Job Overview

Bristol South CAMHS is seeking an experienced and dynamic Lead Systemic Family Therapist to help shape and strengthen our systemic practice across the service. This is a senior clinical leadership role for someone who is passionate about relational approaches, committed to high-quality care, and excited by the opportunity to influence service culture and development.

You’ll join a warm, skilled, and forward-thinking multidisciplinary team working with children, young people, and families experiencing a wide range of mental health difficulties. Your systemic expertise will be central to supporting families, guiding colleagues, and embedding systemic thinking throughout the service.

The post holder will also work closely with the wider [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] CAMHS Community Eating Disorder Service, including the Eating Disorder Home Treatment team, community NG feeding and Eating Disorder 'Hub'. They will actively contribute to the wider service aims of: supporting young people to remain at home as far as is practically possible; reducing rates of admission and length of stay to acute hospitals; and reducing the need for admissions to CAMHS General Adolescent Units (GAUs) and Specialist Eating Disorder Units (SEDUs).

Main Duties of the Job

• To take the lead and supervise specific systemic interventions within a CAMHS team.
• To lead on a local provision for Eating Disorders in order to meet the needs of those referred and to work alongside all ED teams across BNSSG. This includes working closely with adolescent in-patient units, the acute wards, the eating disorder 'HUB' and ED Home Treatment Team.
• To take the lead in offering systemic interventions in accordance with the CCHP care pathways and according to NICE guidance.
• To ensure that appropriate levels of clinical supervision are maintained and that clinical governance is of an excellent standard.
• To participate fully in the work of CAMHS, as well as participating in the referral and assessment process (Choice & Partnership Approach/i-thrive approach).
• To train others & offer supervised clinics for example, Systemic Msc and Systemic Family Practice.
• To work within all latest relevant clinical frameworks and guidelines including (but not limited to) NICE, Future in Mind, Eating Disorders Commissioning Guide etc.
• To apply a sound knowledge of safeguarding issues and child development to work with young people and families referred to CAMHS and identify when to refer to other agencies.
• To use professional skills in on-going clinical evaluation, which will include the use of appropriate routine outcome measures and through responding effectively to feedback from members of the client and professional system.
• To hold an appropriate caseload.

Working for Our Organisation

We are [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal]: a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community-based mental health care.

We provide services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire and in parts of Dorset.

Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. The expertise and resources within [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] are dedicated to a person-centred approach for those who use our services and for all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care.

[Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] is committed to support and create a positive research and evidence-based environment and culture, which can have a beneficial impact on everyone who works for the organisation and the care we provide to those who use our services.

At [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal], as diversity makes us stronger.

Detailed Job Description and Main Responsibilities

The post holder will lead on the assessment and treatment for young people presenting with a range of mental health presentations, including Eating Disorders for which we have a specific pathway of care. This includes interpreting referral data and ensuring robust clinical management. They will ensure that families receive interventions according to evidence-based NICE guidance and local pathways of care, both through direct work and by delivering caseload management and supervision to other staff.

This role involves significant multi-disciplinary working and liaison within the CAMHS team and with our partnership agencies, including acute hospital trusts, social care and schools, plus voluntary sector organisations. They will offer systemic consultation and training to other professionals (within and beyond CAMHS) as appropriate. They will also liaise effectively with referrers, stakeholders, local CAMHS and Adult Services and to work alongside teams to offer seamless service delivery across different teams and interfaces, such as acute hospital settings.

The post holder will also work closely with the wider [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] CAMHS Community Eating Disorder Service, including the Eating Disorder Home Treatment team, community NG feeding and Eating Disorder 'Hub'. They will actively contribute to the wider service aims of: supporting young people to remain at home as far as is practically possible; reducing rates of admission and length of stay to acute hospitals; and reducing the need for admissions to CAMHS General Adolescent Units (GAUs) and Specialist Eating Disorder Units (SEDUs).

The post holder will be a senior member of the team offering consultation and clinical supervision to other team members. They will also be part of the team leadership group, working alongside the senior management team to support excellent leadership and governance within CAMHS, and have an active role in developing the service to become more effective and inclusive.

Please see Job Description for full details

Person Specification

Qualifications - Essential

• Professional postgraduate qualification in a mental health or social welfare discipline or agreed Association of Family Therapy (AFT) equivalent
• Knowledge/experience of working in a clinical eating disorder setting
• Postgraduate qualification in family/systemic psychotherapy
• Knowledge/experience of working in complex clinical situations
• Registration as a Systemic Psychotherapist with UKCP
• Understanding of NICE guidance for treatment of Eating Disorders
• Approved clinical supervisor (or working towards this)

Desirable

• Leadership Experience in CAMHS
• Experience of multiagency working (including physical health services)

Additional Information

We are proud to be fostering a diverse workforce. A key commitment is improving staff representation from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, LGBTQ+ communities, people with lived experience of mental health conditions and people living with disabilities. We are a 'Disability Confident Employer' offering a guaranteed interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria.

We encourage applications from people who wish to work on a flexible basis. Click here to view our applicant guidance.

Please apply to join us. Any personal details you supply are kept safe in line with GDPR. Adverts normally close a few minutes before midnight on the closing date. We will contact you via TRAC if invited for interview.

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