Job summary
The Eating Disorder Support Workers are newly created posts to provide
practical support for young people aged 16-25 with eating disorders, or
disordered eating. These roles will each be 0.5FTE, and will work in a
non-clinical way, to complement the therapeutic work of SYEDAs clinical team.
Main duties of the job
Primarily, you will be supporting young people with goals-based activities, such as eating out, as well as supporting transitions between SYEDA and community, or inpatient eating disorder services. Our Eating Disorder Support Workers will also work closely with our Occupational Therapist, to support workshops, and to devise new activities for young people such as craft-based activities, and psychoeducational sessions.
These roles will involve discussing sensitive topics relating to eating
disorders and to broader mental health.
About us
SYEDA (South Yorkshire Eating Disorders Association) are a registered
charity who provide support for individuals affected by eating disorders and
disordered eating, as well as their friends and family. We have been providing
support for 30 years. As well as our therapeutic services, we provide regular
training to professionals across South Yorkshire, helping to raise awareness of
eating disorders and their impacts.
We are committed to supporting every member of our team, and so if there
are barriers you may face as part of the recruitment process, or as part of the
role, please do reach out to us for a discussion about how we can best support
you. We also welcome applicants who have lived experience of an eating
disorder, though ask that you wait for around 2 years after recovery before
applying for a role with us.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Eating Disorders Support Worker will provide
safe, empathetic, and non-clinical support to individuals at risk of, or in the
early stages of, an eating disorder. The role focuses on early intervention,
prevention, and reducing escalation, empowering individuals to seek
appropriate help and develop healthier relationships with food, body, and self.
Day to day duties will include:
Support and Delivery
- Provide one-to-one and group support sessions (both
in person and online) to individuals aged between 16-25 who are accessing, or
have recently been referred to, or discharged from SYEDA.
- Support
individuals to explore concerns around food, body image and eating behaviours
in a safe, non-judgmental way.
- Accompany
individuals to cafes, restaurants, supermarkets, or clothing stores, where
requested, to act as a supportive and encouraging presence.
- Where needed, to
work with other eating disorder services, ensuring clients moving between
services are welcomed and supported i.e. from the Community Eating Disorders
Team, or inpatient care, to SYEDA.
- Support with
workshop sessions.
Early Intervention and Prevention
-
Identify any early warning signs of developing or
worsening eating disorders and to escalate these to SYEDA's Clinical Lead.
-
Support
individuals in developing coping strategies, thinking about protective factors,
and self-confidence, encouraging the challenging of disordered thoughts around
food.
-
Promote
prevention focused messaging around body image, diet culture and mental
wellbeing.
- Facilitate workshops,
outreach sessions, or awareness activities, such as psychoeducation for
those clients who are waiting for therapy at SYEDA.
- Ensure compliance with all SYEDA policies and
procedures.
Safeguarding and Boundaries
-
Maintain clear professional boundaries and work in
accordance with SYEDAs policies and procedures, and staff code of conduct.
-
Follow safeguarding policies, risk management
procedures, and escalation pathways.
- Recognise the limits of the
support worker role, liaising with line manager or SYEDA's Clinical Lead where
clients are requiring more support.
Administration and Monitoring
-
Support with data collection of eating disorder
outcome measures i.e. EDE-Q, PHQ-9, GAD-7.
-
Ensure appropriate and timely recording of notes,
communications with clients, and any escalations.
-
Attend clinical supervision, reflective practice
sessions, and relevant training.
General
-
Work collaboratively with staff, volunteers and
external partners, ensuring that clients are at the heart of our activities.
-
Contribute to service development by sharing insights
from lived experience.
- Work in accordance with
SYEDA's values.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Eating Disorders Support Worker will provide
safe, empathetic, and non-clinical support to individuals at risk of, or in the
early stages of, an eating disorder. The role focuses on early intervention,
prevention, and reducing escalation, empowering individuals to seek
appropriate help and develop healthier relationships with food, body, and self.
Day to day duties will include:
Support and Delivery
- Provide one-to-one and group support sessions (both
in person and online) to individuals aged between 16-25 who are accessing, or
have recently been referred to, or discharged from SYEDA.
- Support
individuals to explore concerns around food, body image and eating behaviours
in a safe, non-judgmental way.
- Accompany
individuals to cafes, restaurants, supermarkets, or clothing stores, where
requested, to act as a supportive and encouraging presence.
- Where needed, to
work with other eating disorder services, ensuring clients moving between
services are welcomed and supported i.e. from the Community Eating Disorders
Team, or inpatient care, to SYEDA.
- Support with
workshop sessions.
Early Intervention and Prevention
-
Identify any early warning signs of developing or
worsening eating disorders and to escalate these to SYEDA's Clinical Lead.
-
Support
individuals in developing coping strategies, thinking about protective factors,
and self-confidence, encouraging the challenging of disordered thoughts around
food.
-
Promote
prevention focused messaging around body image, diet culture and mental
wellbeing.
- Facilitate workshops,
outreach sessions, or awareness activities, such as psychoeducation for
those clients who are waiting for therapy at SYEDA.
- Ensure compliance with all SYEDA policies and
procedures.
Safeguarding and Boundaries
-
Maintain clear professional boundaries and work in
accordance with SYEDAs policies and procedures, and staff code of conduct.
-
Follow safeguarding policies, risk management
procedures, and escalation pathways.
- Recognise the limits of the
support worker role, liaising with line manager or SYEDA's Clinical Lead where
clients are requiring more support.
Administration and Monitoring
-
Support with data collection of eating disorder
outcome measures i.e. EDE-Q, PHQ-9, GAD-7.
-
Ensure appropriate and timely recording of notes,
communications with clients, and any escalations.
-
Attend clinical supervision, reflective practice
sessions, and relevant training.
General
-
Work collaboratively with staff, volunteers and
external partners, ensuring that clients are at the heart of our activities.
-
Contribute to service development by sharing insights
from lived experience.
- Work in accordance with
SYEDA's values.
Person Specification
Knowledge and skills.
Essential
- Understanding of the importance of maintaining professional boundaries.
- Understanding of safeguarding and confidentiality principles.
- Excellent listening, communication, and interpersonal skills, enabling effective rapport-building and positive interaction to aid recovery in one-to-one and group settings
- Ability to work across services to ensure supported transitions.
- Reliable, approachable, and able to communicate in a relatable manner whilst maintaining professional boundaries.
- Compassionate and enthusiastic.
- Commitment to anti-stigma, inclusive, and trauma-informed practice
- Flexible and adaptive
- Respectful, honest and committed to SYEDAs values.
- Able to maintain own wellbeing whilst working in an environment where sensitive topics are routinely discussed.
Desirable
- Knowledge of eating disorders, broader mental health challenges, or a willingness to learn about these.
- Knowledge of NHS referral pathways
- Understanding of neurodiversity.
Qualifications
Essential
- GCSE (or equivalent) in English.
Desirable
- Food Hygiene Level 2 certification
- Safeguarding Level 2 training, Mental Health Awareness/First Aider Training.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of providing support to, or volunteering with, individuals with mental health conditions, or neurodiverse individuals.
Desirable
- Experience working on a 1:1 basis with individuals, in the community.
- Experience of community outreach.
Person Specification
Knowledge and skills.
Essential
- Understanding of the importance of maintaining professional boundaries.
- Understanding of safeguarding and confidentiality principles.
- Excellent listening, communication, and interpersonal skills, enabling effective rapport-building and positive interaction to aid recovery in one-to-one and group settings
- Ability to work across services to ensure supported transitions.
- Reliable, approachable, and able to communicate in a relatable manner whilst maintaining professional boundaries.
- Compassionate and enthusiastic.
- Commitment to anti-stigma, inclusive, and trauma-informed practice
- Flexible and adaptive
- Respectful, honest and committed to SYEDAs values.
- Able to maintain own wellbeing whilst working in an environment where sensitive topics are routinely discussed.
Desirable
- Knowledge of eating disorders, broader mental health challenges, or a willingness to learn about these.
- Knowledge of NHS referral pathways
- Understanding of neurodiversity.
Qualifications
Essential
- GCSE (or equivalent) in English.
Desirable
- Food Hygiene Level 2 certification
- Safeguarding Level 2 training, Mental Health Awareness/First Aider Training.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of providing support to, or volunteering with, individuals with mental health conditions, or neurodiverse individuals.
Desirable
- Experience working on a 1:1 basis with individuals, in the community.
- Experience of community outreach.
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.