Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist & Clinical Director

Job overview

It is an exciting opportunity to help develop this medium secure service.

Applicants must be eligible for registration on the General Medical Council (GMC) Specialist Register, have Approved Clinician status and be approved under Section 12(2) of the Mental Health Act.

Membership of the Royal College of Psychiatrists is preferred, but equivalent qualifications and experience would be considered.

Main duties of the job

To manage, appraise and give professional supervision to junior medical staff as agreed between consultant colleagues and the medical director and in accordance with the Trust’s personnel policies and procedures. This may include assessing competences under the Modernising Medical Careers framework.

To ensure that junior medical staff working with the postholder operate within the parameters of the New Deal and are Working Time Directive compliant.

To undertake the administrative duties associated with the care of patients.

To record clinical activity accurately and comprehensively, and submit this promptly to the Information Department.

To participate in service and business planning activity for the locality and, as appropriate, for the whole mental health service.

To participate in annual appraisal for Consultants.

To attend and participate in the Wathwood academic programme, including lectures and seminars as part of the internal CPD programme.

To maintain professional registration with the General Medical Council, Mental Health Act Section 12(2) approval, and to abide by professional codes of conduct.

To participate annually in a job plan review with the Associate Medical Director, which will include consultation with a relevant manager to ensure that the post is developed to take account of changes in service configuration and delivery associated with modernisation.

Working for our organisation

Wathwood Hospital is a purpose-built Regional Secure Unit for patients with Mental Illness. The clinical facilities are currently divided into an ICU (3 beds), Assessment ward (11 bed), Continuing care ward (20 beds), Rehabilitation ward (22 beds) and The Lodges (20 beds).

Wathwood receives referrals from courts, prisons, the probation service, social services, high secure hospitals, other mental health units etc for the assessment and treatment of mentally disordered offenders and others with similar needs.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

This appointment is for a full-time Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist and Clinical Director, CD, (10 Programmed Activities of which 6 PAs clinical and 4 PAs are CD-related) at Wathwood Hospital. The postholder will be working with male patients with a primary diagnosis of Mental Illness.

The appointee will:

1. Lead a multidisciplinary team in the assessment and treatment of male patients requiring treatment in conditions of medium security.
2. Provide pre-admission assessments in line with contractual requirements and provide Commissioners with appropriate advice.
3. Manage an inpatient case load equivalent to 0.6 WTE of a full-time clinician (up to 12 patients). This includes patients across the hospital, with varying levels of acuity and treatment need.
4. Chair ward rounds, convene and chair CPA meetings and provide clinical leadership to the MDT.
5. Provide timely reports to Hospital Managers, Tribunals, the Ministry of Justice and Courts etc.
6. Liaise with all necessary organisations in order to provide patients with the appropriate care pathway and will convene and chair Section 117 meetings.
7. Be actively encouraged to develop expertise and participate in a range of psychological programmes offered in Wathwood Hospital.
8. Comply with all Trust policies and procedures.
9. Act as the Care Coordinator and oversee the treatment of patients in their care following admission.
10. Undertake clinical audit and quality improvement.
11. Contribute to ongoing service developments and improvements.
12. Contribute to the development of clinical governance and quality assurance.
13. Participate in the on-call rota to ensure that Wathwood Hospital is provided with 24 hour Consultant cover. It is anticipated that the on-call rota will be a 1 in 5 non-residential. There is a 1^st Tier on call (with Core Trainees, Higher Trainees, Staff grades and Speciality Doctors) also oncall at all times. The oncall solely covers Wathwood Hospital.
14. There are no separate special responsibilities.

Person specification

Qualifications

• MB BS or equivalent medical qualification
• MRCPsych or equivalent
• Full GMC registration
• Eligibility for inclusion on the Specialist Register or CCT in Forensic Psychiatry (or General Adult Psychiatry with appropriate forensic experience)
• Section 12(2) approval, Approved Clinician status and DBS clearance

• Relevant higher degree, eg MD, PhD, MSc or other additional clinical qualifications
• Qualification or higher degree in medical education, clinical research or management
• Additional clinical qualifications

Eligibility

• Fully registered with the GMC with a licence to practise at the time of appointment
• Included on the GMC Specialist Register OR within 6 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

Clinical Skills, Knowledge & Experience

• Excellent knowledge in specialty
• 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
• Makes decisions based on evidence and experience including the contribution of others
• Able to meet duties under MHA and MCA
• Ability to take a leadership role in a multi-disciplinary team, ensuring high-quality care and staff morale
• Ability to manage own time, workload and prioritise clinical work
• Ability to appraise own performance
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Experience in providing written reports for legal purposes
• Expert knowledge of forensic psychiatry
• Risk management linked to provisions of mental health care including secure care and protection of public
• Experience of Care Programme Approach

• Wide range of specialist and sub-specialist experience relevant to post within NHS or comparable service.
• Evidence of specific achievements that demonstrate leadership skills
• Additional clinical qualification
• Find creative solutions to problems
• Liaise with colleagues in management of complex clinical issues
• Additional knowledge in one or more areas of specialty
• Knowledge of recent developments and treatment advances in the care of offenders
• Knowledge of HCR-20, PCL-R and other risk assessment tools
• Knowledge of NHS systems

Academic Skills and Lifelong Learning

• Able to deliver undergraduate or postgraduate teaching and training
• Demonstrate commitment to shared leadership & collaborative working to deliver improvement
• Has actively participated in clinical audit and quality improvement programmes
• Ability to work in and lead team
• Able to use and appraise clinical evidence.
• Participated in research or service evaluation.
• Has actively participated in clinical audit and quality improvement programmes
• Participate in CPD Programme
• Teach trainees from medical and allied health professionals in clinical settings

• 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 or improved outcomes to patients
• Teaching experience

Experience

• 3 years approved higher training in Forensic Psychiatry (or General Adult Psychiatry and equivalent experience in forensic psychiatry)
• Working with mentally disordered offenders
• Higher Specialist Trainees are eligible to apply if within 6 months of their CCT date

• Relevant experience, eg specific psychological therapies
• Experience of working in secure psychiatric settings

Research and Audit

• Ability to critically appraise published research
• Participation in on-going audit

• Experience of involvement in a research project and publication
• Interest in research
• Published audit project

Management

• Knowledge of the management and structure of the NHS
• Ability to contribute to the Directorate and Organisation’s Strategic Direction

• Evidence of management training
• Previous management experience
• Evidence of a management project

• We reserve the right to close the post early once we have received a sufficient number of applicants.
• The Trust believes in treating everyone with dignity and respect and encourages applications from all sectors of the community. We guarantee an interview to candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum essential criteria.
• In submitting an application form, you authorise Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to confirm from your previous or current NHS employer and other prior employers; previous NHS service details and personal data held about you. This data will be transferred using NHS Electronic Staff Record and third party systems via an automated process and only used for the purposes of obtaining and maintaining accurate employment records, should you be appointed to the post. Should you require any further information please refer our Privacy Policy shown on the Trust website, please click here for more information.
• For eligible posts, DBS disclosures are mandatory before commencement of employment. If you are in a position that is deemed a regulated adult and/or child care role, you will not be able to start your employment until we have received a satisfactory DBS Disclosure. The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Convictions which would otherwise be considered as 'spent' will also be checked as part of an Enhanced DBS Disclosure.