Community Forensic Learning Disability Consultant

Consultant Psychiatrist with the Specialist Community Forensic Team:

As a Consultant Psychiatrist and Approved Clinician, you will be responsible for ensuring that our service users' needs are met through the delivery of high-quality care by providing a comprehensive psychiatric service to people with a Learning Disability and Forensic needs in Cheshire and Merseyside.

The psychiatry role includes Approved Clinician provision where a person is subject to Conditional Discharge or a Community Treatment Order under the Mental Health Act or where there is an identified need. This is anticipated to equate to a case load of approximately 20 people. The Approved Clinician will be required to have prescriber function as well for the team besides offering specialist assessment (including risk assessments) and management of patients on their caseload.

Working both autonomously and as part of a multi-disciplinary team, you will carry out Consultant Psychiatrist and Approved Clinician duties.

Main duties of the job

Fulfilling the Community Responsible Clinician responsibility for patients accepted into the service will be a major component of this post.

The post holder will have a flexible job plan to provide outpatient or community clinics and home visits. There are no inpatient duties associated with the post.

The Consultant will undertake statutory responsibilities under the MHA, MCA and DoLS and Consent to Treatment.

The Consultant will provide direct clinical work including assessment, diagnosis and treatment of mental and behavioural disorders. They will participate in regular MDT meetings, CPA reviews, MAPPA, safeguarding, risk reviews and providing clinical leadership and Responsible Clinician role.

The role will include outpatient or community clinics, emergency home visits, liaising with forensic support services, attending professional meetings and any other activities involved in delivery of clinical care to the forensic learning disability and or autistic spectrum disorder patients.

Job responsibilities

The Specialist Community Forensic Team (SCFT) is a newly commissioned service based at Hollins Park House in Warrington. This service is for patients with a learning disability and or autism with a forensic need, and serves the community in Merseyside and Cheshire.

There are currently 2 Community Forensic Learning Disability Services, one that serves Greater Manchester and one that serves Lancashire. These service aims to prevent the admission or re-admission to secure services and provides support and advice to local learning disability services in helping to look after service users in the community and to stop future admissions. The Specialist Community Forensic Team (SCFT) for the Cheshire and Mersey area is newly commissioned and will sit alongside the services in Greater Manchester and Lancashire.

The SCFT provides preventative, reactive and evidence-based interventions through a combination of specialist risk assessments and management, face-to-face therapeutic interventions and support, as well as support, training and consultancy to other services to meet the needs of this group.

A core element of this provision is the facilitation of smooth and effective discharge from secure and other inpatient settings.

• Work collaboratively with in-patient services to reduce length of stay
• Support step down and recovery in the community
• Apply a proactive risk management approach to enable service users to fulfil their individual potential and achieve their goals
• Apply specialist forensic skills and knowledge to prevent admission and re-admission, including the role of Clinical Supervisor when supporting people who are Conditionally Discharged
• Delivery of offence specific therapeutic interventions
• Ensure robust multi-agency involvement to ensure public/community safety

It is anticipated that the team will support around 90 people who have a learning disability and or autism who have offended or are at risk of offending.

The psychiatry role includes Approved Clinician / Responsible Clinician provision where a person is subject to Conditional Discharge or a Community Treatment Order under the Mental Health Act or where there is an identified need. This is anticipated to equate to a case load of approximately 20 people. The Responsible Clinician will be required to have prescriber function as well for the team besides offering specialist assessment (including risk assessments) and management of patients on their caseload.

The SCFT offers a full MDT component including highly skilled specialist nurses, Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists, Support Worker, Social Work and Psychologists. This role will be supported by a designated medical secretary. There are no junior doctors attached to the team and therefore this is the single medical role for the service.

This post will require close working with Cheshire and Merseyside Learning Disability services and Mersey Care Forensic LD services.

This role is for 6 sessions per week.

The candidate will be expected to hold a full GMC registration. MRCPsych qualification is desirable. Candidates who are included in the Specialist Register through Article 14 would be welcome to apply. Trainees in Learning Disability or Forensic Psychiatry who are eligible to commence work as a Consultant Psychiatrist would also be welcome.

The applicant must be approved under Section 12(2) of The Mental Health Act 1983 and must have Approved Clinician status.

The post holder will have flexibility of starting in gradually increasing number of activities which can be discussed with the Clinical Director for LD& A Services.

This is a part-time post with Total PAs: 6 [SPA: 1.5 + DCC: 4.5]

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Full GMC Registration or eligibility to be included on the register and holding a current licence to practise at the time of Appointment.
• Section 12 approval.
• In possession of Approved Clinical Status.
• Post holder to maintain AC approval.

Desirable

• MRCPsych or equivalent.
• Eligible for inclusion in Specialist Register or within 6 months of gaining CCT.
• Relevant Higher Degree or other additional clinical qualifications.
• CCT in Psychiatry

Experience

Essential

• Knowledge and experience of assessing and treating individuals with learning disability and or autism.
• Treating individuals with forensic needs.

Personal Skills

Essential

• To possess leadership skills and be able to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team.
• Ability to manage own time, workload and prioritise clinical work.
• Ability to appraise own performance as a consultant.
• Able to demonstrate excellent communication skills, in order to effectively work with patients, carers and staff.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Approachable and compassionate personality with good listening skills.

Desirable

• Evidence of specific achievements that demonstrate leadership skills.
• Flexible and tolerant.
• Relaxed when dealing with teams under pressure.
• Motivational skills.

Knowledge

Essential

• Understanding of the management skills required to function successfully as a Consultant.
• Awareness of current issues in mental health service provision, Transforming Care policy and legislation.
• An understanding of the importance of Clinical Governance in NHS organisations and importance in patient care.
• 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.

Desirable

• Knowledge of alternatives to inpatient admission care approaches.
• Wide range of specialist and sub-specialist experience relevant to post within NHS or comparable service.

Transport

Essential

• Holds and will use valid UK driving licence OR provides evidence of proposed alternative.
• Non-drivers due to disability will be supported via access to work scheme.

Academic Skills and Lifelong Learning

Essential

• Ability to work Constructively and to lead a multidisciplinary team.
• Participated in continuous professional development.
• Participated in research or service evaluation.
• Able to use and appraise clinical evidence.
• Has actively participated in clinical audit.

Desirable

• Reflected on purpose of CPD undertaken.
• Experienced in clinical research and / or service evaluation.
• Evidence of achievement in education, research, audit and service improvement: awards, prizes, presentations and publications.
• Has led clinical audits leading to service change.

Employer details

Employer name

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Hollins Park House, Hollins Park Hospital
Warrington
WA2 8WA

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