Our eating difficulties and avoidant restrictive food intake disorders team celebrates one year of service

The Trust’s Eating difficulties and avoidant restrictive food intake disorders (EDAS) team recently celebrated one year of supporting children and young people.

The team came together on Friday 24 November to mark a year of successfully supporting children and young people who have early onset eating disorders and avoidant restrictive food intake disorders. Since the service opened its doors in June 2022 they have supported over 150 young people across North Central London.

Kaya Thompson, systemic practitioner in the team, said: “I am really proud of the success rate we have in the team. The young people we discharge are now thriving in their communities.”

The team were commissioned during the pandemic in a time when eating difficulty services were facing large increases in referrals. The team focuses on providing early intervention support and care in order to prevent the progression of eating difficulties.

Lucinda Finley, psychotherapist in the team, said: “I feel very supported working in a multidisciplinary team as it allows us to think creatively together to best support the young people and families we work with. It’s also very exciting to have the opportunity to make a difference in young people’s lives by tackling challenges early on.”

The multi-disciplinary team has a culture of constantly learning and innovating. It works collaboratively with colleagues across North Central London in the boroughs they serve (Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington). The young people and families have access to individual therapy, family interventions, and diet, meal and care planning, depending on their needs.

Rafeek Baksh, Psychotherapist and Team Manager said: “Treating eating difficulties is both a science and an art, the two in the right measure leads to recovery”.

A parent of a young person who used the service said: “[clinician’s name] is a wonderful therapist who really understood our daughter. Sessions with him helped her very much in coping with her issues. She was always looking forward to seeing him and left sessions with a smile on her face.”

The team thank Tina Read, their service manager, for her sterling support,  counsel and sensitive management of the EDAS  service.