Consultant Psychiatrist In Learning Disabilities

Sussex Partnership Nhs Foundation Trust; Rotherfield; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Recruitment & Retention Payment (RRP £

£45,000 over 3 years

Job summary

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust invites applications for a substantive Consultant Psychiatrist in an all-age Learning Disability post based in East Sussex. The role blends adult LD psychiatry with CAMHS LD input, offering clinical leadership and opportunities for service development across Hastings & Rother CTLD and LDFISS.

A Recruitment and Retention Payment of £45,000 is available over three years, pro rata for LTFT.

Qualifications

• MB BS or equivalent medical qualification (essential).
• Fully registered with GMC with licence to practise at appointment (essential).
• MRCPsych and additional clinical qualifications are desirable.

Responsibilities

• Provide medical leadership and specialist psychiatric care across an all-age LD service.
• Lead multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-quality, person-centred care.
• Support transitions between children's and adult services and contribute to service development.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Clinical governance

Education

MB BS or equivalent

MRCPsych

Job description

Job summary

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is seeking to appoint a substantive Consultant Psychiatrist to an exciting all‑age community learning disability post based in East Sussex. The role combines adult learning disability psychiatry within the Hastings & Rother Community Team for People with Learning Disabilities (CTLD) with specialist psychiatric input to East Sussex CAMHS Learning Disability services.

The successful applicant will provide clinical leadership across these services, working within well‑established multidisciplinary teams to deliver high‑quality, person‑centred care for children, young people and adults with learning disabilities. The post offers the opportunity to contribute to service development, clinical innovation and the ongoing improvement of outcomes for some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, while supporting seamless transitions across the lifespan.

This job attracts a Recruitment and Retention payment of £45,000 structured over a three‑year period as follows: £15,000 payable upon successful recruitment, £10,000 payable at 12 months' service, £10,000 payable at 24 months' service, £10,000 payable at 36 months' service. The RRP is pro rata for LTFT position. For full terms and conditions of the RRP, please contact [e-mail]

Main duties of the job

The post holder will provide medical leadership and specialist psychiatric care across an all‑age learning disability service, supporting children, young people and adults with learning disabilities who present with complex mental health needs, autism, behaviours that challenge, dementia and other neurodevelopmental conditions. The role combines consultant responsibility within the Hastings & Rother Community Team for People with Learning Disabilities (CTLD) and specialist psychiatric input to the East Sussex CAMHS Learning Disability Family Intensive Support Service (LDFISS), supporting effective transition between children's and adult services.

The Consultant Psychiatrist will undertake specialist psychiatric assessment, diagnosis, treatment and ongoing management, including risk assessment, psychopharmacological interventions and Mental Health Act work where required. They will provide clinical leadership to multidisciplinary teams, working with service users, families, carers, primary care and partner agencies to deliver high‑quality, person‑centred care.

The post holder will contribute to specialist clinical interventions, crisis support, consultation to families and care providers, service development and support for reasonable adjustments within mainstream services. They will also contribute to clinical governance, quality improvement, teaching and supervision, ensuring the delivery of safe, effective and evidence‑based care across the pathway.

About us

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust provides mental health, learning disability and neurodevelopmental services across Sussex, caring for a population of over 1.7 million people. We are committed to delivering compassionate, high‑quality care and creating an inclusive environment where staff feel valued, supported and empowered to thrive. As a teaching Trust with strong links to academic and research partners, we offer excellent opportunities for professional development, leadership and innovation. Joining Sussex Partnership means becoming part of a forward‑thinking organisation that is dedicated to improving lives, reducing health inequalities, and helping people achieve the best possible outcomes through collaborative, person‑centred care.

Job responsibilities

This is an exciting opportunity for a Consultant Psychiatrist to work within an innovative all‑age Learning Disability Service across East Sussex. The post combines specialist adult learning disability psychiatry within the Hastings & Rother Community Team for People with Learning Disabilities (CTLD) with psychiatric input to the Learning Disability Family Intensive Support Service (LDFISS).

The post holder will provide specialist assessment, diagnosis and treatment for children, young people and adults with learning disabilities who present with complex mental health needs, autism and behaviours that challenge. Working as part of established multidisciplinary teams, the successful applicant will provide clinical leadership, support positive outcomes and promote high‑quality, person‑centred care.

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing specialist psychiatric assessment, diagnosis, treatment and ongoing clinical management.
• Offering medical leadership and expert advice within multidisciplinary teams.
• Supporting effective transitions between children's and adult services.
• Contributing to crisis support, risk assessment, safeguarding and care planning.
• Supporting implementation of the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and associated legislation.
• Working collaboratively with families, carers, primary care, social care and partner agencies.
• Supporting mainstream services to make reasonable adjustments for people with learning disabilities.
• Helping to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions and supporting timely discharge planning.
• Participating in service development, quality improvement and clinical governance activities.
• Supervising junior medical staff and contributing to teaching and professional development.

The successful applicant will be expected to hold, or be willing to work towards, Approved Clinician and Responsible Clinician status and will play a key role in shaping and developing learning disability services across Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Essential: MB BS or equivalent medical qualification.

Desirable:

• Qualification or higher degree in medical education, clinical research or management
• MRCPsych
• Additional clinical qualifications

Eligibility

• Essential: Fully registered with the GMC with a licence to practise at the time of appointment.
• Included on the GMC Specialist Register OR within six months.
• Approved clinician status OR able to achieve within 3 months of appointment

Desirable:

• In good standing with GMC with respect to warning and conditions on practice

Transport

• Essential: Holds and will use valid UK driving licence OR provides evidence of proposed alternative.

Clinical Skills, Knowledge & Experience

• Essential: Excellent knowledge in specialty
• Excellent clinical skills using bio-psycho-social perspective and wide medical knowledge
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English
• Able to manage clinical complexity and uncertainty
• Makes decisions based on evidence and experience including the contribution of others
• Able to meet duties under MHA and MCA

Desirable:

• Wide range of specialist and sub-specialist experience relevant to post within NHS or comparable service

ACADEMIC SKILLS & LIFELONG LEARNING

• Essential: Ability to work in and lead team
• Demonstrate commitment to shared leadership & collaborative working to deliver improvement.
• Participated in continuous professional development
• Participated in research or service evaluation
• Able to use and appraise clinical evidence.
• Has actively participated in clinical audit and quality improvement programmes
• Ability to work in a participatory way so that shared decision making and conversations around formulation/diagnosis and ongoing care are a collaborative endeavour with the people who access our service.

Desirable:

• Able to plan and deliver undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and training relevant to this post
• Reflected on purpose of CPD undertaken
• Experienced in clinical research and / or service evaluation.
• Evidence of achievement in education, research, audit and service improvement: SL awards, prizes, presentations and publications.
• Has led clinical audits leading to service change or improved outcomes to patients

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.

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website. From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.