Consultant in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare provider in Milton Keynes is seeking a Consultant in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. This role involves providing psychiatric services to children and young people, managing a caseload, and working in a multidisciplinary team. Applicants should be on the Specialist Register or nearing completion of their qualifications. The position offers excellent professional support and training opportunities, contributing to the mental health of young patients while ensuring safe and high-quality care.

Benefits

Professional development opportunities

Supportive working environment

Leadership training

Qualifications

• Must be on the Specialist Register or within 6 months of obtaining the CCT and Approved Clinician Status.
• Experience working with children and young people with mental health presentations.
• Experience in management of risk.

Responsibilities

• Provide psychiatric services to children and young people.
• Participate in multidisciplinary assessments.
• Manage a full caseload as a consultant psychiatrist.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Teamwork

Decision making

Interpersonal skills

Adaptability

Education

Primary Medical Qualification

Full GMC Registration

CCT accreditation in CAMHS or Learning Disabilities

Job description

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Consultant in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

The closing date is 11 January 2026

We are looking for a new Consultant Psychiatrist to join our specialist CAMHS team based at the Milton Keynes Hospital Campus and in close proximity to the adult mental health teams and CNWL- MK Headquarters.

Please note, applicants must be on the Specialist Register or within 6 months of obtaining the CCT and Approved Clinician Status.

The team is based at Eaglestone Health Centre within the Milton Keynes University Hospital campus.

Job responsibilities

• Provide a service to children and young people with established or suspected psychiatric illnesses for diagnosis, treatment planning and follow-up, mainly for out‑patients and very occasionally to provide advice and specialist consultation to young people admitted to inpatient services.
• Provide a service to children and young people who have a primary diagnosis of learning disabilities and mental health problems for diagnosis, management and continuing care.
• Provide clinical support for children with a diagnosis of neurodevelopmental conditions and, where needed, clinical input for additional psychopathology.
• Contribute to multidisciplinary assessment and management of behavioural impairment in the context of learning disabilities and/or neurodevelopmental disorders.
• Provide consultation and advice for complex clinical presentations requiring multidisciplinary input.
• Carry a full and varied caseload for this post requiring a varying degree of input from consultant psychiatrists.
• Develop a special clinical interest with the agreement of the Clinical Director.
• Undertake administrative duties associated with patient care.
• Participate in out‑of‑hours on‑call cover with a 1:6 rota and offer consultations and on‑call cover to other clinicians during working hours.
• Undertake line‑management responsibilities and clinical supervision of up to two Specialty Doctors.
• Be involved in quality governance, including critical incident reviews and management of complaints.
• Demonstrate excellent communication skills and act as a role model to other members of the service.
• Provide senior medical leadership and work closely with the management team to improve outcomes and experiences for young people and achieve performance targets while delivering high‑quality, safe care.
• Take responsibility for attending and participating in all mandatory and essential training to ensure the safe and efficient functioning of the Trust and the safety and wellbeing of other staff and patients.
• Safeguard and promote the welfare of children and vulnerable adults by being aware of and working in accordance with statutory guidance and local policies and procedures and attending training to a level required to ensure competence.

About us

Milton Keynes Specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) covers the whole area of Milton Keynes with all referrals received into the single point of access in the service. This is believed to be the best way to give greatest flexibility in case management and provision of service to children, young people and their families and carers. The service caters for all mental health presentations as well as children with learning disabilities who have mental health needs. There are a number of treatment pathways within the team for intervention and the service is currently adopting the I-Thrive model.

Being part of a large and diverse London based Trust enables clinicians to access alternative learning and experience opportunities. This post-holder will have the opportunity to work closely with our colleagues in the London based CAMHS teams and (if desired) can spend up to one day per week working within one of these teams.

CNWL offers excellent professional support and career development options. The post-holder will be offered a place on the Management and Leadership Course run by the Trust in conjunction with Imperial College. The Trust also has a partnership with the Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHI), giving you the opportunity to gain knowledge in improvement science and enhance your skills and confidence to understand healthcare systems and successfully implement change.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• A primary Medical Qualification
• Full GMC Registration
• Eligibility for Approved Clinician status and Approval under section 12 of the Mental Health Act
• CCT accreditation in either CAMHS or Learning Disabilities or within six months of achieving CCT
• Membership of the RCPsych

Personal Characteristics

• A good team worker with excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Good command of English
• Open to involvement and development of services
• Approach based on critical enquiry and evidence‑based medicine
• Able to set priorities, manage time and plan effectively
• Manage unpredictable and conflicting demands
• Able to cope with pressure and adapt to change
• Demonstrate energy and enthusiasm in pursuing the highest standards of care
• Strong and robust decision maker
• Passion, commitment and dedication to working with children and young people
• A positive attitude and ability to reflect and act on feedback
• Ability to praise, nurture and support others to be the best practitioners they can be
• Understanding of the importance of excellent team working relationships and the ability to achieve this
• Ability to challenge poor performance

Training, knowledge and relevant experience

• Training and experience in working with children and young people with mental health presentations
• Experience in working in a multi‑agency approach
• Experience in management of risk
• Experience with service transformation and development
• Knowledge of appropriate medical, pharmacological and psychological interventions for children and young people with mental health and learning disability presentations
• Training and experience in working with children with learning disabilities
• Wide range of experience of working in a community‑based setting
• Specialist experience and interest in working in an area relevant to children and young people
• Experience in managing complex and dual presentations

Management/ Supervision

• Enthusiasm and experience in teaching
• Experience and training in management and supervision of junior medical staff
• Ability to line‑manage and supervise other staff

Other

• A commitment to education, training and professional development
• Understand the concept and principles of Clinical Governance
• Understand the NHS system, especially in relation to CAMHS services, locally and nationally
• Able to drive or provide transport to meet the requirements of the post
• Willingness to engage with patients and carers to develop excellent services
• Willingness to participate in quality improvement initiatives and service development 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.