Band 8a - Family Therapist - Children's Eating Disorder ServiceNHS

Job summary

We're excited to offer a fantastic opportunity for an experienced and compassionate Band 8a Family Therapist to join our Children's Eating Disorder Service (CEDS), part of Somerset CAMHS - rated "Outstanding" by the CQC.

About Us

CEDS delivers specialist care to children, young people, and families affected by eating disorders. We are a dynamic, supportive team committed to innovation, systemic thinking, and holistic care.

About the Role

We're seeking a skilled family therapist, passionate about supporting recovery through relational, family-focused approaches. You will:

• Deliver assessments and collaboratively formulate treatment plans as part of a multidisciplinary team, both in clinic and at home.
• Work systemically across CAMHS, paediatrics, and inpatient services to support integrated care.
• Contribute to service development and pathway design.
• Promote systemic thinking and psychological perspectives across the service.
• Offer systemic supervision and consultation on complex cases.
• Support and empower parents and carers as key partners in recovery.

This is an exciting time to join a forward-thinking team where your ideas and expertise will shape future practice. We are also able to offer a fully funded place on a systemic supervisors course to the successful candidate.

Main duties of the job

This role is perfect for a dedicated and skilled family therapist who is passionate about supporting children and families affected by eating difficulties. As a key member of the team, you will:

• Offer assessments, consider hypotheses relating to case formulation, create treatment plans as part of an MDT for children and young people both in clinic and at home.
• Engage in systemic collaboration with multidisciplinary professionals across CAMHS, community teams, paediatric units, and inpatient services to ensure comprehensive care.
• Play an integral role in developing clinical pathways and enhancing the specialist Eating Disorder Service.
• Advocate for the use of systemic and psychological approaches in treatment, promoting a psychological and family-oriented perspective within the service.
• Offer systemic supervision and provide consultation on complex cases using systemic expertise to guide interventions.
• Support family-focused interventions that empower parents and carers to be part of the therapeutic process, recognising their importance in recovery.

Job description

This is an exceptional opportunity to use your advanced systemic psychotherapy skills to make a lasting impact on children, young people and families affected by eating disorders.

Working across community and specialist settings throughout Somerset, you will provide highly specialised family therapy interventions, drawing on a range of systemic approaches and evidence-based treatments. You will assess complex presentations, develop formulations, and deliver therapeutic interventions that support recovery while considering the wider family, social and professional systems around each young person.

You will work closely with psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, dietitians, social care professionals, education colleagues and other partner agencies to ensure young people receive holistic, coordinated care. Your expertise will help guide treatment decisions, support risk management and enhance the quality of care delivered across the service.

Beyond clinical work, you will be encouraged to contribute to service development and continuous improvement. We value innovation and learning, and you will have opportunities to become involved in research, audit, training and the development of new ways of working. Whether supporting colleagues through consultation and supervision, contributing to service redesign, or helping expand specialist treatment pathways, your voice and expertise will be valued.

We are looking for an experienced and qualified Systemic Family Psychotherapist with a strong commitment to delivering compassionate, high-quality care. Experience working with children and young people and an understanding of eating disorders will help you thrive in this role, alongside excellent communication skills, professional autonomy and the ability to work confidently with complex and emotionally challenging situations.

About us

At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:

• Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
• NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
• Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
• A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential

Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.

We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.

Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.

The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.

Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.