Mental Health Practitioner – Eating Disorders Service

Company: NHS
Apply for the Mental Health Practitioner – Eating Disorders Service
Location: Liverpool
Job Description:

Main area Mental Health Grade NHS AfC: Band 6 Contract Permanent Hours Full time – 37.5 hours per week (working across liverpool and sefton sites) Job ref 411-NEI-26-8267101

Employer Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust Town Liverpool Salary £39,959 – £48,117 Per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 12/10/2026 08:00

NHS AfC: Band 6

Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust is a provider of specialist health care and has a presence in community outreach sites and, in collaboration with other providers, our clinicians help deliver care closer to patients’ homes by holding local clinics at locations from Cumbria to Shropshire, in Wales and the Isle of Man. The Trust also provides inpatient care for children with complex mental health needs at our Sunflower House building newly relocated, and opened on the hospital site.

We currently have more than 4,000 staff working across our community and hospital sites. We’re also a teaching and training hospital providing education and training to around 540 medical and over 500 nursing and allied health professional students each year.

As black and minority ethnic (BME) employees are currently under-represented in this area, we particularly welcome applications from members of our BME communities. All appointments will be made on merit.

You can expect a warm welcome at Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, our staff are friendly and welcoming. We listen to each other and work together to embed our Trusts values and behaviours. At Alder Hey we appreciate our staff and reward them with an outstanding benefits package including:

  • Great flexible working opportunities
  • Lease car scheme and Home Electronics Scheme
  • Generous annual leave and pension scheme
  • Extensive staff health and well-being programmes

Job overview

  • Right to work: We actively promote diversity and inclusion. This role may be eligible for sponsorship under the Health and Care route. We recommend that you assess your eligibility before applying for this position. Visit Health and Care Worker visa: Overview – GOV.UK

Band 6

This post holder will work across two sites: Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and Blossom House, Alder Park, Waterloo

Main duties of the job

This is an exciting opportunity for individuals with an interest and experience in working with young people with an eating disorder and/or ARFID. The successful applicant will provide a substantial contribution to the clinical work of the team and will hold full case management responsibility for their workload. Regular clinical supervision will be provided.

The main base for this post will be at Alder Hey, but appointments from community bases across Liverpool and Sefton will be required. Experience working with children and young people with an eating disorder will be beneficial. In addition to undertaking assessments and providing intervention and support to children, young people and their families, the post holder will also undertake physical monitoring under the guidance of our Consultant Paediatricians.

The post holders must be able to demonstrate a positive attitude which encompasses our Trust Values of

Compassion– We see you and act.

Courage– We speak up and step forward.

Community– We lift each other up.

If you are enthusiastic and confident with a friendly and outgoing manner, and a focus on providing the best possible service to patients we would like to hear from you.

Working for our organisation

About the team: The Eating Disorder Team (EDYs) provide support and treatment for children and young people in Liverpool and Sefton with an eating disorder and/or ARFIDS, as well as their parents/carers and professionals involved in their care.

This is a multidisciplinary team including Consultant Psychiatrist and Consultant Paediatricians, Clinical Psychology, Family Therapy, CBT and SFP trained staff, Nursing, Support Worker, Assistant Practitioner and Assistant Psychology. The team is based on site at Alder Hey, but offer appointments throughout the community footprint.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience you’ll need, please take a look at the job description and person specification attachments.

Person specification

Education and Training

  • Qualified in core profession such as Children’s or Mental Health Nurse (RMN/RLD), Mental Health Practitioner, Clinical Psychologist, Occupational Therapy, Social Work or creative therapies e.g. Art Therapy – with proof of relevant professional registrationOR Recognised degree level broad based health & social care qualification which will require completion of The British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) Knowledge Skills and Attributes
  • Training in child & family mental health related field
  • Experience of post graduate work in core profession / following qualification
  • Experience of working in child and adolescent mental health services.
  • Experience of working within an eating disorder service

experience of

  • Experienced in and able to demonstrate proficiency in case management responsibility
  • application of therapeutic and analytical skills
  • Experience working collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary setting
  • An understanding of principles underlying psychodynamic, systemic, cognitive and behavioural therapies.
  • Working knowledge of child development
  • Organisational skills to manage and prioritise workload balance appropriately
  • Must demonstrate utilisation of professional development planning in own career progression
  • Must demonstrate a high level of communication skills commensurate with the nature of clinical and professional contacts required of the post.
  • Knowledge of audit and evaluation methodology

Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We are committed to creating a well-managed, flexible working environment that supports staff and promotes their welfare and development. We actively promote equality and diversity and operate a Zero Tolerance policy to aggression, violence, bullying and harassment.

Should you require any support during your application or require alternative formats of our vacancies, please contact recruiting manager of vacancy or the recruitment team at recruitment@alderhey.nhs.uk or call 0151 282 4599

Please declare within the supporting information if artificial intelligence (AI) has been used in your application.

Please note, the selection processes at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust are in place to ensure we recruit candidates with the right skills and values, please be advised that the use of AI in applications are monitored. We remain vigilant against candidates who misuse these tools to generate an application that doesn’t accurately reflect their skills.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

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Posted: October 5th, 2026