Consultant child and Adolescent Psychiatrist (CCATT)

We are seeking a Consultant Children and Adolescent Psychiatrist.

CAMHS is part of the Specialist Services Strategic Business Unit in HPFT, managed by the Clinical Director (Dr Shaheen Shora - Fiona McMillian-Shields -non-medical). CAMHS is managed by a Senior Service Line Leader, Natalija Lytrides, supported by Professional Leads and CAMHS Community Managers.

The four geographical divisions provide Tier 2 and 3 services plus the CAMHS Targeted team, as well as parenting support services into the Family Centres.

CAMHS are provided by Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust across the entire county.

The clinics accept referrals from a number of sources including General Practitioners, Social Workers, Health Visitors and Consultant Paediatricians. Referrals are processed through SPA (the Single Point of Access). The teams are multi-disciplinary including Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Mental Health Nurses, Child Psychotherapists, Systemic Therapists and Social Workers. These teams work on an outpatient model and currently receive approximately 250 referrals per month across Hertfordshire.

The aim of these posts is to support the youth offending teams who often come into contact with children with a mental health difficulty. These children may not traditionally access child and family services or whose difficulties may be of low complexity and therefore can be worked within their community setting through a short intervention.

Main duties of the job

An exciting opportunity has become available for a substantive Consultant Psychiatrist to join our CAMHS Children's Crisis and Assessment and Treatment Team service offer in Hertfordshire (CCATT). This post is to cover a vacancy and has also been expanded to become 10Pas.

CCAT team operates over three clinical sites - Watford General, Lister Hospital and has an operational site at 15 Forest Lane, Kingsley Green, Harper Lane, Radlett. The team works cohesively together and meets daily to discuss all referrals and progress of escalations.

The CCATT team comprises one clinical Manager, one clinical lead, 9 social workers bands 6-7, 16 qualified Nurses bands 5-7, two Healthcare assistants, one Psychologist, one Assistant psychologist, one psychotherapist, one counsellor, two admin and one receptionist.

The post holder will also support the CCATT- Community Intervention team (Radlett based) which aims to offer a brief intervention and support to young people who have presented in crisis and who are not yet under any established services. This may include chairing the weekly MDT and also offering approximately 1-1.5 PA per week for follow ups or urgent reviews for those who require consultant input or a second opinion about escalation to tier 4, for example acute psychosis, this would be approximately 1-2 reviews/week at maximum.

About us

In 12 years, the Trust has been successful in acquiring the tender for the provision of specialist Learning disability services in Norfolk, North Essex and Buckinghamshire. The Trust covers a mix of rural and urban areas, including the City of St Albans, the large towns of Watford, Welwyn Garden City and Stevenage, and the smaller towns of Hemel Hempstead, Radlett, Berkhamsted, Harpenden, Hertford, Ware, Bishops Stortford, Hitchin and Letchworth.

Hertfordshire Social Services have divided the county into four areas. The county has three Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs). West Hertfordshire is served by Herts Valleys CCG and Dacorum and East and North Hertfordshire is served by East and North Herts CCG.

The Trust collaborates closely with Hertfordshire County Council and other NHS organisations to promote and support mental health in the community. The Trust clinical services moved from Strategic Business Units (SBUs) into four divisions on the 1st of April 2024, providing clinical services to Adult Community Services, including local teams for mental health, Adult Acute and Urgent Services, including rehabilitation, inpatient services and crisis team, Specialist Services such as mental health services for older people, eating disorders, and our mother and baby unit, Learning Disability and Forensic Services.

Job description

Job responsibilities

1. To see new assessments including formulations and risk assessments as well as management plans for patients in Watford Hospital or Kingsley Green Place of Safety (136 suite at Radlett).
2. To provide follow ups and reviews as needed to complex patients under the brief CCATT intervention team.
3. To work closely with/provide consultation to the multidisciplinary team and other agencies in health and social care as appropriate.
4. To provide clinical leadership to the multidisciplinary team including the brief intervention team and manage occasional emergencies and unforeseen circumstances in consultation with senior and junior colleagues.
5. To liaise with senior medical and MDT colleagues from Watford Hospital wards supporting admission and care of the young people in crisis and foster good relationships with them.
6. To act as Responsible Clinician for the allocated young people admitted at Watford Hospital under the Mental Health Act whilst awaiting a tier 4 bed.
7. To liaise with community CAMHS consultants and support the discussions with Tier 4 teams for young people on an admission pathway.
8. To participate and offer psychiatric contribution to the daily team clinical meetings.
9. To provide consultation, advice and appropriate support to professionals in the wider network of the young person and/or family in hospital.
10. Work in partnership with the peer colleagues in the Tier 4 pathway (Forest House, CAMHS DBT service, CAMHS Eating Disorder Service and CAMHS Home Treatment Team) in supporting YPs effective discharge from the acute hospital.
11. To provide cross cover to CCATT Lister Consultant colleague as needed.
12. To provide cross-cover for the other consultants as may be needed across tier 4 and specialist services such as Forest House, DBT, CCATT and Eating Disorders.
13. To provide opportunities for case-based discussion and teaching to the MDT.
14. To undertake the administrative duties associated with the care of patients and provide reliable written communications to General Medical practitioners/liaise with other professionals as required.
15. To record clinical activity accurately and comprehensively.
16. To take an active role in the pathway and CAMHS clinical governance in liaison with the Senior Leadership Team (Meetings are held every Tuesday at midday) and contribute to the development of internal clinical pathways/processes and ensure smooth pathways for patients moving between the Tier 4 services.
17. To participate in various medical staff meetings within the Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust as necessary.

Person Specification

QUALIFICATIONS

Essential

• MB BS or equivalent medical qualification.
• MRCPsych OR MRCPsych equivalent approved by the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Desirable

• Qualification or higher degree in medical education, clinical research or management.
• Relevant higher degree, e.g. MD, PhD, MSc or other additional clinical qualifications.

ELIGIBILITY

Essential

• Fully registered with the GMC with a licence to practise at the time of appointment.
• CCT in Psychiatry OR Inclusion on the GMC Specialist Register in psychiatry OR within six months of achieving CCT/CESR at the time of interview.
• Section 12/Approved clinician approval.

Desirable

• In good standing with GMC with respect to warning and conditions on practice.

CLINICAL SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE

Essential

• Experience of the full range of clinical responsibilities expected of a consultant in child and adolescent service.
• Experience of close collaborative working with social care and other agencies.
• Experience of working with service users who have complex needs within child and adolescent service.
• Excellent clinical skills using bio-psychosocial perspective and wide medical knowledge.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Able to manage clinical complexity and uncertainty.
• Makes decisions based on evidence and experience including the contribution of others.
• Broad range of experience in psychiatric practice and in the use of psychological therapies.
• Willingness and ability to work with others to achieve shared goals.
• Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team.
• Ability to demonstrate experience and knowledge of Safeguarding in child and adolescent mental health.

Desirable

• Wide range of specialist and subspecialist experience relevant to post within NHS or comparable service.
• Excellent degree of medical knowledge in relation to child and adolescent service.

ACADEMIC SKILLS LIFELONG LEARNING

Essential

• Able to deliver undergraduate or postgraduate teaching and training.
• Participated in continuous professional development.
• Participated in research or service evaluation.
• Able to use and appraise clinical evidence.
• Has actively participated in clinical audit.
• Holds a full valid driving license and access to a car (Unless you have a disability as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995).

Desirable

• 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: awards, prizes, presentations and publications.
• Has led clinical audits leading to service change.
• Experience of organising and overseeing psychotherapy training program for psychiatry trainees.

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