• We are looking for two Assistant Psychologists. The Intensive Treatment Programme (ITP) of the Maudsley Centre for Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders (MCCAED) is an intensive day programme for young people with restrictive eating disorders who have not been able to make progress in outpatient treatment and who may be at risk of being admitted for inpatient treatment.
• ITP is a therapeutic group programme, with groups taking principles from CBT for Eating Disorders, Radically Open Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Cognitive Remediation Therapy, and Art Therapy, as well as CBT for comorbid difficulties (anxiety, low mood, perfectionism etc).
• You will contribute to the provision of services to meet the needs of these young people in the MCCAED ITP Service – this includes but is not limited to therapeutic meal supervision, co-facilitation of therapeutic groups, co-facilitation of individual therapy sessions, and observation of family-therapy for Anorexia Nervosa.
• Career Progression pathways and development opportunities: We are committed to get the very best out of our staff and support their career aspirations. For this role, we regularly offer support to Assistant Psychologists looking to progress on to a career in Clinical Psychology by gaining a place on the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology programme. Group and Individual supervision are offered to Assistants in the aim of helping them to progress in their career.
• To assist practitioner psychologists in the delivery of a specialist applied psychotherapeutic service in the MCCAED Intensive Treatment Programme (ITP day hospital). Working collaboratively to assess the needs of the service users, planning, implementing and evaluating the care given in ITP.
• To provide clinical work as required by the service, under the direct guidance, close clinical and professional supervision, of a practitioner psychologist. This may involve co-facilitation of therapeutic groups, and individual and family therapy sessions.
• To provide daily therapeutic meal support to young people. This involves staff eating snacks and lunch alongside young people. Meals within the programme are timed, with the expectation that staff are able to eat what is required within the time frame (10 minutes for snacks, 15 minutes for lunch, 20 minutes for dinner). For lunches, a vegetarian and meat option are available daily, however where possible staff should be able to eat what the young people eat.
• To assist in clinically related administration, i.e. assessment/discharge reports, conduct audits, collect statistics, develop audit and/or research projects.
• To work following clinical guidelines and the policies and procedures of the service, while closely supervised and regularly seeking help from clinical/professional supervisor or manager.

FLEXIBLE WORKING:

As one of the few Trusts in London we are proud to offer flexible working as part of our new ways of working, and we are happy to talk flexible working at the interview stage. In this role you will be able to work Monday to Friday in the time frames from 08:00 to 18:00, giving you the very best of good work life balance. (This may include working early mornings, later evenings or Saturdays as part of the core working hours/working pattern for this post).

• To work with senior clinicians providing individual and family therapeutic work for young people with eating disorders.
• To arrange and co-facilitate therapeutic groups for clients in the MCCAED ITP (e.g. CBT)
• To assist senior clinicians in the development of individual or group clinical materials or training materials. This can involve adapting therapy to accommodate comorbid conditions such as Autism Spectrum Condition or delivering specific therapies for common comorbidities such as anxiety disorders or low mood.
• You may have the opportunity to participate in wider MCCAED activities, such as observing outpatient assessments, supporting Multi Family Treatment Groups, Team Treatment Reviews, and CBT workshops.
• Co-ordinate organisational issues and facilitate meals and snacks. This involves eating a wide variety of meals with young people and their families.
• To provide daily therapeutic meal support to young people. This involves staff eating snacks and lunch alongside young people. Staff may be required to eat between 2-3 times each day depending on service need. Meals within the programme are timed, with the expectation that staff are able to eat what is required within the time frame (10 minutes for snacks, 15 minutes for lunch, 20 minutes for dinner). For lunches, a vegetarian and meat option are available daily, however where possible staff should be able to eat what the young people eat. This role involves modelling healthy eating and “normal” eating behaviours, and also supporting and encouraging young people to eat during time of distress. A key part of therapeutic meal support is distracting young people to focus away from eating disorder thoughts and feelings.
• To act in a manner that supports a psychologically informed framework for the service
• To assist in the design and implementation of audit and research projects to inform service development, training provision and research activities.
• To undertake data collection, input and database management, analysis, the production of reports and summaries, using IT and statistical programmes
• To undertake searches of evidence-based literature and research to assist in the development of evidence base to support the clinical practice of the team
• Under guidance to conduct surveys with service users and carers to gather views on service provision.
• To travel as part of therapeutic meals out or therapeutic trips as appropriate and across the Trust when required.
• To be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour amongst the client group, and follow trust policies relating to its management
• To respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations and challenging behaviours and to support others involved in such situations.
• To take responsibility for seeking supervision and support for yourself and not going beyond your scope of practice.
• To work flexibly which may include offering some regular commitment to work some hours outside of normal office hours (e.g. until 6.30pm on one or two evenings per week), within the overall Job Plan. It is expected that you may need to work some hours outside of normal office hours and be flexible in your ability to change your working pattern frequently and at short notice to meet the needs of the service.
• To work within an MDT and actively promote relationships with colleagues. This will include liaising closely with the senior ITP staff, education staff and ancillary services such as catering service providers.

• To work with senior clinicians providing individual and family therapeutic work for young people with eating disorders.
• To arrange and co-facilitate therapeutic groups for clients in the MCCAED ITP (e.g. CBT)
• To assist senior clinicians in the development of individual or group clinical materials or training materials. This can involve adapting therapy to accommodate comorbid conditions such as Autism Spectrum Condition or delivering specific therapies for common comorbidities such as anxiety disorders or low mood.
• You may have the opportunity to participate in wider MCCAED activities, such as observing outpatient assessments, supporting Multi Family Treatment Groups, Team Treatment Reviews, and CBT workshops.
• Co-ordinate organisational issues and facilitate meals and snacks. This involves eating a wide variety of meals with young people and their families.
• To provide daily therapeutic meal support to young people. This involves staff eating snacks and lunch alongside young people. Staff may be required to eat between 2-3 times each day depending on service need. Meals within the programme are timed, with the expectation that staff are able to eat what is required within the time frame (10 minutes for snacks, 15 minutes for lunch, 20 minutes for dinner). For lunches, a vegetarian and meat option are available daily, however where possible staff should be able to eat what the young people eat. This role involves modelling healthy eating and “normal” eating behaviours, and also supporting and encouraging young people to eat during time of distress. A key part of therapeutic meal support is distracting young people to focus away from eating disorder thoughts and feelings.
• To act in a manner that supports a psychologically informed framework for the service
• To assist in the design and implementation of audit and research projects to inform service development, training provision and research activities.
• To undertake data collection, input and database management, analysis, the production of reports and summaries, using IT and statistical programmes
• To undertake searches of evidence-based literature and research to assist in the development of evidence base to support the clinical practice of the team
• Under guidance to conduct surveys with service users and carers to gather views on service provision.
• To travel as part of therapeutic meals out or therapeutic trips as appropriate and across the Trust when required.
• To be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour amongst the client group, and follow trust policies relating to its management
• To respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations and challenging behaviours and to support others involved in such situations.
• To take responsibility for seeking supervision and support for yourself and not going beyond your scope of practice.
• To work flexibly which may include offering some regular commitment to work some hours outside of normal office hours (e.g. until 6.30pm on one or two evenings per week), within the overall Job Plan. It is expected that you may need to work some hours outside of normal office hours and be flexible in your ability to change your working pattern frequently and at short notice to meet the needs of the service.
• To work within an MDT and actively promote relationships with colleagues. This will include liaising closely with the senior ITP staff, education staff and ancillary services such as catering service providers