Job summary
- Main area
- Consultant Psychiatrist
- Grade
- NHS Medical & Dental: Consultant
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 354-LD-20351
- Employer
- Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Battle Health Centre
- Town
- Battle
- Salary
- £113,565 - £150,569 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 26/10/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Consultant Psychiatrist in Learning Disabilities £45k RRP
NHS Medical & Dental: Consultant
Come and join us
We’re looking for people who share our values of compassion, accountability and optimism to help us provide high quality care for the patients, carers, families and communities we serve. We specialise in NHS mental health and learning disability services and we’re proud to make a difference every day.
At SPFT we put people first. We’ll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. You’ll have opportunities to learn, grow and gain new experiences to support your career, with access to lifelong learning and professional development.
We actively promote flexible working and understand how important work life balance is, especially in healthcare. Whether it’s part time hours, hybrid working or flexible start and finish times, we’ll explore what works for you and the role.
We recognise that tools like AI are becoming part of everyday life and you may choose to use them when preparing your application. We welcome this, as long as what you submit reflects your own experience, skills and voice. AI can be helpful for structuring or refining your answers, but it should not replace your own examples or create content that isn’t based on your real experience.
Our recruitment process is designed to get to know you, and we’ll explore your examples further at interview, so it’s important your application genuinely represents what you bring. You can read more about using AI in applications and interviews on our recruitment process page.
We’re shaping a workplace where ideas are encouraged, technology supports you and everyone has a voice in how we improve. If that sounds like the kind of organisation you want to be part of, we’d love to hear from you.
Job overview
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is seeking to appoint a substantive Consultant Psychiatrist to an exciting all-age community learning disability post based in East Sussex. The role combines adult learning disability psychiatry within the Hastings & Rother Community Team for People with Learning Disabilities (CTLD) with specialist psychiatric input to East Sussex CAMHS Learning Disability services.
The successful applicant will provide clinical leadership across these services, working within well-established multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-quality, person-centred care for children, young people and adults with learning disabilities. The post offers the opportunity to contribute to service development, clinical innovation and the ongoing improvement of outcomes for some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, while supporting seamless transitions across the lifespan.
This job attracts a Recruitment and Retention payment of £45,000 structured over a three-year period as follows:
o £15,000 payable upon successful recruitment
o £10,000 payable at 12 months’ service
o £10,000 payable at 24 months’ service
o £10,000 payable at 36 months’ service
The RRP is pro rata for LTFT position. For full terms and conditions of the RRP, please contact [email protected]
Main duties of the job
The post holder will provide medical leadership and specialist psychiatric care across an all-age learning disability service, supporting children, young people and adults with learning disabilities who present with complex mental health needs, autism, behaviours that challenge, dementia and other neurodevelopmental conditions. The role combines consultant responsibility within the Hastings & Rother Community Team for People with Learning Disabilities (CTLD) and specialist psychiatric input to the East Sussex CAMHS Learning Disability Family Intensive Support Service (LDFISS), supporting effective transition between children's and adult services.
The Consultant Psychiatrist will undertake specialist psychiatric assessment, diagnosis, treatment and ongoing management, including risk assessment, psychopharmacological interventions and Mental Health Act work where required. They will provide clinical leadership to multidisciplinary teams, working with service users, families, carers, primary care and partner agencies to deliver high-quality, person-centred care.
The post holder will contribute to specialist clinical interventions, crisis support, consultation to families and care providers, service development and support for reasonable adjustments within mainstream services. They will also contribute to clinical governance, quality improvement, teaching and supervision, ensuring the delivery of safe, effective and evidence-based care across the pathway.
Working for our organisation
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
This is an exciting opportunity for a Consultant Psychiatrist to work within an innovative all-age Learning Disability Service across East Sussex. The post combines specialist adult learning disability psychiatry within the Hastings & Rother Community Team for People with Learning Disabilities (CTLD) with psychiatric input to the Learning Disability Family Intensive Support Service (LDFISS).
The post holder will provide specialist assessment, diagnosis and treatment for children, young people and adults with learning disabilities who present with complex mental health needs, autism and behaviours that challenge. Working as part of established multidisciplinary teams, the successful applicant will provide clinical leadership, support positive outcomes and promote high-quality, person-centred care.
Key responsibilities include:
- Providing specialist psychiatric assessment, diagnosis, treatment and ongoing clinical management.
- Offering medical leadership and expert advice within multidisciplinary teams.
- Supporting effective transitions between children's and adult services.
- Contributing to crisis support, risk assessment, safeguarding and care planning.
- Supporting implementation of the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and associated legislation.
- Working collaboratively with families, carers, primary care, social care and partner agencies.
- Supporting mainstream services to make reasonable adjustments for people with learning disabilities.
- Helping to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions and supporting timely discharge planning.
- Participating in service development, quality improvement and clinical governance activities.
- Supervising junior medical staff and contributing to teaching and professional development.
The successful applicant will be expected to hold, or be willing to work towards, Approved Clinician and Responsible Clinician status and will play a key role in shaping and developing learning disability services across Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- MB BS or equivalent medical qualification.
Desirable criteria
- Qualification or higher degree in medical education, clinical research or management
- MRCPsych
- Additional clinical qualifications
Eligibility
Essential criteria
- Fully registered with the GMC with a licence to practise at the time of appointment.
- Included on the GMC Specialist Register OR within six months.
- Approved clinician status OR able to achieve within 3 months of appointment
Desirable criteria
- In good standing with GMC with respect to warning and conditions on practice
Transport
Essential criteria
- Holds and will use valid UK driving licence OR provides evidence of proposed alternative.
Clinical Skills, Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria
- Excellent knowledge in specialty
- Excellent clinical skills using bio-psycho-social perspective and wide medical knowledge
- Excellent oral and written communication skills in English
- Able to manage clinical complexity and uncertainty
- Makes decisions based on evidence and experience including the contribution of others
- Able to meet duties under MHA and MCA
Desirable criteria
- Wide range of specialist and sub-specialist experience relevant to post within NHS or comparable service
ACADEMIC SKILLS & LIFELONG LEARNING
Essential criteria
- Ability to work in and lead team
- Demonstrate commitment to shared leadership & collaborative working to deliver improvement.
- Participated in continuous professional development
- Participated in research or service evaluation
- Able to use and appraise clinical evidence.
- Has actively participated in clinical audit and quality improvement programmes
- Ability to work in a participatory way so that shared decision making and conversations around formulation/diagnosis and ongoing care are a collaborative endeavour with the people who access our service.
Desirable criteria
- Able to plan and deliver undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and training relevant to this post
- Reflected on purpose of CPD undertaken
- Experienced in clinical research and / or service evaluation.
- Evidence of achievement in education, research, audit and service improvement: SL awards, prizes, presentations and publications.
- Has led clinical audits leading to service change or improved outcomes to patients
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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
- Dr Rabab Yassin
- Job title
- Lead Consultant Psychiatrist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Additional information
Rhian Tucker
Clinical Team Lead, Hastings and Rother CLDT
0300 304 0314
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