Consultant in Psychiatry of Intellectual DisabilitiesNHS

Job summary

We are seeking to appoint a substantive Consultant Psychiatrist within the Croydon Mental Health Learning Disabilities Team for 5 PAs per week. The is a new post; created to meet local service needs. This is one of two consultant posts in the team.

Croydon MHLD is part of the operational directorate of Psychological Medicine and Older Adults at the South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust - the largest mental health trust in the UK.

The post holder will have a designated office in Monks Orchard House at Bethlem Royal Hospital, with access to a trust networked computer and dedicated administrative staff. A laptop for remote working and trust mobile phone will be provided.

Croydon MHLD is a specialist community mental health team for adults with a confirmed diagnosis of learning disability. It has a total caseload ranging between 115 and 125 patients. The service delivers patient contact in multiple modalities, including outpatient clinics, remote virtual consultations as well as community and home visits. The team has strong links with local children and adult mental health services as well as Croydon University Hospital.

Main duties of the job

Key Responsibilities

1) To provide expert assessment of mental health in people with learning disabilities.

2) To provide patients, referrers and carers with diagnostic and management advice;

3) To promote and develop best practice in the management of adults with learning disabilities and mental health problems, locally, regionally and nationally;

4) To make contemporaneous clinical notes on the electronic patient record system employed by the Trust and adhere to Trust/service requirements

5) To lead the MDT in assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating treatment options, including liaison with the patient, carers and the wider multi-disciplinary team;

6) To appropriately escalate patients 'at risk' to the Dynamic Support Register, which is led by the local Integrated Care Board.

7) To facilitate admission and discharge pathways of patients with learning disabilities who require mental health admission, either into adult mental health wards or into specialist inpatient services, working with the MDT, patients, carers, referrers and commissioners to ensure effective processes and good communication;

8) To facilitate liaison with relevant external agencies as appropriate, including with mainstream community mental health services and other specialist services,

9) To participate in on-going education, training and research.

10) To undertake mandatory training, annual job planning and annual NHS Appraisal as required by the Trust.

Job description

The post-holder will be an integral part of the team involved in developing our neurodevelopmental disorders services. There is a highly supportive peer group.

They will take part in clinical and organisational meetings, including CLDT MDT meeting, joint CLDT-MHLD dementia meeting, and mortality review.

Please note that if the balance of clinical activity changes the consultant may be required to alter the balance of the components of this post. This would only take place after discussion with the relevant clinical and managerial leads.

The post holder will be expected to lead research. It is essential that they provide clinical and academic support to the ongoing research projects and facilitate the work of others, as appropriate. The post holder will be expected to actively contribute to the research agenda of the Clinical Academic Group.

The Behavioural and Developmental CAG undertakes a wide range of training activities both within and without the organisation. The post holder will be encouraged to become involved in sharing and developing their expertise as appropriate.

The post-holder will be expected to initiate, participate and implement clinical quality improvement projects on a range of matters relating to quality of service delivery and outcome.

The post-holder will participate in disseminating knowledge about our service and our clinical/research outcomes.

The consultant will need to be approved under Section 12 of the Mental Health Act 1983 and be able to take up Approved Clinician and responsibilities.

Managerial responsibilities

This will be monitored through monthly Performance Meetings.

The post holder will collaboratively assess the needs of service users, maintain records associated with this process, provide further follow-up, and communicate with local agencies.

The post-holder will assist with co-ordinating the clinical activities of the service and support the multidisciplinary team across the Directorate to further develop the assessment and treatment of patients referred to the service.

The post-holder will take part in other clinical and organisational meetings, including the service business meeting, leadership meetings, and the Medical Advisory Committee. as required (for example business meetings).

The post-holder will take part in the Trust clinical governance programme, including active involvement in clinical audit, assessment of untoward incidents, and complaints management.

The post holder will be expected to access appropriate activity data through systems authorised by the Trust. Adequate training will be provided.

The post holder will be provided access to senior clinical and operational leads for regular supervision.

Teaching and Training:The post holder is welcome to join weekly Education and Research meetings as well as other opportunities to participate in teaching. The post holder will be the named clinical supervisor for the core Trainee.

Job Planning:

This are carried out on an annual basis and set out how, when and where the consultants duties and responsibilities will be delivered. A standard whole time job plan will contain 10 Programmed Activities each consisting of 4 hours. Of this there will be 7.5 PAs dedicated for direct clinical care and 2.5 Programmed Activities for supporting professional activities, adjusted pro rata. These Programmed Activities are subject to formal appraisal together with the job plan. The job plan will be developed further in consultation with the Lead Consultant, NPS. The Personal Development Plan will form part of the annual appraisal process which all consultants are expected to undertake with their allocated Appraiser. All consultants are expected to join the Royal College of Psychiatrists for CPD and participate actively in a peer review group as part of the process.

About us

MHLD works in partnership with the Community Learning Disability Team (CLDT), an integrated health and social care team within Croydon Health Services, where there is joint up working on a foundation of strong inter-team relationships with clinical psychology, behaviour specialists, community nursing, acute liaison nurses, social workers, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists.

Where necessary, MHLD services admit to general adult mental health inpatient wards, in line with 'Valuing People', and work to support adult mental health in achieving the purposeful and appropriate hospital admissions, excellence in aspects of care related to intellectual disability, and well-coordinated discharge pathways to ensure safe transition to community and ongoing management which minimises the risk of re-admission to hospital.

Team Composition:

Consultant Psychiatrist 0.8 WTE

Consultant Psychiatrist 0.6 WTE (this post)

1 WTE Core Trainee (CT1 - 3)

2 WTE Community Psychiatric Nurses (Band 6)

1 WTE Team Leader (Band 7)

2 WTE Administrators (Band 4)

1 WTE Peer Support Worker (IST) - Croydon University Health

1 WTE Transforming Care Nurse (IST) - Croydon University Hospital