Job overview
Whittington Health NHS Trust is seeking an 8 PA Consultant in Community Paediatrics to take the role of Named Doctor for Children Looked After.
We are looking for a developmental paediatrician to join our Islington Community Paediatrics Team at the Northern Health Centre, Upper Holloway, London. This post covers the Named Dr for Children Looked After Service as well as a wide variety of community paediatrics; doing regular developmental paediatrics including an MDT clinic for severe physical disabilities, contributing to the diagnosis of a variety of developmental disorders and participating on the Child Protection rota with the Camden community consultant team.
Islington has a team of experienced Community Paediatricians, and the Named Doctor for Children Looked After will be working closely and co-located with Social Care at their Highbury office on Elwood Street.
There is some flexibility to accommodate special interests and opportunities exist for developing clinical interests.
Interview date: 17 December 2025
Main duties of the job
Please see the full Job Description and the Person Specification for further details about the job role.
Working for our organisation
Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. The Trust believes that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Duties of the post
Job Plan:
Summary outline:
·Named Dr for Children Looked After (2 PA). This includes regular clinics for Initial Health Assessments
·Other CLA work (2 PA) participation in team meeting and all other related to this role multidisciplinary work
·SPA (1.5 PA) this includes departmental meetings, CP peer review, mandatory training and own appraisal
·Neurodevelopmental clinics: (1 PA) uni - and multi-disciplinary (the latter for children with conditions significantly affecting their posture and movement who are not in special needs schools.
·ASD diagnostic clinic (0.5PA) - be part of the Social Communication Team and participate in the MDT diagnostic process.
·CP second on call (0.25 PA) 2 hours per on-call, the CP on call is fortnightly
·Educational supervision (0.25 PA) - for one doctor in training per 6 months
·Epilepsy clinic (0.5PA)- together with current doctor, to be decided if this will be on site for special schools or in the hospital’s outpatient department
There are no out of hours duties. The specific time allocation to be determined but must include Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Occasional flexibility with possibility to cover CP on calls on Fridays at minimum 6 weeks’ notice would be desirable.
Named Doctor for Children Looked After (4 PAs)
There are around 300 children in care at any one time in Islington and around 8-15 children become Looked after per month.
The post holder will take an active role, together with relevant colleagues, in assessing and promoting the health and well-being of Children Looked After. This includes, but is not limited to:
·Initial and review health assessments for Children Looked After and ensure the provision of a written health report on each child becoming looked after
·Supervising trainees in the above health assessments.
·Advise on health matters that arise in connection with Children Looked After and the permanence process.
·Where there are identified concerns, as part of the multiagency team, cases are discussed with the social worker and attendance at professional meetings is expected if required.
·Attendance at monthly North Central London Named and Designated Doctors’ peer supervision.
·Provide a written report on the health of prospective carers, which will include interpretation of health and lifestyle information provided by the applicant and their GP.
·Ensure that the department complies with all policies and procedures in line with legislation and national guidance; and keeps these updated in a timely manner.
·Contribute to departmental and interagency training of staff.
Please see the attached job description for full details and sample timetable.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. Full GMC registration
2. Full GMC registration MB BS or equivalent MRCP/MRCPCH or equivalent
3. CCT (or equivalent), or within 6 months of CT date, or entry on the Specialist Register of GMC for Paediatrics
4. Portfolio pathway (formerly CESR) applicants must be on the Specialist register at the point of application
Desirable criteria
5. BSc in medical subject
6. PhD, Md, MSc, DCH
7. CCT in Paediatric Neurodisability
Clinical Experience and Skills
Essential criteria
8. Able to undertake statutory Looked After Children assessments, including those with complex healthcare needs
9. Experience of working in a multidisciplinary Child Development team and ability to carry out comprehensive developmental assessments
10. Experience of managing children with complex neurological and developmental problems
11. Level 3 Safeguarding training
12. Competence in providing assessment of children and young people with safeguarding concerns
13. Competence in management of common general paediatric problems – acute and chronic
14. Valid BLS training
Desirable criteria
15. Knowledge of relevant national policies and implication for clinical service provision for LAC children
16. Experience as a clinician in paediatric neurodisability, manging epilepsy, and children with complex health needs
17. Valid APLS and NLS
Teaching
Essential criteria
18. Experience of Undergraduate and Postgraduate teaching
Desirable criteria
19. Additional teaching qualifications
Team working
Essential criteria
20. Ability to work as a member of a multidisciplinary team, seeking advice from, sharing experience with, and offering support to other team members
Desirable criteria
21. Experience of working in an interagency team
Communication skills
Essential criteria
22. Excellent verbal and written communication skills
23. Ability to interpret and communicate on a broad range of health information in a social and education context
24. Strong leadership qualities including ability to build effective relationships, influence, and negotiate with others, political astuteness and sensitivity, ability to manage conflict of interest
Desirable criteria
25. Able to analyse holistic health chronologies and provide a written comprehensive report detailing the implications of the information for the care experienced child’s current and future health and wellbeing
Management ability
Essential criteria
26. Ability to undertake administrative tasks
27. Ability to prioritise tasks
28. Ability to supervise junior staff
Desirable criteria
29. Completed recognised leadership course
Participation in Clinical Governance
Essential criteria
30. Record of completed audit and service improvement project
31. An understanding of clinical governance and its application to the role of Named Doctor for LAC
Desirable criteria
32. Experience in NHS complaint handling
33. Experience in Clinical incident reporting
34. Experience in Training in and experience of appraisal
35. Experience in Risk management training
Personal Skills
Desirable criteria
36. Training in communication skills, counselling, educational supervision
SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN AND ADULTS
To comply with the Trust’s Safeguarding Children and Adults policies, procedures and protocols. All individual members of staff (paid or unpaid) have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults This will require you to:
37. Ensure you are familiar with and comply with the London Child Protection Procedures and protocols for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young people.
38. Ensure you are familiar and comply with the London Multi Agency Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Pan London Procedures.
39. Ensure you are familiar and comply with local protocols and systems for information sharing.
40. Know the appropriate contact numbers and required reporting lines.
41. Participate in required training and supervision.
42. Comply with required professional boundaries and codes of conduct
Whittington Health is committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.