Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist with a special interest in intellectual disability to join the Child & Adolescent Learning Disability Service (CALDS) in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.  This post is part-time, working 6 sessions per week.

The CALDS team supports children and young people aged 5–18 with moderate to severe learning disabilities who present with significant mental health difficulties and/or behaviours that challenge. We are committed to delivering holistic, trauma-informed care in partnership with families, education, social care, and the wider health system.

Applicants should either be on the Specialist Register or be a Specialist Registrar within six months of their expected date of receipt of a CCT at the time of interview.

You will be able to take advantage of the excellent Consultant contract for Wales.  The basic salary range for this post is £66,144 per annum to £96,570 per annum for a 6-session commitment.

Applicants must ensure they provide names and contact details of referees covering at least the last 3 years of their employment/training history in full.  In addition, applicants who are currently or have most recently been employed as a substantive Consultant or as a Locum Consultant in post for more than 12 months must also provide the name of their Medical Director as an additional referee.

Main duties of the job

The Consultant will work as part of a multidisciplinary team including clinical psychology, nursing, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy and involves joint working with CAMHS psychiatrists and community paediatricians. Joint clinics with paediatrics—often based in special schools—form a core part of the role, alongside consultation and liaison with other services.

The appointee will provide specialist psychiatric assessment, formulation and treatment for children/young people with learning disabilities and associated mental health/behavioural difficulties. These individuals typically require co-ordinated, multi-agency support addressing complex needs that significantly impact daily functioning. 

The role includes joint clinics with community paediatricians, frequently held in special school settings, and follows a biopsychosocial model of care incorporating contributions from across the child’s environment. Home visits, classroom observations, and inter-agency planning meetings form a routine part of the assessment and review process. 

This post offers excellent opportunities for clinical leadership, service development, and involvement in strategic initiatives, including transition to adult services, health equity, and the promotion of learning disability services within the directorate. You will be well supported with dedicated admin, flexible working arrangements, and a strong team ethos.

Working for our organisation

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is one of the largest Integrated Health Boards in the UK, employing over 17,000 staff, providing over 100 specialist services.   Working across 6 hospital sites, we have a diverse range of career opportunities to offer. Serving over 500,000 people living in Cardiff and the Vale, we are focussed on the health and care needs of our local population whilst working with our partners to develop regional services. Together we are committed to improving health outcomes for everyone, delivering excellent care and support.

Our mission is “Living Well, Caring Well, Working Together”, and our vision is that every person’s chance of leading a healthy life should be equal. Our 10-year transformation and improvement strategy, Shaping Our Future Wellbeing, is our chance to work collaboratively with the public and our workforce to make our health board more sustainable for the future.