Job summary
- Main area
- Mental Health
- Grade
- NHS Medical & Dental: Consultant
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 40 hours per week
- Job ref
- 354-FH-20574
- Employer
- Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Hellingly Centre
- Town
- Hellingly
- Salary
- £109,725 - £145,478 Per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 10/12/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist
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 AI is becoming part of daily life and you may choose to use it to help prepare your application. We welcome innovation but ask that anything you submit reflects your own abilities, experience and voice. AI can support how you describe your skills and experience, but it should never replace your own words as we want to get to know you.
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
This is an exciting opportunity for a Consultant Psychiatrist to join our forensic health care team in East Sussex providing leadership to deliver high-quality, person-centred care to inpatient forensic patients on a subacute/rehabilitation medium secure ward. This is an established post and has become available due to internal reconfiguration as a result of service expansion. The post-holder will provide clinical leadership for the subacute/rehabilitation ward - Ash ward at the Hellingly Centre. Consultant Psychiatrist would be part of FHS consultant group
Main duties of the job
The inpatient clinical caseload is 15 male patients on Ash - subacute/rehabilitation ward. All patients are detained under the Mental Health Act.
· Clinical duties include delivering inpatient care to the patients and assessment of patients referred to the forensic service through a single point of access. Referrals are allocated at the weekly referrals meeting. On an average there is 1 referral per week.
· Assessments are undertaken independently and with another member of staff from the team (nursing/psychologist), depending on the patient's mental health needs.
· Chair weekly recovery reviews (ward rounds), CPA meetings and participate in risk clinics. Reviews of patients outside the MDT meetings.
Working for our organisation
We provide NHS care and treatment to children, young people, adults and older people who have mental health problems, learning disabilities or neurodiversity needs.
We employ about 5,700 staff. Many of our services are provided in partnership with other organisations. We provide care in people’s homes, in specialist clinics, hospitals and GP surgeries.
As well as being a provider of services across Sussex we also commission specialist beds. Working with NHS and independent sector healthcare organisations across the South-East we are the lead provider in three Provider Collaboratives. These cover adult eating disorders, secure care and children and young people inpatient services.
Sussex Partnership was formed in April 2006 as an NHS Trust and established as an NHS Foundation Trust with teaching trust status in August 2008. We work closely with Brighton and Sussex Medical School, a partnership between the Universities of Brighton and Sussex. In 2015, we became a member of the Association of UK University Hospitals, the representative body for university hospitals with major teaching and research interests across the UK and internationally.
Our services are rated ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission and 'outstanding' for caring. We work closely with other health and care partners to provide the best possible care to our local populations. We have strengths in innovation, including our work in the field of research and development.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
· Provide clinical and strategic leadership for allocated elements of the teams. This will include direct clinical involvement in assessments, diagnosis and management of complex mental health presentations in the context of significant potential risk to self and others.
· It will also include provision of clinical consultation and supervision to the team.
· This post also entails provision of statutory roles including MHA (preparation of reports and Tribunal attendance) and MCA legislation as well as, potentially, the provision of expert testimony to the Criminal Courts.
· The role will also entail significant contributions towards the educational, service development and clinical governance/quality improvement processes within the service.
· To work closely with colleagues from Secure and Forensic community-based services to develop suitable discharge arrangements in preparation for the discharge of suitable secure inpatients to the community and to ensure high quality care pathways.
· To liaise with statutory and non-statutory agencies (Probation, Police, Court, Social Services, voluntary organisations) as required.
· To attend MAPPA meetings as required
· To participate in the weekly referrals meeting
· To offer training to professional audiences as appropriate
· To participate in the East Sussex on-call rota.
· During working hours, the post holder will take part in the Hellingly Centre LTS rota (1:5) together with consultant colleagues.
The post holder will be expected to be approved as a Responsible Clinician or be willing to undertake training to obtain this approval. They will be expected to renew this approval according to agreed procedures.
Person specification
Qualifications & Eligibility
Essential criteria
- MB BS or equivalent medical qualification
- 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.
- In good standing with GMC with respect to warning and conditions on practice
- Approved clinician status OR able to achieve within 3 months of appointment
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
Desirable criteria
- Wide range of specialist and sub-specialist experience relevant to post within NHS or comparable service
Academic Skills & Lifelong Learning
Essential criteria
- Able to deliver undergraduate or postgraduate teaching and training
- 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.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
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 Syed Ali
- Job title
- Lead Psychiatrist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Additional information
Debbie Barrington-Smith
Tel: 0300 304 2062
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