an Eating Disorder, CAMHS (ideal but not essential) and change management/ implementation
You must be able to demonstrate a caring, compassionate and non-judgmental attitude, and show a commitment to making a difference when supporting young people and their families on their recovery journeys.
MAIN DUTIES
To provide effective leadership and management to staff which promotes high performance standards both individually and as a team, in the achievement of the Trusts objectives and priorities.
To undertake and/or participate in relevant clinical research, service evaluation and audit.
To provide clinical supervision to eating disorder therapists, the duty team and/or the home intervention team in ways which fit with the individuals stage of professional development and are in accordance with Trust Clinical Governance standards and standards prescribed by AFT and UKCP.
To act as a specialist systematic psychotherapy resource by provision of systemic supervision, consultation and training within CAMHS in line with the requirements of service development.
Clinical
To provide a highly specialist assessment of referrals for clients with an eating disorder of significant and complex nature in order to formulate and implement plans for the treatment and management of a child or adolescents mental health needs based upon an appropriate conceptual framework and the best available evidence.
To provide systemic psychotherapy with clinical autonomy drawing on a range of models and wherever possible brief interventions. To practice in a way which is inclusive and considerate of the needs of each individual in the system including family members and their varying developmental stages and current emotional and mental state.
To work in ways which are sensitive to the needs of families from a wide range of racial, cultural and religious backgrounds.
To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the young person and their difficulties.
To undertake risk assessment and risk management relevant to individual patients including protective and risk factors present in the network of significant relationships.
To work jointly and collaboratively with other members of the CYP-FEDS in order to enhance and develop work with families by providing specialist systemic knowledge and skills.
See attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details.
For more information or an informal discussion please contact
Jay Jameson-Allen, General Manager ; Mobile 07393 140 156 or
John Cavanagh ; Consultant Professional Lead for Family & Systemic Psychotherapy, ; Mob: 07738 757213
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
1. An approved post graduate/masters level qualification in a recognised psychological therapy, leading to recognised professional accreditation in Systemic Family Therapy
2. Professionally registered as a psychological therapist with relevant registration body.
Desirable
3. Post qualification training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice
4. Training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training, supervision and/or other fields of psychological therapy
Knowledge/Experience
Essential
5. High level knowledge of the theory and practice of specified psychological therapy
6. Experience of working as a qualified psychological therapist
7. Experience of working with specified client group
8. Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients psychological care and treatement
Skills
Essential
9. Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, highly technical and clinically sensitive information
10. Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention
11. Skills in planning and organisation of complex activities
12. Experience of managing conflicting demands and deadlines
Approach and Values
Essential
13. Demonstrate support for the values and beliefs of the Care Group and those of the Trust