We are inviting applications from enthusiastic Clinical/ Counselling Psychologists/ Family Therapists/ Clinical Nurse Specialists/ Psychotherapists for a full-time Band 7 post ( 12 months fixed term) with our ITP Team. Are you someone who enjoys working with young people, is a team player, can bring experience of working with young people & families or eating disorders, and is willing to be flexible according to client need? Do you love to learn and want to make a real contribution to developing excellent standards of care? If so, we are keen to meet you!
We are a friendly, welcoming, fast developing, innovative, national and specialist ITP day programme team working with young people (11 - 18 years) and their families. We offer an inclusive and supportive team environment and are keen to support your professional development and wellbeing.
The Intensive Treatment Programme (ITP) of the Maudsley Centre for Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders (MCCAED) is an intensive day programme for young people with restrictive eating disorders who have not been able to make progress in outpatient treatment and who may be at risk of being admitted for inpatient treatment.
ITP is a therapeutic group programme, with groups taking principles from CBT for Eating Disorders, Radically Open Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Art Therapy, Compassion Focussed Therapy, as well as CBT for comorbid difficulties (anxiety, low mood, perfectionism etc).
- To deliver specialist applied psychotherapeutic service in the MCCAED Intensive Treatment Programme (ITP day hospital). Working collaboratively to assess the needs of the service users, planning, implementing and evaluating the care given in ITP.
- To provide clinical work as required by the service. This will involve facilitation of therapeutic groups, and individual and family therapy sessions.
- To work following clinical guidelines and the policies and procedures of the service, seeking help from clinical/professional supervisor or manager as needed.
- To provide daily therapeutic meal support to young people. This involves staff eating snacks and lunch alongside young people. Meals within the programme are timed, with the expectation that staff are able to eat what is required within the time frame (10 minutes for snacks, 15 minutes for lunch, 20 minutes for dinner). For lunches, a vegetarian and meat option are available daily, however where possible staff should be able to eat what the young people eat.
- Due to the nature of the service, the role will be fully face-to-face.
- MCCAED is a specialist service for children and adolescents with eating disorders, consisting of Family Therapists, Clinical Psychologists, Clinical Nurse Specialists, and Assistant Psychologists alongside Paediatric, Art Therapy and Dietetic input. It has been at the forefront of developing evidence-based family interventions for eating disorders and is renowned worldwide for the psychological treatments it offers to children and adolescents with eating disorders and their families.
- The service provides outpatient family therapy for eating disorders, an intensive day patient service (ITP) for young people with restrictive eating disorders and innovative multi-family therapy interventions for both Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. The service also offers a national and specialist service for Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID).
- The Intensive Treatment Programme (ITP) evolved as a more intensive treatment (education, meal support, therapeutic groups, psychological therapy - family and individual) to be used when recovery is not progressing in outpatient work and to provide an alternative to inpatient treatment when young people are acutely unwell. The referrals to ITP are normally high risk due to low weight and/or rapid weight loss, alongside severe nutritional restriction.
Clinical and Client Care
- To provide specialist psychological assessments, formulations and interventions for clients within the day programme (ITP). This will include specialist interventions for young people with anorexia nervosa including group facilitation, therapeutic meal support, and individual and family therapeutic work.
- To provide specialist psychological assessments, formulations and interventions for clients within the MCCAED outpatient team (small caseload alongside ITP). This may include specialist interventions for young people with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and other eating disorders.
- Assessment and treatment of common comorbidities including depression, anxiety, self-harm and OCD.
- To provide culturally appropriate psychotherapeutic interventions with carers or families of referred clients when required.
- To be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour amongst the client group, and follow trust policies relating to its management, including drawing up appropriate risk management plans.
- To act as care coordinator taking responsibility for initiating, planning and reviewing care plans, CPA co-ordination and meetings.
- To act in a manner that supports a psychologically informed framework for the service.
- To be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour amongst the client group, and follow trust policies relating to its management
Contributing to team or service clinical functioning
- To contribute to the effective working of MCCAED and to a psychotherapeutic framework for the service.
- To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals concerned with clients in order to develop and review care plans.
- To respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations and challenging behaviours and to support others involved in such situations.
Policy and service development
- To contribute to the consultation and engagement of service users in planning and delivering services which meet the needs of local communities.
- To contribute to service development through undertaking and participating in appropriate projects.
Management and supervision
- To be responsible for the allocation and/or clinical supervision of the work of trainees / assistants if required, under supervision from a more senior clinician.
- To supervise trainees within own area of specialism after completion of the relevant Training Course’s Supervision Training.
- To take responsibility for seeking supervision and support for yourself and not going beyond your scope of practice.
- Provision of consultation or training to other professionals.
Teaching and Training
- To provide occasional specialist training in psychotherapeutic approaches to care to other professions as appropriate.
- To disseminate research and service evaluation findings through presentations and published articles.
Research and development
- To undertake regular complex service evaluation, audits or research relevant to service needs.
Maintaining professional standards and continuing professional development
- To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior clinician according to professional regulations and Trust guidelines.
