Clinical Pharmacist for Mental Health and Learning Disabilities
Values Based Screener
At Hertfordshire Partnership Foundation Trust we are looking for people to join us who share our values and those of the NHS. Before your application can be considered please take part on our online values questionnaire, which you can find below.When you have finished you will be sent a 'completion code' by email, which will be valid for 6 months and required to submit your application form.
http://hpft.recruitforvalues.com/
Job overview
Progressive Clinical Pharmacist - Band 6 to 7
Are you ready to advance your career in a supportive, forward-thinking pharmacy team? An exciting opportunity has arisen for a motivated and enthusiastic Clinical Pharmacist to join our expanding mental health pharmacy services. Whether you’re newly qualified or looking to transition from Band 6 to Band 7, we’re committed to helping you develop and thrive.
As part of our dynamic team, you will deliver comprehensive, patient-centered clinical pharmacy services across diverse mental health specialties, with opportunities to participate in our structured rotational programme. While mental health experience is an advantage, we welcome applications from those with a strong interest in the field.For the right candidate, we offer tailored in-house training, support to obtain post-graduate qualifications, and the option to progress to an independent prescribing qualification.
Why Join Us?- Be part of an outstanding Trust focused on developing innovative patient care in mental health
- Receive support for post-graduate qualifications and, if relevant, the Newly Qualified Pharmacist Pathway
- Direct Band 7 placement possible for candidates demonstrating the required skills and experience
Here’s what our team says:
“It’s a privilege to help people make the changes they want to see in their lives. As a pharmacist, I advocate for my patients, ensuring they’re involved in decisions about their medicines.” – Current Clinical Pharmacist
Main duties of the job
As a Clinical Pharmacist, you will:
- Deliver high-quality clinical pharmacy services across various mental health settings, including acute and older adult care, child and adolescent units, learning disability services, and forensic wards.
- Lead and contribute to impactful projects that drive forward the Trust’s Pharmacy and Medicines Optimisation Strategy, supporting continuous improvement in patient care.
- Demonstrate flexibility, strong communication (both written and verbal), and exceptional clinical and organisational skills. You will work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team, showing compassion, respect, and understanding toward individuals with mental health challenges.
- Maintain active registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
This role is ideal for a driven pharmacist ready to advance their skills and make a meaningful difference in mental health care.
Working for our organisation
Join the HPFT Pharmacy Team—a supportive and collaborative community where colleagues work together as a family, dedicated to each other’s success and well-being. We’re proud to foster a culture that champions equality, diversity, and inclusivity, welcoming individuals from all backgrounds and celebrating their unique contributions.
For those returning to practice or transitioning from other pharmacy sectors, you’ll find a warm welcome here, with support to help you excel.Be part of a friendly, forward-thinking department that genuinely cares about your development, well-being, and career aspirations as we work together to deliver outstanding mental health pharmacy care.
Hertfordshire NHS Partnership Trust are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of ‘Outstanding’ from the Care Quality Commission
Our family of over 4,000 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:
Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Job Summary- The Pharmacy and Medicines Optimisation team within HPFT provides dispensary and clinical pharmacy services to mental health, learning disabilities and child and adolescent (CAMHS) services across Hertfordshire and beyond, where HPFT is contracted to provide a service.
- The post holder will contribute to the work of the Pharmacy and Medicines Optimisation team to deliver the standards set by regulators and professional bodies such as the Care Quality Commission (CQC), Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) etc.
- The service will be provided to all medical, nursing, managerial, pharmaceutical and clinical professionals working in Mental Health and Learning Disabilities in designated units for which the post holder will be responsible.
- All staff should comply with the Trust’s Anti-Discriminatory Statement, Employee Charter, Trust Policies and Procedures, Code of Conduct and Equality and Diversity.
Key Responsibilities:
To provide specialist pharmaceutical advice concerning the care and treatment of service users in Mental Health (including Forensics) and Learning Disabilities Services and to promote safe, effective, and evidence-based cost-effective use of medicines within the Trust.
- To provide specific advice to clinical team members on the management of medicines related issues, such as drug interactions, medicines use in pregnancy, unlicensed/off-label use of medicines etc.
- To work as part of a multidisciplinary team to provide clinical pharmaceutical support to designated areas to maximise benefits and minimise risk to service users. This will include medicines reconciliation, prescription review, medication reviews, identification and management of drug interactions and adverse effects, advice on clinical monitoring, medicines information, advising on supply problems, compliance with legislation, compliance with Trust policies and guidelines and participation in multidisciplinary team meetings where appropriate.
- Participate in relevant quality improvement (QI) projects to support service improvements and learning and development.
- To support on updating, reviewing, and maintaining Trust Policies and Guidance in relation to medicines.
- To attend relevant team meetings. Attend and contribute to pharmacy team meetings, this may involve clinical presentations and case studies.
- To supervise junior pharmacy staff and students in their delivery of the pharmacy service.
- Participate in the dispensary rota in line with departmental requirements and recognised best practice.
- Participate in the provision and development of patient education sessions on relevant wards and units.
- Assist senior pharmacy colleagues in the development and delivery of training for clinical staff (e.g., prescribers, nurses) within the Trust. This may include participation in the Trust’s induction programme.
- Participant in ward-based training to undergraduate students and in training programmes for pharmacy and other healthcare staff.
- Be responsible for own continuing professional development in line with professional requirements, in order to continue to update clinical knowledge and skills.
Please see the attached JD for further details.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria- UK Registered Pharmacist
- Working towards (or be willing to) a postgraduate clinical pharmacy qualification
- Registration with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS)
- Additional areas of training through short courses e.g., computer training
- Non-medical prescriber
Experience
Essential criteria- Previous participation in audit, development of audit tools, data collection and collation
- Relevant experience in patient-facing pharmacist roles
- Specialist theoretical and practical knowledge/experience working in a hospital setting
- Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team
- Up to date knowledge of medication available for prescription in mental health
Skills
Essential criteria- Good communicator, both verbally and in writing
- Empathetic and reassurance skills
- Able to make judgements involving complex facts or situations which require analysis, interpretation and comparison of a range of aptions
- Excellent computer skills to include Word, PowerPoint, Excel and the Internet
- Shows initiative and has well-developed problem-solving skills
- Able to critically appraise clinical trial data and research papers
- Ability to work without close supervision, making decisions and acting upon them within the limitations and understanding of the job responsibilities, or to refer appropriately
Accessibility
Essential criteria- Have a UK driving licence and access to a vehicle
Diversity
Essential criteria- Show respect and treat people with dignity
- Communicates in a form or manner which is consistent with the person's level of understanding, culture, background and preffered ways of communicating
General
Essential criteria- Self-motivated and able to work independently
- Team worker
- Self-confident and able to influence professionals
About us
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is rated by the Care Quality Commission as an Outstanding provider of mental health and learning disability services. In 2021, we won the prestigious Health Service Journal award for Mental Health Trust of the Year, with the judges saying they were “blown away” by our people’s achievements and that everything they saw “sings and hums”.This year, our staff rated us the 4^th best mental health and learning disability trust to work for out of all 52 trusts in the country. Our staff tell us that they are proud to be part of the HPFT team, proud of the standard of care we provide and proud that service users are our top priority.
Our people tell us they feel supported though a great development, wellbeing and work-life balance offer and a highly compassionate, values-driven culture. We are equally proud of our staff, who live our values of being welcoming, kind, positive, respectful and professional so that together we provide great care and great outcomes for our service users and carers.
If you would like to join a team to be proud of and you share our values and passion for great care and outcomes for our service users and carers, we would love to hear from you.
Additional Information
HPFT is committed to being an equal opportunities employer and in order to reflect the diversity of its population, positively encourages applications from all areas of the community. We aim to be a representative organisation with regards to age, disability, ethnicity, gender, beliefs and sexual orientation and are fully committed to equality, diversity and human rights and encourage applications from all sections of the community including users of mental health services.
The Trust is committed to helping staff balance work and home life and welcomes applications from candidates wishing to work part-time or under flexible working arrangements.
Infection Control
All our staff will need to comply with current Infection Prevention and Control measures which could include wearing a mask on all our Trust sites and in all roles