South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Consultant Psychiatrist - Intellectual Disabilities
The closing date is 30 October 2025
The primary duties of this 8 PA consultant psychiatrist post are to provide clinical care for the patient on the caseload as the Responsible Clinician. The post holder will conduct outpatient clinics and home visits, attend CPA reviews, and carry out liaison work with GPs, multi-disciplinary colleagues from the Croydon Community Learning Disability Team and other mental health services. The post holder will provide clinical cross cover for the other Trust MHLD consultants and vice versa. The post holder will be employed by the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust.
Main duties of the job
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 for electronic record keeping, including prompt verbal and written clinical and medico-legal communications;
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.
About us
The Trust delivers Mental Health in Learning Disabilities (MHLD) services across the boroughs of Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark and Croydon. These underwent revision and modernisation to ensure a flexible local service response and to make best use of expertise across boroughs. The Trust's MHLD services are linked with the Estia Centre, which is a training, learning and development hub for staff as well as a resource for adults with learning disabilities and additional mental health needs.
Our MHLD and wider neurodevelopmental services were rated 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission.
Job responsibilities
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.
Person Specification
Qualifications & Training
* GMC registration/revalidation and license to practice
* Eligible for inclusion in the Specialist Register or within 3 months of gaining CCT
* CCT/ CESR in Psychiatry of Intellectual Disabilities
* Higher degree such as master's degree, MD or PhD
Teaching
* Skills in providing teaching and training at undergraduate and postgraduate level to medical staff and other professional groups
* Skills in providing clinical supervision to medical and non-medical staff
* Evidence of 'training the trainer' or equivalent for provision of educational supervision to psychiatric trainees
Experience
* Section 12 (2) approved
* Eligible to take up / existing Approved Clinician status
* Experience in diagnosing and managing people with Intellectual Disabilities with / without neurodevelopmental disorders / impairment of behaviours and coexisting mental health problems
* Commitment to the development of excellence in services for people with Intellectual Disabilities and coexisting mental health problems
* Experience in leading the development of services for people with Intellectual Disabilities and coexisting mental health problems
* Previous experience at Consultant level of working in specialist mental health and / or integrated services for adults with Intellectual Disabilities
Management/Audit/ Quality Improvement
* Experience in organisation and delivery of services for people with Intellectual Disabilities with / without coexisting mental health problems, with / without impairment of behaviour
* Ability to plan and supervise clinical and quality improvement projects and to translate findings into practice to improve quality
* Skills in negotiating with senior staff and other professional groups
* Skills in chairing and / or contributing to multiagency clinical meetings
* Skills in proposing and implementing service development /transformation / improvement projects
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.
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Part-time
Reference number
334-CRY-7106060-JA-A
Job locations
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