Job overview • We are inviting applications from enthusiastic Clinical/Counselling Psychologists / Family Therapists / Clinical Nurse Specialists for a full-time Band 7 post 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?
• We are a friendly, welcoming, fast developing, innovative, national and specialist ITP day programme team working with young people (11 - 17 years) and their families.
• 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, Cognitive Remediation Therapy, and Art Therapy, as well as CBT for comorbid difficulties (anxiety, low mood, perfectionism etc).
• You will contribute to the provision of services to meet the needs of these young people in the MCCAED ITP Service – this includes but is not limited to therapeutic meal supervision, facilitation of therapeutic groups, facilitation of individual therapy sessions and family-therapy for Anorexia Nervosa. Main duties of the job • 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 primarily face-to-face, with the occasional option to work from home during half terms. Working for our organisation About our location:
The Maudsley Centre for Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders is based at the Michael Rutter Centre for Children and Young People, Maudsley Hospital, which is located at Denmark Hill less than 5 minutes from the train station (zone 2). Our Trust headquarters is also located at Denmark Hill. (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. (The hours 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 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.
General
• To work flexibly which may include offering some regular commitment to work some hours outside of normal office hours (e.g. until 6.30pm on one or two evenings per week), within the overall Job Plan. It is expected that you may need to work some hours outside of normal office hours and be flexible in your ability to change your working pattern frequently and at short notice to meet the needs of the service. This may include working early mornings, later evenings or Saturdays as part of the core working hours/working pattern for this post. Person specification Qualifications Essential criteria Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, or MSc PG Diploma or Doctorate in Counselling Psychology or equivalent nursing or family therapy qualification OR First level nursing qualification/registration RMN or RNLD
Post Grad Diploma Specialist Training
Registration (or eligibility for registration) with the HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist or equivalent professional registration with AFT, UKCP, NMC. (A/I) Experience Essential criteria Experience of psychotherapeutic assessment and treatment of clients with a range of mental health needs of a complex nature. (A/I)
Experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. This may have been gained through work, research, volunteering and / or lived experience. (A/I)
Experience of developing and carrying out research projects. (A/I) Desirable criteria Experience of assessment and treatment of clients with eating disorders. (A/I)
Experience of group interventions with young people and parents/carers (A/I) Knowledge/Skills Essential criteria Theoretical knowledge of a wide range of psychopathology and the evidence base for relevant treatment. (A/I)
Knowledge of research methodology and complex statistical analysis. (A/I) Desirable criteria Knowledge of NICE guideline interventions for young people with Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and other eating disorders. (A,I)
Skills in working with families (A/I)
Skills in working with young people presenting with risky behaviours such as self-harm (A/I) Abilities Essential criteria Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles. (A/I) Desirable criteria Ability to treat co-morbidities such as OCD, anxiety, depression and self-harm. (A/I)
Ability to work with young people with neurodevelopmental disorders such as ASC (A/I)
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