Clinical Nurse Specialist (CAMHS Eating Disorder Pathway)

NHS; Plymouth; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent health organization in Plymouth is seeking an experienced Clinical Nurse Specialist for their CAMHS Eating Disorder Pathway. This role involves providing comprehensive assessments and evidence-based therapy for children aged 5-18 with eating disorders. The ideal candidate will work in a multi-disciplinary team, leading clinical meetings, and champion best practices in care. Strong skills in crisis management and risk assessment are essential, along with a relevant degree and postgraduate training. This position offers a chance to make a significant difference in children's mental health care.

Benefits

Protected CPD time

Training pathways

Leadership programs

Qualifications

• Experience in crisis management and planning care for acutely ill patients.
• Ability to make complex clinical decision-making.
• Strong organisational and time management skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive assessments and therapeutic interventions for children.
• Lead clinical case meetings and safeguarding processes.
• Champion best practices in care coordination and treatment.

Skills

Crisis management

Motivation and engagement

Risk assessment and management

Team collaboration

Competent IT skills

Education

Degree in mental health modality

Postgraduate training in methods for children

Job description

Clinical Nurse Specialist (CAMHS Eating Disorder Pathway)

TheCAMHS Eating Disorder Pathway delivers a specialist service for children and youngpeople aged 5-18 who are experiencing eating disorders. Evidence shows thatearly identification and treatment significantly reduce the severity andduration of illness.

We arelooking for an experienced and motivated Clinical Specialist Nurse to join ourCAMHS Eating Disorder Pathway. This is an exciting opportunity to work within asupportive, skilled and dedicated multi-disciplinary team committed todelivering high-quality care.

Youwill work as part of a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) within the Eating DisorderPathway, and in close collaboration with other CAMHS teams and externalagencies. The team operates within the ITHRIVE model of care, promotingrecovery through timely, evidence-based interventions and holistic support.

You will play a key role in providing specialist assessment,treatment and support for children and young people experiencing eatingdisorders, working closely with their families to promote recovery andwellbeing.

Inaddition, you will act as a senior clinical resource, guiding and supportingboth junior and senior colleagues within the MDT to ensure best practice, safecare, and effective decision-making.

Theservice currently operates 5 days per week, Monday to Friday, 9am5pm.

This role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route.

We may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline.

Main duties of the job

Provide comprehensive assessmentand deliver evidence-based therapeutic interventions, including one-to-one,family and group work, in line with NICE guideline NG69 and nationallyrecognised models for eating disorder treatment, including Family Therapy forAnorexia Nervosa - FTAN/Maudsley-based interventions, CBTE, DBT-informedapproaches and systemic therapy, to support recovery for children and youngpeople and their families. Care will be delivered in line with the Access andWaiting Time Standard for Children and Young People with an eating disorder(Commissioning Guide, July 2015), ensuring timely assessment and commencementof treatment.

Take a senior specialist rolewithin the multi-disciplinary team, leading clinical case meetings and safeguarding processes (safeguarding supervision skills required). Support thepresentation and discussion of cases at pathway MDT, guiding decision-makingand ensuring best practice.

Demonstrate exceptional skills inrisk assessment and management, ensuring prompt and accurate communication ofconcerns. Lead and support both junior and senior colleagues in coordinatingmulti-agency responses when required, providing expert guidance and promotingbest practice in safeguarding and risk management.

Demonstrates personal resilienceand emotional stability, with the ability to tolerate and manage the demands ofworking with highly complex and challenging cases.

All staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7 day service.

About us

Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning socialenterprise delivering integrated health and social care services acrossPlymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts ofDevon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sportscentres, and health hubs.

As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values,kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, andcollaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, whileempowering staff and those we serve.

We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, inshaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the righttime and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people leadhealthy, independent lives.

We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, trainingpathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the CareCertificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorshipprograms ensure a smooth transition into our organisation.

Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from allsections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mentalhealth, neuro-diverse conditions and learning disabilities. If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during theapplication process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.

Job responsibilities

Dimensions and Context of Role

TheCAMHS Eating Disorder Pathway delivers a specialist service for children and youngpeople aged 5-18 who are experiencing eating disorders. Evidence shows thatearly identification and treatment significantly reduce the severity andduration of illness.

We arelooking for an experienced and motivated Clinical Specialist Nurse to join ourCAMHS Eating Disorder Pathway. This is an exciting opportunity to work within asupportive, skilled and dedicated multi-disciplinary team committed todelivering high-quality care.

Youwill work as part of a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) within the Eating DisorderPathway, and in close collaboration with other CAMHS teams and externalagencies. The team operates within the ITHRIVE model of care, promotingrecovery through timely, evidence-based interventions and holistic support.

As partof our team, you will play a key role in providing specialist assessment,treatment and support for children and young people experiencing eatingdisorders, working closely with their families to promote recovery andwellbeing.

Inaddition, you will act as a senior clinical resource, guiding and supportingboth junior and senior colleagues within the MDT to ensure best practice, safecare, and effective decision-making.

Theservice currently operates 5 days per week, Monday to Friday, 9am5pm. The postholder will contribute to the Eating Disorder Duty Rota which operates daily,Monday to Friday, providing senior support for colleagues when needed. You willbe required to work flexibly in hours of clinical availability.

Key Responsibilities of the Post - Service Delivery

Provide comprehensive assessmentand deliver evidence-based therapeutic interventions, including one-to-one,family and group work, in line with NICE guideline NG69 and nationallyrecognised models for eating disorder treatment, including Family Therapy forAnorexia Nervosa - FTAN/Maudsley-based interventions, CBTE, DBT-informedapproaches and systemic therapy, to support recovery for children and youngpeople and their families. Care will be delivered in line with the Access andWaiting Time Standard for Children and Young People with an eating disorder(Commissioning Guide, July 2015), ensuring timely assessment and commencementof treatment.

Manage a defined caseload ofclinical work, undertaking care coordination responsibilities for children andyoung people with eating disorders and co-existing conditions within acommunity setting.

Embed Routine Outcome Monitoringinto clinical practice to ensure interventions are effective and tailored toindividual needs. Work safely and proactively around the physical risksassociated with eating disorders, following MEED guidelines, and provideguidance and supervision to support staff in applying best practice in theseareas.

Champion best practice thatreflects national and local priorities, while actively responding to the needsand views of children, young people and their families.

Build and maintain strongcollaborative links with GPs, schools, colleges, paediatric services, mentalhealth services, partner providers and statutory/non-statutory agencies toensure seamless care planning and a coordinated approach to treatment.

Develop and maintain professionalnetworks that enable consultation and joint working with other agencies andpartner organisations.

Take a senior specialist rolewithin the multi-disciplinary team, leading clinical case meetings and safeguarding processes (safeguarding supervision skills required). Support thepresentation and discussion of cases at pathway MDT, guiding decision-makingand ensuring best practice.

Embed nursing as a key element ofthe treatment pathway, providing leadership and expertise across the service.

Demonstrate exceptional skills inrisk assessment and management, ensuring prompt and accurate communication ofconcerns. Lead and support both junior and senior colleagues in coordinatingmulti-agency responses when required, providing expert guidance and promotingbest practice in safeguarding and risk management.

Provide expert consultation tocolleagues within CAMHS and across partner agencies, contribute to the EatingDisorder Duty Rota (Monday to Friday), and support education and professionaldevelopment within the MDT, including CPD activities.

Provide consultation andsupervision to healthcare workers and other professionals in the community andwithin a paediatric hospital setting.

The Clinical Nurse Specialistwill provide direct guidance, planning and clinical supervision to HealthcareAssistants within the Intensive Support Service who deliver mealtime support aspart of the eating disorder pathway. This will include enhancing the supportoffered to young people, parents and carers within the family system to promoterecovery and wellbeing.

The Clinical Nurse Specialistwill provide caseload and line management to team members within the eatingdisorder pathway, ensuring effective allocation of work, clinical oversight andprofessional development.

Act as Practice Assessor orSupervisor to nursing students and trainees and provide supervision to otherteam members. Offer and access supervision to ensure good practice within theteam.

Participate in team meetings(allocation, supervision, reflective practice, case discussions), audit andquality improvement activities.

Organise your own workload underthe guidance of the Clinical Pathway Manager, maintain health records toLivewell Southwest standards, and contribute to the development of teamprotocols and clinical practice.

Contribute to audit and servicedevelopment initiatives and keep up to date with national developments in CAMHSand eating disorder care to ensure best practice within the service.

Demonstrates personal resilienceand emotional stability, with the ability to tolerate and manage the demands ofworking with highly complex and challenging cases. Maintains professionalism,compassion and sound clinical judgment under pressure and in emotionallycharged situations.

Maintain high standards ofclinical recording at all times.

Adhere to anti-discriminatorypractice, promote equity of opportunity and use your professional position toempower others and challenge power imbalances.

(Please see full job description - The above is not an exhaustivelist of duties, and you will be expected to perform different tasks asnecessitated by your changing role within the organisation and the overallbusiness objectives of the organisation.)

Person Specification

Skills

• Crisis management and ability to planning care for acutely psychiatrically ill patients with support from team processes.
• Motivation and engagement
• Car owner / driver, valid driving license with business insurance. Ability to travel between bases and within the community and with Devon and Cornwall if required for the post.
• Ability to make complex clinical decision-making
• Mental health and risk assessment, care planning, evaluation and intervention
• Case management and prioritisation
• Strong organisational and time management.
• Competent IT skills and database knowledge.
• Ability to manage complex clinical situations within a defined caseload.
• Self-motivated and able to work on own initiative.
• Commitment to anti-oppressive practice
• Ability to work collaboratively across agencies and professional backgrounds.
• Commitment to ongoing learning and professional development.
• Reflective practice.
• Able to use across system organisational IT systems.
• Culturally competent assessment and intervention skills
• Specific therapeutic skills relevant to working with children and families

Knowledge

• Extensive professional knowledge acquired through clinical practice in a Community Mental Health setting managing highly complex cases autonomously underpinned by training at degree level/diploma level specialist training or equivalent experience
• Knowledge of relevant legislation and documents pertaining to children, e.g., Children Act 2004, Child Protection, National Service Framework, Every Child Matters etc. Learning Disability specific legislation and documents, Aiming High for Disabled Children, Valuing People, Mansell report, and Mental Capacity Act.
• Knowledge of a range of mental health problems and disorders affecting children and young people who are in care.
• Knowledge of the impact of crisis on mental health difficulties.
• Evidence based practice
• Understanding of Mental Health Act
• Good knowledge of current NHS and Social Care Policy
• Evidence of CPD
• Understand the Principles of Governance, particularly in relation to their Service area.
• Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate and adapt effectively, orally and in writing, highly technical, and clinically sensitive information to CYP, their families, carers, and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and nonprofessional groups.
• Working with people in Crisis
• Experience of working within a multicultural framework.
• Knowledge of different models of therapy, e.g., CBT, DBT, solution focussed therapy etc.
• Well-developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups.
• Experience of working within a multicultural framework.
• Relevant and significant experience of working on an inpatient setting

Personal Qualities

• Ability to work as part of a team and autonomously.
• Willingness to work flexibly.
• Ability to embrace change and have capacity to thrive in demanding situations.
• Ability to communicate/listen formally and in writing.
• Highly reflective, confident, and articulate.
• Flexible and resourceful in coping under pressure and with conflicting demands.
• Sensitivity to working within a multicultural framework.
• An awareness of own strengths and limitations

Qualifications

• Core qualification to degree level in any mental health modality (e.g., Nursing, Social Work - with significant and relevant post qualifying experience in Secondary Mental Health and within a community setting).
• Appropriate Registration relevant to Professional Qualification.
• Post graduate training qualification in methods of working with children with mental health problems, e.g., counselling, systemic practice or postgrad diploma in child and adolescent mental health.
• Teaching/Assessing courses such as mentorship module or equivalent.
• Intermediate family and systemic practice.

Experience

• Experience (both work and life related)
• Experience of working in a multi-agency and/or multi-disciplinary context.
• Significant and relevant post-qualifying experience.
• Experience of working with the care systems both directly with Children and young people and professionals within the care system.
• Ability to manage system change
• Experience of post-registration working with children and young people who have experienced mental health difficulties.
• Experience in assessment, including risk, care planning, intervention and evaluation.
• Demonstrates personal resilience and emotional stability, with the ability to tolerate and manage the demands of working with highly complex and challenging cases. Maintains professionalism, compassion and sound clinical judgment under pressure and in emotionally charged situations.
• Maintaining own safety in Community settings by working within relevant policy and having completed or be willing to complete breakaway training or equivalent.
• Experience of effective working with families of diverse cultural backgrounds.
• Experience of working within multi-agency safeguarding systems e.g., child protection conferences, child-in-need meetings
• Be able to give unwelcome news sensitively.
• Show respect and treat people with dignity.
• Evidence of transferable clinical, risk management and leadership skills.
• Experience of working with a wide variety of patient groups.
• Experience of delivering teaching and training.
• Maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse, and the threat of physical abuse.
• Experience of managing others.
• Wide experience of multi-disciplinary team working.
• Extensive clinical experience in mental health care, crisis management and positive risk taking.
• Ability to frequently travel independently and in a timely manner between Livewell Southwest sites and community locations including areas not served by public transport.
• Experience of managing risk.
• Experience working with eating disorder patients and families across the lifespan.
• Experience of supervision of MDT staff.
• Experience of managing a high level of risk.
• Performance management.
• Experience of implementing competencies and essential training for a team.
• Experience working with eating disorder patients and families across the lifespan.
• Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts.
• Experience working with a wide variety of patient groups, across the life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the full range of care settings including outpatient, community, inpatient, and residential care settings.
• Further specialist training/experience in an evidence-based treatment for eating disorders.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Clinical Pathway Manager - CAMHS ED Pathway