Bedfordshire and Luton Community Eating Disorders Service for Children & Young People

New referrals will be received via Bedfordshire or Luton SPOE  CAMHS and passed on to the CEDS-CYP. Referrals can be made by GPs, healthcare professionals, schools and colleges.

You will need to complete the CAMHS Referral Form which has a section on Eating Disorders. Ideally, this will be completed in collaboration with the young person, parent or carer. This will enable us to decide how best to help the client and their family. Please note that we do not currently accept self-referrals.

The service offers high-quality, evidence-based assessment and treatment for children, young people and their families. It is staffed by a multi-disciplinary team consisting of:

• Dietician: Offers advice about food choices and lifestyle
• Consultant Psychiatrist: A senior doctor who has overall responsibility for your care
• Therapists: Talk to you to help make sense of your difficulties and develop positive skills
• Family Therapist: Offers your family a supportive space to talk about their experience

Websites & OnLine Resources 

Beat - UK Eating Disorders charity: 

Beat Eating Disorders UK>>
 

NHS England Guide 

NHS England>>
 

Young Minds - Guide to Eating Disorders and resources:

Young Minds>>
 

Online resources for under 25s:

The Mix - Eating Disorders support materials>>

Helplines

B-eat Youthline: 0845 634 7650
ChildLine: 0800 1111

If things are getting worse make an emergency appointment with your family doctor. If you feel you are in crisis and have concerns around keeping yourself safe, you should be assessed by your doctor or seen in your local A & E department who can then consult with specialist out-of-hours CAMHS staff.

All clinicians have a relevant professional qualification and experience working with young people and their families. Members of the team include:

• Dietician. Offers advice about food choices and lifestyle.
• Therapists. Talk to you to help make sense of your difficulties and develop positive skills.
• Family Therapists. Offers your family a supportive space to talk about their experiences.
• Paediatrician. A doctor who specialises in the health of young people.
• Consultant Psychiatrist. A senior doctor who oversees the emotional and physical wellbeing of young people.

We work and listen respectfully and non-judgementally

When worries about your food, shape and weight get to the point where they affect your behaviour and everyday life, this can be indicative of an eating disorder.

Eating disorders can take many forms and so there are a number of indicators. These may include restricting food intake, excessive eating (bingeing), self-induced vomiting, laxative usage, excessive exercise, worries about body shape and weight, etc.  

Whilst eating disorders can appear to be about food and weight, there are often other contributing factors that can lead to a person having an eating disorder, and these can differ greatly from person to person. 

Often, eating disorders can give a sense of control when other areas of your life seem out of control. However, they can also be very difficult to manage in your everyday life.

If you think that you might have an eating disorder, the most important step forward to take is acknowledging that you may have a problem, as there is help available to you.

When we receive a request for help we will offer you an appointment. When we first meet you we will spend time chatting about what has brought you here.  You can tell us anything that you like about how you are feeling and what you would like to be different.  We won’t think it is silly or stupid.  You may feel worried about talking on your own and may prefer to have family with you. Also, it doesn’t matter if you don’t feel like talking much at an appointment.   You can ask as many questions as you like and if we use any complicated words just tell us and we can explain what we mean.  We want to work with you to find ways for you to feel better.

We find it helpful to meet other people in the family so we can hear what they think about the difficulty.

Sometimes we only need to meet you a few times, and sometimes it may take longer.  We will talk about this with you when you come to see us.

When we receive a request for help we will offer you an appointment.  At the first appointment we will spend time talking about the reasons you are here.  We will listen to you, you can tell us anything you like about how you are feeling and ask as many questions as you like.  This is a safe environment and we want to help you.  We find it helpful to meet other members of your family so we can hear what they think about the difficulty but we will also talk to you separately.  You may prefer if it is just you at the appointment and this is fine, just let us know.

After the first meeting it might be helpful to speak to your GP, teachers, social worker or other professionals involved with you and your family. We would only do this with your permission.

This is a confidential service. We will only discuss your case with another service if you have given us permission or if we have serious concerns about a young person's safety.