A workforce of adequate size, skill and diversity, positioned across the whole system of care, is needed to meet the needs of all people at risk of or experiencing an eating disorder and their families/supports and communities. Data-driven, strategic and coordinated workforce development will enable this to happen.

Why the workforce matters across the stepped system of care

The workforce is the foundation of every part of the Stepped System of Care. Standards for prevention, identification, initial response, treatment, and psychosocial and recovery support can only be met when the people working in each setting have the knowledge, skills and confidence their role requires.

This means eating disorder expertise needs to be embedded and accessible at every step, appropriate to the setting. This includes across community and primary care settings, mental health services, eating disorder-specific services, and psychosocial and recovery support settings. 

When the workforce is equipped in this way, people can be identified earlier, connected to the right level of care sooner, and supported to move between services more seamlessly

Who is the eating disorder workforce?

Historically, the eating disorder workforce has been understood as a small number of medical, mental health and dietetic professionals with a highly specific skillset, working mostly within eating disorder-specific services across public health and private practice, along with researchers dedicated to the field. This workforce is essential, but it will not be sufficient in size, diversity or positioning to meet need at the scale required.

The National Strategy recognises a much broader workforce, including:

  • General practitioners, paediatricians, psychiatrists, nurses, nurse practitioners and emergency department staff
  • Mental health professionals, including psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists, counsellors and mental health nurses
  • Dietitians, exercise physiologists and other allied health professionals
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners, and Alcohol and Other Drug workers
  • The Lived Experience workforce, including peer support workers
  • Education, social and community services workforces, such as teachers, school counsellors, and sport, fitness and performance professionals
  • Researchers, educators and system leaders

The development of workforce competencies, standards, and training and supervision infrastructure over recent years means this workforce can be built in an efficient and targeted way, based on knowledge of the specific skills needed in each part of the system of care.

The Lived Experience Workforce

An important workforce growth opportunity is the expansion of the Lived Experience workforce for eating disorders. Recognition of the Lived Experience workforce in the mental health sector has grown significantly over the past five to ten years, including national investment to support people with lived experience to shape the policies and programs that affect them. Lived Experience roles include consumer and carer consultants, peer support workers, executive governance, paid board and committee representation, education, training, research, consultancy, policy design, and advocacy in service settings (1). In these roles, the Lived Experience workforce contributes to personal change and recovery, as well as cultural and practice change within services (1).

National Strategy Workforce Standards

The National Strategy sets out four workforce standards:

  1. Engagement in eating disorder practice by the current and future health and mental health workforce is increased and barriers are reduced.
  2. Eating disorders are a workforce priority in mainstream health and mental health services.
  3. There is a skilled and diverse Lived Experience workforce operating across the system of care, including in governance, leadership, consultation and direct care roles.
  4. The education, social and community services workforces are skilled and knowledgeable about eating disorders appropriate to role and function within the system of care

Implementation of these, along with workforce-related Actions across each component of the system, will ensure we achieve a full and accessible stepped system of care for eating disorders.

NEDC's national leadership in workforce development

As the national sector collaboration for eating disorders, NEDC leads the development of nationally consistent workforce standards, frameworks and resources, and works with training providers, tertiary educators, professional bodies, services, Primary Health Networks and people with lived experience to put them into practice. NEDC’s workforce initiatives directly support implementation of the National Strategy’s workforce standards and actions. Some of these activities are outlined below and further information can be accessed through the relevant webpages.

Workforce Implementation Plan

The National Eating Disorder Workforce Implementation Plan 2026–2033 sets out how the workforce standards and actions of the National Strategy will be progressed over the life of the Strategy. This includes articulating roles, timelines, resources, and implementation approach.

Workforce Core Competencies

The Workforce Core Competencies describe the knowledge and skills needed for the safe and effective identification of and response to eating disorders. They underpin NEDC’s training standards, tertiary education work and workforce development resources.

Workforce Development Hub

The Workforce Development Hub helps individuals, managers, leaders and services find evidence-based workforce and professional development tools and resources. Resources are organised around NEDC’s workforce development model across four domains: preparation, training, retention and maturity.

Eating Disorders in Tertiary Initiative

The Eating Disorders in Tertiary Education Initiative supports the embedding of eating disorder competencies in tertiary programs, so that the future workforce enters practice with foundational knowledge and skills. The Initiative includes Eating Disorder Identification Learning Packages, an Educator Training Pathway, Eating Disorder Safe Teaching resources, a National Educator Directory and a National Education Framework.

NEDC training and eLearning

NEDC offers free eLearning and training for health professionals, including Foundations of Eating Disorders: Identification, along with programs for GPs, mental health professionals and fertility care. Further webinars, videos and podcasts support ongoing professional development.

Lived Experience Workforce Plan and Toolkit

The Lived Experience Workforce Plan and Toolkit supports services and organisations to grow and sustain a skilled Lived Experience workforce across the system of care

National Framework for Eating Disorders Training and Training Approvals

The National Framework for Eating Disorders Training gives training providers clarity on what is needed for training to align with best practice standards and the ANZAED Eating Disorder Credential. NEDC coordinates a Training Approvals process for trainings relevant to the Credential, including introductory training, evidence-based treatment model training and evidence-informed dietetic practice.

Training Providers Reference Group

NEDC convenes the Training Providers Reference Group, bringing together eating disorder training providers and professional bodies from across Australia to support implementation of the workforce-related National Strategy Standards and Actions. 

We encourage you to read the Workforce section in the National Strategy

Please see pages 69-72.

References

1. Byrne L, Wang L, Roennfeldt H, Chapman M, Darwin L, Castles C, et al. National lived experience workforce guidelines. [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2023 Jun 23]. Available from: https://www.mentalhealthcommission.gov.au/getmedia/a33cce2a-e7fa-4f90-964d-85dbf1514b6b/NMHC_Lived-Experience-Workforce-Development-Guidelines