Overview
A Vacancy at Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust. An exciting opportunity has arisen to work alongside the existing perinatal mental health specialist in Brighton and Hove. The Post holder, working within Sussex Community Foundation Trust (SCFT), will be responsible for leading and developing Perinatal and Infant Mental Health services across the local health sector. The Post holder will ensure, jointly with other services, the development of multidisciplinary pathways, policies, and procedures to address the mental health needs of women in the perinatal period and their families. The post sits within the Brighton and Hove Healthy Futures Team based at Tarner Family Hub, a highly specialist team that works with hard-to-reach families and vulnerable families, and is well supported by safeguarding colleagues and nursing Heads of Service providing robust clinical supervision and support.
The post holder will act as a specialist practitioner to manage, develop and lead family-based care in the perinatal period where the parents have or are at risk of developing mental health difficulties and where these are likely to impact on their infant’s emotional development. This will supplement the care given by the universal health visiting service.
Responsibilities
* Act as an advocate for parents and their infants with perinatal mental health difficulties to ensure they receive active and effective care, liaising with adult mental health, perinatal services and other partner agencies.
* Lead on Perinatal and Infant Mental Health training for all 0-5 teams in line with NICE/IHV guidance and the HCP, including the rollout of Promotional Guides; provide awareness training for partner and third sector agencies; lead the provision of perinatal and infant mental health awareness training, support and advice to the wider workforce.
* Improve the quality of the learning environment by providing evidence-based consultation, support, supervision and training to colleagues to develop skills in critical thinking, reflective practice and knowledge about perinatal and infant mental health and whole-family engagement; identify, source and plan training required for clinical teams and lead the evaluation and benefits realisation of training on clinical outcomes.
* Participate in strategic and identified meetings, providing specialist advice and guidance on policies and practices that impact perinatal and infant mental health, including fathers and non-birthing partners; feed information to senior managers as appropriate.
* Be an active member of the Sussex Perinatal Mental Health Clinical Network; establish networks and partnerships between health visitors, midwives, GPs, Specialist PMH services, Adult and Child Mental Health Services and other agencies to improve clinical quality standards in perinatal and infant mental health.
* Develop comprehensive care pathways for women and families affected by maternal mental health problems in active collaboration with colleagues and other providers of mental health services (e.g., GPs, midwives, IAPT services, third-sector organisations).
* Provide evidence-based consultation, support and training to colleagues to develop skills in critical thinking, reflective practice and whole family engagement.
* Work with others to deliver health and support services to ensure effective resource deployment and coordinated service delivery.
Qualifications/Experience
The post holder will be a specialist practitioner with responsibilities including clinical leadership, training, practice development and strategic input in perinatal and infant mental health; they will provide leadership and support to HCP 0-5 teams and act as a professional role model.
Why work for us
* Positive 2024 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeing
* Varied environments: community hospitals, patients’ homes, and bases across Sussex
* Flexible working options: part-time, flexi-time, annualised hours, and flexi-retirement
* Excellent training, development, and research opportunities
* Accredited Living Wage Employer, fair pay for all staff
* Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brighton
* Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networks
* Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trust
Our values
Compassionate Care, Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellence guide everything we do.
Diversity and inclusion
We embrace diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from ethnically diverse, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. We aim to create an inclusive environment and support reasonable adjustments during recruitment.
Additional information
This post may close early if sufficient applications are received. The post advert ends with: This advert closes on Sunday 14 Sep 2025.
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