EPUT marks Eating awareness week 2023
Today marks the first day of Eating Disorders Awareness Week (Monday 27 February until Sunday 5 March), an annual awareness week aimed at challenging myths and misunderstandings around eating disorders.
According to the charity Beat, around 1.25 million people in the UK have an eating disorder, which could be one of a range of serious mental health conditions.
Some common examples include avoiding or being restrictive with food, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and anorexia.
Eating disorders are not always related to food. It is more about how a person is feeling. They can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or background.
Our specialist Eating Disorders Service assesses and treats people with moderate to severe eating disorders. It primarily helps people who are suffering with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa and variations of these eating disorders.
The team offer intensive day treatment services and specialist assessment, evidence-based psychological therapies and therapy groups.
They also provide Eating Disorders Intensive Community Treatment and FREED (First episode Rapid Early intervention for Eating Disorders).
FREED is for young people aged under 26 who have had an eating disorder for less than three years. They are contacted within 48 hours of referral, assessed within two weeks and start treatment within four weeks.
To mark Eating Disorders Awareness Week, some of our patients and staff have shared their stories to raise awareness and encourage anyone who needs support to not be afraid to seek help.
Sandra Monk is a community eating disorder nurse and works as part of a multi-disciplinary team providing early intervention and person centred support to the wider community.
What is your role?
My role as a community eating disorder nurse working as part of an MDT allows me to intervene early, which helps reduce long term risks to our clients and allows us to produce meaningful change and prevent the formation of longer-term patterns of unhealthy eating behaviours.
Who do you work with?
I work closely with colleagues in order to deliver a personalised approach to clients and patients in the community.
What does a typical working day look like for you?
A typical day consists of seeing clients on a one to one basis as well as delivering a cognitive behaviour- based therapy group, supporting other members of the team and just enjoying the work!
Have you always worked within the Eating Disorder Service?
Prior to joining the Eating Disorder Team, I worked as a senior community nurse within the non- psychosis pathway.
How long have you been at the Trust and how long have you been in your current role? I have been working for EPUT since 2015. I moved to a different Trust for six months in 2019, but returned to EPUT to continue as a senior community nurse. I have been in my current role since January 2022.
What attracted you to work in the Eating Disorder Service?
During the pandemic (and in my previous role), I was the appointed assessor for the team and saw a big increase in individuals seeking secondary mental health care who had, or were beginning to enter into, bad relationships with food and fluid consumption, and had a negative body image. I started to take an active role in gaining further knowledge about the relationship between body and mind and negative learnt behaviour.
Why would you encourage other people to work within the service?
Because each day is never the same! It’s interesting, exciting and very rewarding. You have the privilege to go through people’s journeys with them and be supported by your colleagues.
Where are you based?
I am based in West Essex.
Why do you enjoy your job?
Because it is so rewarding! We have the privilege to listen to our clients’ story and furthermore, supporting them through their journey.
Beth Wilks is an occupational therapist and the FREED Co-ordinator for West Essex. The FREED pathway is our early intervention pathway for eating disorders so Beth is responsible for managing this and also seeing patients that are on this pathway for treatment.
What is your role?
I work with patients, mainly completing triage calls, assessments and delivering treatment, both one on one and in groups. I work with staff in multi-disciplinary team meetings, we have a specific FREED meeting each week that I chair, and I supervise other staff. I am also one of our senior clinicians on duty and support staff on days when I am fulfilling that duty on a rota basis.
What does a typical working day look like for you?
There is no typical day as such. I see patients mostly face to face so I will usually have either a session with a patient or an assessment. I also attend meetings about FREED, including regional meetings. I may have four appointments with patients on one day or I may have none and have a day full of meetings and assessment write ups.
Have you always worked within the Eating Disorder Service?
Prior to working in the Eating Disorder Service I worked in the EPUT Children’s Learning Disability Service after first qualifying as an occupational therapist. I started there in 2018 and have been within the Trust ever since.
How long have you been at the Trust and how long have you been in your current role?
I began my current role in February 2020 (right before lockdown). Before that, I worked in the Eating Disorder Day Treatment Service from 2019 to 2020.
What attracted you to work in the Eating Disorder Service?
I have always had an interest in mental health and knew this was the area I wanted to go into after training as an occupational therapist. I did my final placement at the Eating Disorder Day Service and really enjoyed the experience so decided I wanted to come back once I qualified.
Why would you encourage other people to work within the service?
I would encourage other people to work in the service because it’s really rewarding to see people make meaningful change and move on from their eating disorder. It is also different to other services as interventions can be longer, so you get a proper chance to get to know patients and build connections with them in a way that doesn’t always happen in other services.
It can be difficult work, but seeing the changes people can make makes this worthwhile.
Also, the team are always supportive and it feels like decisions happen as a team. I would also say that it is a more accessible area than people might think. Skills from lots of other roles are applicable in eating disorders, such as managing anxiety, and so I think it a role that people shouldn’t overlook because they may feel it is too specialist.
Where are you based when working?
I am mainly based between West Essex and North East Essex.
Why do you enjoy your job?
I enjoy my job because I get a sense of achievement and pride when clients reach the goals they have set for themselves. I also enjoy having the time to get to know patients, and build rapport with them, to support them to make real, lasting changes.
I like the staff I get to work with and the support I receive from them. I also enjoy the specifics of my role because I get a mix of patient contact, time for teaching other teams and professionals, promoting the FREED pathway, and being involved in service development.
Emma Burgess is a clinical psychologist working for the adult outpatient eating disorders team in North Essex. She offers evidence based therapeutic interventions to people experiencing an eating disorder with the aim of helping people move towards recovery and a valued life.
Who do you work with?
I work clinically with people experiencing an eating disorder. I also line manage one of our assistant psychologists and offer clinical supervision to a trainee cognitive behavioural therapist and an assistant psychologist.
I work as part of a multi-disciplinary team so work closely with medical doctors, nurses, occupational therapists and support workers. I work jointly with team members and I also liaise with the care team for each client, which may include colleagues from other mental health services.
What does a typical working day look like for you?
A typical day is varied and usually involves a combination of client work, meetings with other professionals, supervision and continued learning. I am currently completing a training course with University College London in CBT-E (Enhanced Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) as part of my work within the Trust so I can continue learning and developing my skills.
Have you always worked within the Eating Disorder Service?
I am new to working with eating disorders. I previously worked in a chronic pain team at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. I wanted to explore working in a different area and challenge myself to learn new skills.
How long have you been at the Trust and how long have you been in your current role?
I started working for the Trust in May 2022.
What attracted you to work in the Eating Disorder service?
I am interested in the mind-body connection and working alongside other professionals. This role has provided many learning opportunities to continue developing as a practitioner.
Why would you encourage other people to work within the service?
I think there is a lot of scope for further training and moving forwards within the career. It feels as though there is a tailor made plan for my career progression. The team are incredibly supportive and I believe it is an environment where you can really thrive.
Where are you based?
Colchester
Why do you enjoy your job?
I am passionate about helping people with an eating disorder move towards a full recovery. I believe that people deserve professional support and so I really value the work that we do as a team. I am well supported to continue my learning and developing my skills as a practitioner and a researcher.
For more information on our Eating Disorder services please visit: Eating Disorders Service: South Essex | Essex Partnership University NHS Trust (eput.nhs.uk) and Eating Disorders Service: North East, Mid and West Essex | Essex Partnership University NHS Trust (eput.nhs.uk)