Job summary
- Main area
- Psychiatry
- Grade
- NHS Medical & Dental: Consultant
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Part time - 8 sessions per week
- Job ref
- 334-SOU-8001968-JA
- Employer
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- St Giles House, 1 St Giles Road, London, SE5 7UD
- Town
- London
- Salary
- £113,565 - £150,569 per annum pro rata
- Closing
- 23/06/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Consultant Psychiatrist Southwark Team for Early Psychosis (STEP)
NHS Medical & Dental: Consultant
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth and Richmond.
We are committed to provide a high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for our care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’.
We launched our five-year strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives in 2021 together with Our Care Improvement System as our quality management system methodology to make a positive impact on patient care, outcomes and staff experience. By joining SLaM, all staff will get the opportunity to be part of this exciting improvement journey supported with learning and development to harness everyone’s potential as change makers.
The trust recognises the unique and valuable contribution that people with lived experience of mental illness can bring to a role. We therefore welcome applications from people with lived experience and consider them as an asset to the Trust.
Our Values
We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I say I’m going to do is at the heart of everything we do. When you join us, you’ll be part of something special.
As a Trust we are happy to talk flexible working.
Job overview
The STEP team is a stand- alone community service offering support and management of First Episode Psychosis (FEP) to 18-65 year olds for up to 3 years following first episode. You will work as part of a comprehensive MDT including another consultant (0.4), an associate specialist (LTFT), ST (part time as split post with primary care mental health team), advance practitioner, mental health practitioners, psychologists, occupational therapists and admin support. STEP offers early treatment by means of a range of pharmacological, psychological and social interventions to adults who have made a transition to psychosis and are in the early stages of their illnesses. Care is provided according to PIG guidelines for FEP, using the model of care coordination to ensure that patients have access to the best treatment options available. Particular areas of focus are improving social and occupational outcomes in psychosis through vocational work, befriending, and support groups; and working with families to offer psychoeducation, carer support and family interventions.
Main duties of the job
The main duties of this post include providing psychiatry consultant leadership to the Southwark service for Treatment of Early Psychosis) team (STEP). Please see job description for more details.
Working for our organisation
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLAM) provides a range of mental health, learning disability and substance misuse services for people living in four local Boroughs in South London, Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham and Croydon, as well as providing a range of national specialist services.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Main duties:
· To provide enthusiastic, and flexible, joint clinical leadership and consultant input into the team, alongside the team leader and other consultant
· To take consultant responsibility for patients, acting as Approved Clinician and assessing or supervising assessment and management of patients and devising or helping to devise appropriate treatment plans and medication regimes, providing prompt medical response, and advising and work closely with other members of the multidisciplinary team
· To offer expert risk assessment and management skills in complex care of people with severe mental illness
· To ensure excellence in the delivery of evidence-based treatments
· To act as a source of support, advice and information to current or prospective patients and their carers, referrers, team members and other professionals
· Provide reciprocal Approved Clinician cover including under Section 12 of the Mental Health Act for the leave, study leave and sickness of senior medical staff in Southwark during working hours
· To keep up-to-date with all developments in research and treatment around early intervention
· To develop strong working relationships with outside stakeholders, notably GPs, local authority social services, housing providers and local voluntary organisations.
· To undertake responsibilities as an approved clinician under Section 12 of the Mental Health Act 1983 as needed
· To work flexibly with other teams within SLaM and other mental trusts, and with the voluntary sector, to ensure good coordination of care
Person specification
Qualifications and Training
Essential criteria
- Full registration with the General Medical Council with a licence to practice
- Included on the GMC Specialist Register or within 6 months of eligibility
- Approved Clinician status AND Approved under S12 of the UK Mental Health Act (1983), or able to achieve these within 3 months of appointment
Desirable criteria
- Qualification or higher degree in medical education, clinical research or management
- Membership or Fellowship of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
- In good standing with GMC with respect to warning and conditions on practice
- Experience in other relevant specialties such as liaison psychiatry, home treatment or addictions
Experience and clinical skills
Essential criteria
- Excellent knowledge of speciality
- Excellent clinical skills using bio-psycho-social perspective and wide medical knowledge
- Able to manage complexity and uncertainty
- Makes decisions based on evidence and experience including the contributions of others
- Excellent working knowledge and experience of the application of the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act
- Appreciation and understanding of ethnic minority issues and a commitment to developing culturally sensitive practices
- Understanding of social factors relevant to psychiatry
Desirable criteria
- Experience of service development and introducing new services in mental health
- Wide range of specialist and sub-specialist experience relevant to post within NHS or comparable service
Personal skills
Essential criteria
- Ability to work in multidisciplinary team and provide leadership for the team
- Self-motivating
- Confidence in therapeutic risk taking
- Excellent communication skills
- Willingness to innovate and problem-solve service issues
Organisational and management skills
Essential criteria
- Ability to manage complex workloads and support others to do that
- Commitment to working with service users on service development
- Commitment to Clinical Governance
- Demonstrate commitment to shared leadership & collaborative working to deliver improvement
Desirable criteria
- Formal leadership and management training
- Experience of team /service leadership
Research and Audit
Essential criteria
- Participation in Medical Audit and Quality Improvement initiatives
- Commitment to research informed care and service development
Desirable criteria
- Publications in peer-reviewed journals in relevant academic fields
Teaching and supervision
Essential criteria
- Experience of teaching at either undergraduate or postgraduate level
Desirable criteria
- Medical education qualification
- Approval to supervise psychiatric trainees
Other qualities
Essential criteria
- Commitment to developing user-focused services
- Ability to get on with colleagues across disciplines and specialties
- Ability to appraise own performance
Desirable criteria
- Experience of active involvement in service user initiatives
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Daniel Meek
- Job title
- Consultant Psychiatrist
- Email address
- [email protected]
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