Consultant Psychiatrist - Forensics

South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust

This consultant post has arisen due to the departure of a consultant forensic psychiatrist in the Forensic Service. The post-holder will be responsible for the care and treatment of 40-50 community patients living in south-west London. The post holder will also provide clinical leadership to the Criminal Justice Liaison & Diversion Service (courts and police custody) and provide a forensic consultancy service to the London Borough of Wandsworth.

The post-holder will be managerially and professionally accountable to the Forensic, National and Specialist Services Clinical Director.

The post is full-time (10 PAs) and the post holder will be working alongside another consultant forensic psychiatrist within the team, Dr Mary Harty who provides 5 PAs.

Main duties of the job

The employer is the Trust whose main base is Springfield University Hospital. It is a full-time post for 10 Programmed Activities (PAs): 7.5 PAs for Direct Clinical Care (DCC) and 2.5 PAs for Supporting Professional Activities (SPA). The clinical sessions are devoted to clinical work in the Forensic Outreach Service and Criminal Justice Liaison Service, and to providing a consultancy service to the London Borough of Wandsworth. The post holder may be eligible to apply for an Honorary Senior Lectureship at St George's, University of London.

Job responsibilities

The Consultant will be eligible to train a Higher Specialist Trainee (ST4-6) from the South London Higher Specialist Training Scheme in Forensic Psychiatry after successful completion of appraisal as an educational supervisor by the Training Programme Director. The post holder will be supported to pursue research as an SPA activity.

The appointed consultant will be accountable to the Clinical Director for:

1. Providing clinical leadership and supporting the team in the coordination of the clinical teams
2. Assisting the teams in prioritising resources given to individual patients
3. Ensuring effective assessment, planning and delivery of care
4. Contributing to the SLP forensic Provider Collaborative (PC) Community and L&D pathway

Please refer to the attached JDPS for more information.

Person Specification Training & Qualifications

• Primary Medical degree
• Full GMC registration
• Included on the GMC Specialist Register or eligible for such inclusion, within 3 months of the interview. Approval under section 12(2) of the Mental Health Act, with Approved Clinician status (or eligibility and willingness to apply for such approval once in post)
• Recognised professional qualification as a psychiatrist such as MRCPsych
• Specialist Registration as a Forensic or General adult Psychiatrist

Knowledge

• Medication management for complex and often treatment-resistant conditions
• Management of complex multi-source information to develop a formulation and management plan, integrating biological, psychological and social perspectives
• Physical health assessment and promotion
• Appropriate use of mental health and other legislation
• Use of reflective practice, both for continuous professional development and for team relationships and functioning
• Basic competence in using information technology for clinical purposes (such as clinical records system), or willingness to complete additional training in using such systems once in post
• Experience of working in the community
• Experience of working in the Criminal Justice System
• Assessment and management of addiction and substance misuse

Ability to enhance specialty of mental health care provided

• Commitment to developing practice through clinical audit
• Experience of service planning, quality assurance and quality improvement including the collection and analysis of health & social care data
• Experience of liaison with commissioners

Research and Publications

• Evidence of participation in publishable research and willingness to continue.
• Intention to continue to develop a relevant research or special interest

Personal Qualities

• Ability to provide clinical leadership.
• Willingness to supervise junior medical staff and staff from other disciplines.
• Willingness to take on fair share of Trust-wide duties where necessary.
• Commitment to personal and service development.
• Ability to work co-operatively in a multi-disciplinary team
• Ability to manage and adapt to change
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills
• Leadership and negotiation skills
• A commitment to lifelong learning

Personal

• Personal experience of mental health problems

Teaching

• Approval as a clinical supervisor or eligibility and willingness to gain approval (including undertaking additional training if required)
• Experience of teaching undergraduate and postgraduate psychiatry

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.