Consultant Psychiatrist

NHS; Lewes; On-site; GBP 105,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job description

The Consultant in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry role offers an exciting opportunity to join the Children & Young People's Services in East Sussex at Orchard House, Lewes Victoria Hospital. The post holder will provide comprehensive psychiatric assessments and interventions for children and young people in a community CAMHS setting. This includes medical assessments, care-planning, pharmacological treatments, and Mental Health Act assessments, as well as neuro-developmental assessments for conditions like ASD and ADHD.

A key aspect of the role is offering consultation and advice to professionals across health, social care, and education, ensuring collaborative, high-quality care. The consultant will deliver training to improve mental health knowledge and services locally. Working closely with families and carers is essential for care planning, and the consultant will provide timely guidance to GPs and other referrers to facilitate access to services.

The role involves leadership and supervision within the multidisciplinary team, contributing to service development and the improvement of care standards across the region. This post offers the chance to make a significant impact on mental health services for children and young people while supporting professional growth and service development.

Main duties of the job

As a Consultant in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, you'll have the opportunity to shape the future of mental health care in East Sussex while working with a dynamic, multi-disciplinary team. Based at Orchard House, Lewes Victoria Hospital, you will provide expert psychiatric assessments and interventions to the young people open to the service. As a key team member, you'll offer valuable consultation to professionals across health, social care, education, and other sectors, improving mental health services locally. Engaging with families and carers will be crucial, ensuring care planning is holistic and centred on individual needs.

Beyond clinical duties, you'll provide leadership within the team, contributing to supervision, care management, and service development. With opportunities to participate to influence service improvements, this role offers the chance to have a significant impact on mental health services for children and young people in East Sussex. If you're ready for a rewarding and impactful role, we'd love to hear from you!

About us

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is a leading provider of clinical and social care services for individuals with mental health and learning disability needs across Brighton, Hove, East Sussex, and West Sussex. We work closely with statutory and non-statutory agencies, enhancing the integration of services and improving outcomes for those we care for. As part of a network of 24 health and social care organisations, we focus on strengthening links between services for optimal care.

Our strong emphasis on education and research, through partnerships with Health Education Kent, Surrey and Sussex, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, and the Association of UK University Hospitals, fosters a thriving training environment. This commitment to excellence was recognised by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) with a Good rating and Outstanding for caring in 2018.

Working at Sussex Partnership means being part of a forward-thinking, values-driven organisation committed to continuous service improvement. Employees enjoy a dynamic and flexible work environment, with opportunities for professional development.

Beyond work, East Sussex offers a vibrant lifestyle with easy access to London, the South Downs National Park, and Brighton and Hove. Whether you enjoy outdoor activities, culture, or coastal living, Sussex provides a rewarding work-life balance.

Job responsibilities

The Consultant in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry will provide expert psychiatric assessments and interventions for children and young people, including pharmacological treatment and Mental Health Act assessments. The role involves conducting psychiatric and neuro-developmental assessments, offering consultation to health, social care, and education professionals, and delivering training to improve mental health services. The consultant will engage with families and carers, ensuring their involvement in care planning, and provide timely advice to referrers. Clinical leadership, supervision, and participation in emergency assessments are key aspects of the role. The position offers opportunities to shape mental health services in East Sussex while contributing to service development and professional growth.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• MBBS or equivalent medical qualification
• Qualification or higher degree in medical education, clinical research or management.
• Additional Clinical Qualifications
• 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
• Approved under S12 OR able to achieve within 3 months of appointment
• In good standing with GMC with respect to warning and conditions on practice

Transport

• Holds and will use valid UK driving licence OR provides evidence of proposed alternative.

Clinical Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Excellent knowledge in specialty
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English
• Able to manage clinical complexity and uncertainty
• Able to meet duties under MHA and MCA
• Wide range of specialist and sub-specialist experience relevant to post within NHS or comparable service

Academic Skills & Lifelong Learning

• 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.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

£105,504 to £139,882 a year pro rata, per annum (golden hello retention bonus as extra)