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This leaflet provides you with information that you may find useful about the Community Eating Disorder Service (CEDS) - North Cumbria

This leaflet provides you with information that you may find useful about the service. If you are not sure about anything in this leaflet please ask a member of staff.

Our Trust values are caring, respect, honesty, and being open. This is at the core of our work together with families and carers to offer care that is:

  • focused on the child or young person
  • compassionate
  • the least restrictive and evidence based

CEDS is a multi-disciplinary team, who will be involved in the patient’s care throughout their time within the service. Team members include:

  • Consultant Psychiatrist
  • Clinical Psychologists
  • Specialist Dietitian
  • Specialist CEDS Practitioners
  • Assistant Psychologist

Psychologists and Specialist CEDS Practitioners use talking therapies to work on your emotional and mental health through behavioural interventions.

Psychiatrists are medically trained doctors who work within CEDS. They assess physical/mental health risks and concerns and prescribe/manage medication when appropriate.

Specialist Dietitians work with CEDS and acute hospitals to give clear, evidence-based advice about eating disorders. They help support healthy eating and promote physical health and recovery.

All members of the MDT work closely together throughout the child or young person’s treatment. The service provides evidence based therapeutic interventions and follows the recommendations of the NICE Guidelines for Eating Disorders.

CEDS provides assessment and treatment for children and young people struggling with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder.

We also support children or young people whose physical health is significantly compromised due to disordered eating.

Treatment with CEDS aims to:

  • Help children and young people and their family and carers gain an understanding of their eating difficulties
  • Restore and maintain physical health
  • Encourage a healthy attitude to food and weight
  • Promote alternative coping strategies
  • Enhance self-esteem and confidence

FT-AN is an intensive treatment model for children and young people with working diagnosis or diagnosis of anorexia nervosa.

This treatment model puts parents and carers at the centre of their child or young person’s recovery by giving the parents and carers the responsibility of care. The family is supported throughout by CEDS and medical professionals monitoring the child or young person’s physical health and recovery.

FT-AN comprises of 4 phases of treatment:

  • Phase 1 is the assessment stage. This phase involves identifying the current eating difficulties and working out the best way forward.
  • Phase 2 is the re-feeding stage.
  • Phase 3 focuses on weight maintenance and stabilisation. In this stage, the young persons thoughts and behaviours are addressed once weight is stable.
  • Phase 4 is relapse prevention and ultimately, discharge.

After the initial assessment, FTBN may be the best treatment. This is an evidence-based model. The CEDS team will work closely with the child or young person and their family and carers during all stages of treatment.

  • Phase 1 – weight restoration and renourishment. Family and carers take the lead on the child or young person’s eating to ensure weight restoration and physical health recovery.
  • Phase 2 – returning control to the child or young person. Control of eating is slowly given back to the child or young person in a way that suits their age.
  • Phase 3 – building a healthy identity and ending treatment. This last phase helps the child or young person develop a healthy identity and get ready to finish formal treatment sessions.

After the initial assessment, if BED is the working diagnosis or diagnosis: CEDS will help the child or young person with talking therapies and self-help guides. These will:

  • Look at patterns of thoughts, feelings, behaviours and triggers
  • Support regular eating
  • Help spot binge eating cues
  • Support managing negative emotions and beliefs

I feel l like I am always taken seriously and the people who work with me make me feel comfortable talking about my problems. I feel like I can trust them and not feel judged. (Young person)

Although staff were professional, it felt like we were visiting a friend for a chat so it was comfortable for a teenager to attend. (Parent)

It has shown amazing effects on me and has made me feel much better physically and mentally. (Young person)

I felt that I was treated as an individual person rather than being given a label. It helped me to understand what was happening and why. (Young person)

We feel very lucky that we have had the help from this service. I dread to think where we would be now if it wasn’t for all their help and guidance. (Parent)

“Eating disorders thrive on conflict and differences of opinion – these situations are inevitable, but a caring, consistent, united approach helps to minimise these episodes (easier said than done sometimes, but you can’t blame yourself if you have done your best!) Try to agree parameters between those assisting at mealtimes before the meal.”

“Try to separate your loved one from the Eating Disorder – this will help when you are angry and you discover that the illness does not respond well to logic. The eating disorder does not define the sufferer.”

“When dealing with an eating disorder, you are on an extremely difficult journey, with the end result being the best outcome for the sufferer (and their family/carers). Every day is different and ‘tomorrow is always another day’. Draw a line under the day’s strife and try again. Don’t assess progress daily or weekly – it will not be linear”

“Make time for yourself (wherever you can). It may not feel like it at times, but your loved one is still in there somewhere and does appreciate your support. Remember – you are human, so mistakes will happen.”

“People do recover/learn how to manage the illness – motivators are an essential part of this process.”

“Be a good listener when the time is right. Never give up asking if a chat will help – one day the answer will be ‘Yes’.”

Community Eating Disorder Service (CEDS)
The Fairfield Centre, Carleton Clinic, Cumwhinton Drive, Carlisle, CA1 3SX

Telephone: 01228 603 017

Staff can arrange an interpreter if you need one.

If you want to make a comment, suggestion, compliment or complaint you can:

We are always looking at ways to improve services. Your feedback allows us to monitor the quality of our services and act upon issues that you bring to our attention.  

You can provide feedback in the following ways:

  • the quickest way for you to do this is to complete our short online survey at www.cntw.nhs.uk/yourvoice
  • complete a Your Voice survey, available on wards, reception areas or from staff 
  • other options for sharing your feedback and experience www.cntw.nhs.uk/yourfeedback

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
PALS provide confidential advice and support, helping you to sort out any concerns that you may have about any aspect of your or your loved one's care.

We act independently when handling patient and family concerns, liaising with staff, managers and, where appropriate, relevant organisations, to negotiate prompt solutions. If necessary, we can also refer patients and families to specific local or national-based support agencies.

North of Tyne
Telephone: 0800 032 0202
Email: pals@nhct.nhs.uk
Post: FREEPOST PALS

South of Tyne
Telephone: 0800 328 4397
Text: 07825 061 035
Email: pals@cntw.nhs.uk
Post: Patient Advice and Liaison Service, Garden Lodge, Hopewood Park, Ryhope, Sunderland, SR2 0NB

9.00am – 4.30pm, Monday to Friday
An answerphone is available at all times for you to leave a message. A member of the PALS team will aim to return your call as soon as possible.

Further information about the content, reference sources or production of this leaflet can be obtained from the Patient Information Centre. If you would like to tell us what you think about this leaflet please get in touch.

This information can be made available in a range of formats on request (Braille, audio, larger print, easy read, BSL or other languages). Please telephone the Patient Information Centre on 0191 246 7288

Published by the Patient Information Centre
2026 Copyright: Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust

Ref: PIC/818/0126 January 2026 V3
Review date 2029

Website: www.cntw.nhs.uk