Senior Family & Systemic Psychotherapist

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust; City Of London; On-site; GBP 64,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in London is looking for a Senior Family & Systemic Psychotherapist to work within the Children and Young Person's Community Eating Disorder Team. The ideal candidate will provide systemic psychotherapy and conduct assessments while working collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team. The position offers a salary range of £64,156 to £71,148 annually with opportunities for professional growth.

Qualifications

• Relevant training in delivering family/systemic psychotherapy.
• Experience with children and young people, parents, and couples.
• Experience running parenting groups.

Responsibilities

• Hold complex caseload providing systemic interventions to families.
• Conduct initial assessments and provide clinical supervision.
• Facilitate group therapy and systemic discussions.

Skills

Psychotherapy

Systemic thinking

Clinical supervision

Family-Based Treatment

Child protection knowledge

Education

Masters qualification in family/systemic psychotherapy

Registration with AFT and UKCP

Job description

Overview

Go back Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Senior Family & Systemic Psychotherapist

The closing date is 15 October 2025

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Senior Family and Systemic Psychotherapist to work with the Children andYoung Person's Community Eating Disorder Team.

In April 2016, CNWL developed a Community Eating Disorders Service for Children and Young People across Brent, Harrow, Hillingdon, Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster. The aim of the service is to improve access to community services for children and young people who require urgent and routine assessment. The Community ED Service delivers NICE-concordant treatment and care via a multidisciplinary team for young people aged 18 or under who have a suspected or confirmed eating disorder. The post holder will work as part of the multi-disciplinary team which consists of Psychiatrists, Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Psychologists, Dieticians and Systemic Therapists. The post holder will support the team to think systemically in case formulation and treatment plans, alongside holding a caseload of families. Guided by systemic ideas, the post holder will work collaboratively with senior colleagues of other disciplines to facilitate learning and development of others within the service.The service has the advantage of operating within the CAMHS and Eating Disorders Service Directorate and on the same site as the Adult Eating Disorder Team to offer the experience of an ageless service. Services are provided at South Kensington & Chelsea Mental Health Centre and a community-based site at Roxborough Road in Harrow.

Main duties of the job

To hold a complex caseload providing specialist systemic interventions to young people and their families with eating disorders.

Primarily this will be Family Based Treatment (FBT) and Family Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa (FT-AN), but will also involve other systemic models when appropriate.

Undertaking initial assessments, clinical supervision, and line management of junior colleagues.

Leading on systemic case discussion groups, and parent groups.

Role modelling good clinical and operational skills to the MDT.

Supporting the team leads in taking on senior level tasks as required, e.g. service development, cross service liaison, teaching/training, andservice evaluation.

About us

There\'s a place for you at CNWLWe\'re passionate about delivering first-class patient-centred, safe and effective care, whether it is in a hospital setting, in a community clinic or in the patient\'s own home. Patients are at the heart of everything we do.Providing top quality care depends on our ability to employ the best people.

We\'re always looking to recruit outstanding people who will go the extra mile to support our patients, colleagues, teams and the Trust. With every new employee we\'re hoping to find our future leaders and we\'ll support our staff by providing opportunities to develop your career.With a diverse culture and equally diverse range of opportunities across mental health, community services, addictions, eating disorders, learning disabilities and more - whatever stage of your career you\'re at, there\'s always a place for you at CNWL.

Hear from our staff what it\'s like working with our CNWL Eating Disorders service, please click on below videos.

Job responsibilities

To provide specialist systemic psychotherapy assessments and treatments to parents, families, couples and individuals referred with eating disorders.

To formulate and implement plans for the formal treatment and/or management of the difficulties experienced by the referred families, couples and individuals in line with research findings and evidence-based practice. Treatment interventions include Family Based Treatment (FBT) and Family Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa (FT-AN).

To effectively care plan to empower children and young people along with carers/parents to enhance quality of life and patient experience of health and social care services.

To discern when it is appropriate to refer to and/or consult with other agencies such as social services, community mental health teams and other specialist agencies.

During the process of treatment, to continuously evaluate treatment/therapy options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual person, couple or family.

To provide specialist systemic advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals. This will include working with professional networks involved with complex cases, such as those involved with child protection and self-harm.

To provide information, consultation and specialist advice to enable colleagues to have access to a systemically based framework for the understanding and care of clients of the respective service, through the dissemination of research and theory in relation to systemic psychotherapy.

To communicate and discuss information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care in a skilled and sensitive manner and to monitor and evaluate progress through responding effectively to feedback from members of the client system.

To liaise with and/or provide written reports to other professionals and agencies, such as GPs, Social Services, local treatment services, Schools and to work jointly with such agencies when required.

To ensure that all services provided are acceptable and accessible to the diverse communities which make up all the boroughs in CNWL. At all times to work in ways that are sensitive to and appropriate for the needs of families from a wide range of racial, cultural and religious backgrounds, and to be aware and sensitive to the different contexts that shape different families experiences, beliefs and perceptions. This will include working with interpreters.

To apply knowledge and skills of cross-cultural therapeutic work in order to work effectively and sensitively with clients from a wide range of racial, cultural and religious backgrounds.

To apply a sound knowledge of child protection issues when working with clients and their families and identify when to refer to other agencies.

To facilitate groups with a systemic/relational focus within current group programmes, such as parent support groups and other self-help groups.

(See Job Description for further information)

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Masters qualification in family/systemic psychotherapy
• Registration as a systemic psychotherapist with AFT and UKCP
• Relevant training in delivering family / systemic psychotherapy within the field of eating disorders or complex cases

Experience

• Substantial practice experience in relevant first profession (or established equivalence)
• Substantial practice experience of family therapy with clients who present with problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity
• Experience working with children and young people, parents and couples
• Experience of supervision
• Experience of other treatment approaches
• Experience of family therapy within the field of eating disorders or other complex, difficult to treat client group
• Experience running parenting groups
• Experience of research and audit
• Experience of policy development

Knowledge

• Evidence base in relation to parenting issues
• The impact of abuse, trauma and other adverse experiences on children and families
• Child development in relation to family and parenting issues
• Child protection policies and procedures
• Other modalities (i.e. psychoanalytical, behavioural etc.) sufficient to engage appropriately with multidisciplinary team colleagues and their work with clients/patients
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of family therapy within the field of child & adolescent eating disorders e.g. FBT, FT-AN
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to eating disorders and mental health
• Publication or presentation of research in the field of eating disorders and / or family therapy
• Research and research methodology at post-graduate level in relation to parenting issues.

Skills

• Skills in working with children and families with mental health and social problems using a variety of approaches coherent with a systemic perspective.
• Ability to formulate comprehensive assessments and offer effective treatment based on systemic principles
• Ability to provide ongoing treatment and apply analytical skills in complex, often unstable, and frequently changing circumstances.
• Ability to liaise with and manage complex professional networks in relation to individuals and families.
• Ability to manage high levels of emotional distress and be reflective in emotionally charged situations. Ability to manage the risk of verbal and physical aggression.
• Willingness and ability to work in co-operation with others
• Ability to adhere to and promote equal opportunities in the development of the service.

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Address

South Kensington & Chelsea Mental Health Centre, and Roxborough Road, Harrow

£64,156 to £71,148 a yearper annum inc HCAS (pro rata if P/T)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

333-G-ED-0454

Job locations

South Kensington & Chelsea Mental Health Centre, and Roxborough Road, Harrow