Eating Disorder Locality Lead (Band 7)

Are you a Registered Mental Health Nurse with an interest in eating disorders?

Due to recent promotion, we are seeking an Eating Disorder Locality Lead to join our enthusiastic and supportive Community Eating Disorder Service.

You will be working with patients with eating disorders: assessing their needs, developing Dialog+ care plans, co-ordinating and reviewing care, offering targeted specialist intervention.

This post also comes with excellent training opportunities funded by Health Education England including Whole Team Training and MANTRA as well as fully funded Non-Medical Prescribing.

We are the first NHS trust on the English mainland to provide community, mental health and acute hospital services meaning we have an established pathway to medical beds. We are fully established with our FREED pathway and work in partnership with Somerset and Wessex Eating Disorders Association (SWEDA) to enable rapid access to effective treatment for young adults with a first episode of an eating disorder.

This is an exciting time to join a thriving and innovative Mental Health Trust that has received significant investment for mental health services in Somerset and is a trailblazer site for the Community Mental Health Framework. This enables us to offer a patient centred service and ensure that we offer the right treatment, by the right clinician, at the right time.

You will be responsible for providing clinical advice, liaison and supervision across the Trust including our VCSE partners. You will work collaboratively and flexibly with the multi-professional teams in the community and inpatients wards to co-ordinate a coherent bio/psycho/social approach towards eating disorders in the Trust, actively promoting continuity of care and approach between wards and community teams.

Alongside carrying a caseload, you will:

• Provide structured guidance, supervision and advice to other mental health staff in relation to their working practice with this service user group
• Contribute to the development and delivery of training packages across the Trust
• Promote awareness and best practice concerning eating disorders across community & inpatient teams, actively supporting positive attitudes & a consistent approach towards assessment & treatment of this service user group
• Offer clinical supervision and supporting & chairing clinical discussions & meetings.
• Provide knowledge of theory & practice of a wide range of interventions appropriate for the assessment & treatment of people with an eating disorder including psychological and physical needs.
• Encourage full participation of service users developing services, monitoring and evaluation.
• Continue development of Eating Disorder Service as well as delivering training across the Trust.
• Triaging and managing referrals held by the team and liaising with out of county Eating Disorder Units about admissions

As an organisation, the NHS offers a wide range of benefits including flexible working, pension contributions, market leading annual leave allowance, continuing professional development and regular informal conversations around career progression, annual recognition awards to celebrate and recognise our colleagues achievements throughout the year and not to mention our Blue Light Card and NHS exclusive discounts.

We work hard to make sure that inclusion is part of everything we do. We know that true inclusion means we’re able to provide the best care for our patients and provide a fulfilling career for all our colleagues.

The benefits of working in Somerset include the idyllic countryside, with our areas of outstanding beauty and stunning coastlines. You will get to enjoy these perks whilst still only being a stone’s throw away from bustling city centres like Bristol, Bath and Exeter and only two hours away from London – there is truly something for everyone!

There are excellent educational facilities in the area and, when compared to other regions, house prices are reasonable.

We have six active and impactful colleague networks. These networks provide a safe space for colleagues to share their experiences and learn from one another, but also influence change across our trust:

• Multicultural Network
• Women’s Network
• Armed Forces’ Network
• LGBTQ+ Network
• Lived Experience Network, for colleagues living with disabilities
• Autistic Colleague Network

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust are proud to be the Winner of the “Mental Health Trust of the Year” category in the “Health Service Journal” Awards 2021.

The post-holder will be joining an expanding and enthusiastic county-wide adult Community Eating Disorder Service.

The existing team comprises a Clinical Lead, Principal Clinical Psychologist, Consultant Psychiatrist, Clinical Psychologist, 2 Dietitians, 2 Psychological Therapists , 4 Eating Disorder Locality Leads (Clinical Specialists), Specialist OT, Assistant Psychologist, 2 Trainee Clinical Associate Psychologists, 4 Support Workers and an administrator.

Please see the attached job description for full duties and responsibilities.