General Practitioner

NHS Scotland; Melrose; On-site; GBP 165,000 - 248,000; Full time

Job summary

NHS Borders is seeking a General Practitioner with a Specialist Interest in fostering and adoption to serve as a medical adviser for adoption and fostering panels. You will write reports on adult health assessments for prospective adopters and foster carers, and review current foster carers as needed.

The role involves panel training contributions, multiagency collaboration, and participation in departmental audits.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of the issues affecting care experienced children/young people is essential.
• Understanding of adult health and how it might impact parenting roles is important.
• Ability to work with multiagency teams and contribute to training and audits.

Responsibilities

• Act as a medical adviser to Borders adoption and fostering panels for adults who apply to foster/adopt.
• Screen adult health assessments and write reports on prospective adopters and foster carers.
• Screen current foster carers who require review and provide clear medical reports for panels.
• Contribute to panel training/updates on adult health issues affecting prospective adoptive/foster carers.
• Contribute to research/audit within the department and attend monthly team meetings.
• 0.5 sessions to be worked flexibly.

Job description

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.

OUR VALUES IN ACTION

• Compassion
• Kindness
• Integrity
• Teamwork
• Excellence

General Practitioner with a specialist interest in adoption and fostering/medical advisor

Applications are invited for a 2 hour session post to be employed by NHS Borders as a GP with Special Interest in fostering and adoption as part of the Child health services Team. The successful applicant will write reports to advise adoption and fostering panels at Borders Children’s and Young Person’s Family Placement Team (CYPS) on adult health screening for prospective adopters/foster carers as well as ongoing foster carer health review and attend adoption panel when required. Knowledge of the issues affecting care experienced children/young people is essential in this role as well knowledge of adult health and how those health issues might impact a parenting role.

JOB SUMMARY

• Act as a medical adviser to Borders adoption and fostering panels for the purpose of adults who apply to foster/adopt.
• Screen adult health assessments and write reports on prospective adopters and foster carers. This may require obtaining additional information from clinical portal, GP’s, mental health services etc. the reports will interpret medical information for panels/social work and outline the potential impact of health issues on children/young people.
• Screen adult health assessments and write reports on current foster carers who require review.
• Contribute to panel training / updates on adult health issues affecting prospective adoptive / foster carers.
• Contribute to any research / audit within the department
• Attend monthly team meetings / peer review sessions when possible
• 0.5 sessions to be worked flexibly.

JOB DIMENSIONS

• The post holder will be employed by NHS Borders, and will work collaboratively with Borders Social work department.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Specialist Practice

• Provide comprehensive health reports on adults who foster or wish to be considered for fostering or adoption. Be designated as a medical adviser to adoption and fostering Panel for Borders social work department.

Professional Leadership

• Support GP’s in providing adequate information for adult health assessments required by law for prospective foster and adoptive cases and periodic review of current foster carers.
• Support social work departments as a designated medical adviser

Education and Training

• Contribute towards improving skills and knowledge of GP’s in relation to adults who foster or wish to adopt a child.
• Contribute towards improving skills and knowledge of GP’s in relation to the issues affecting care experienced children.
• Contribute to practice notes / guidelines on adult health issues related to fostering / adoption
• Contribute to peer review sessions with local medical advisers and attend national conferences run by AFKA (Association for Fostering, Kinship and Adoption Scotland)

Practice and Service Development, Research and Evaluation

• Contribute to service audits and inspections
• Implement action plans resulting from audits and inspections

Key Result Areas

• Encourage GP’s to demonstrate good practice and support those who wish to improve their practice with care experienced children / young people and those who care for them.
• Maintain a high quality / timeous screening of adult medical forms and link with GP’s / consultants as required for further information to produce a comprehensive report.
• Contribute to the wellbeing of care experienced children young and young people and those who care for them by supporting social work agencies in their role through advice and education.
• Support the audit process within the clinical governance framework.

Competencies

• Knowledge of the impact of health conditions which may affect parenting ability, as well as implications for children and their long-term placement.
• An understanding of the assessment process in becoming a foster carer or prospective adopter.
• An understanding of the health needs and complexities of looked after children and young people.
• Knowledge of the legislative framework underpinning child welfare
• Knowledge and understanding of the national and local policy framework underpinning fostering and adoption
• Understanding and skill in interagency working
• Ability to contribute to training events

Assignment and Review of Work

• Work will be assigned from the Paediatric Team consultant in conjunction with administrative staff. Review of work will be undertaken by the Lead Clinician for permanence and the clinical director for health services

Communication and Working Relationships

• An essential requirement for the post holder will be the ability to communicate effectively and confidently at all levels and with a variety of personalities, professionals, partner agencies, the voluntary sector and the public

Internal

• Child health department

External

• Local Authorities – including Social Work and Education (Borders)
• AFKA Medical Advisor Forum

Most Challenging Part of the Job

• Time management
• Flexibility to meet often unpredictable timescale

Job Plan

Projected: 2 sessions per month (52 weeks = 46 weeks per year / 6 weeks holiday)

Sessions:

1/month – Panel

2/month – preparing medical reports for panel

1/month – CPD/meetings

Review with consultant paediatrician

Whether you’re early in your career or looking to take the next step into a more senior role, NHS Borders offers a supportive environment where you can grow, influence change, and make a real impact.

To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service.

As part of the pre-employment checks for a preferred candidate, NHS Scotland Boards will check your entitlement to work in the UK. It can be evidenced through a number of routes including specific types of visa as well as EU settled and pre-settled status. To find out more about these routes of permission, please refer to the GOV.UK website here.

For specific types of post, if you do not have the necessary eligibility to work in the UK, it might be possible (though not guaranteed) to secure sponsorship via a UK Skilled Worker/Health & Care Worker Visa. However, this is only possible if the employer is a licensed Sponsor, and if the post does not fall below the current minimum salary threshold or ‘going rate’. Further information on these criteria can be found here.

It is ESSENTIAL that you have checked that you either already have an appropriate right to work in the UK or that the post would be eligible to be sponsored BEFORE submitting your application form

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.