Job summary
The Trust is seeking a consultant psychiatrist to join Norris Green CMHT based at Falklands Approach, L11. The vacancy has arisen as a result of the previous substantive post holder retiring. This post is one of three CMHT general adult consultant psychiatrist posts (the other 2 are also 1 WTE each) within Norris Green hub.
Norris Green Hub serves a catchment area of around 120,000, covering the Mid to North areas of Liverpool for adults of working age. The current post encompasses the Anfield catchment areas. This is a demographically mixed area overall, but with some areas of social deprivation and also some drug and alcohol- related difficulties in an urban environment.
The post holder will carry no responsibility for inpatients.
The staff at Norris Green Hub are organised in three distinct CMHTs. This CMHT consists of:
1. 1 whole time equivalent (WTE) consultant psychiatrist (this post)
2. 1 WTE higher / core Psychiatric Trainee.
3. 5 WTE dedicated medical secretary, Band 4 and a full time band 3 shared with the other 2 teams.
4. 1 Band 7 team leader
5. 5 WTE community psychiatric nurses (band 6 and band 5)
6. 7 WTE social workers shared between the 3 teams
7. 1 WTE senior occupational therapist, Band 6 shared between the 3 teams
8. 1 WTE psychologist.
9. 4 WTE support time and recovery workers, Band 3 shared between the 3 teams
10. Input from the Hub Lithium Clinic and Health and Well being Clinic.
Main duties of the job
Undertaking referrals from inpatient services, A&E and the access team.
CPA reviews
Supervise new to service assessments as required
Undertake very complex/high risk new to service assessments
Manage a caseload at present of approximately 55 more complex service users subject to the Care Program Approach (CPA) relatively unchanged.
About us
Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.
We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.
At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.
Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.
Job description
Job responsibilities
In addition to details above:
As of the 1st June 2021 we employ over 11,000 staff which makes us one of the largest health care employers in the North West. We provide in-patient facilities for approx. 1,000 patients and this includes one of only 5 in-patient addiction services in the country. Community support is at the heart of our organisation and we provide the biggest IAPT services in the NHS. Since 2012 we have undertaken over 5000 social prescriptions. We service 6 local authorities including Liverpool, Sefton, Knowsley, St Helens, Halton and Warrington. We are one of three providers of High secures services and the largest provider of specialist forensic learning disability services. With a turn over of over 573m we serve a population of over 11m people in the North West and beyond.
Mersey Care CMHT Transformation Community Excellence Plan
Mersey Care Community services are in an evolving position to align and deliver on the principles of the Community Mental Health Framework though our Community Excellence Program. The Trust is an early implementer site, having won one of the competitive bids awarded by NHS England transformation funds and has already launched the Step Forward service an enhanced psychological intervention service for those individuals with complex needs who require a more intensive structured psychological intervention ensuring that evidence based psychological interventions are delivered in a timely manner to those who need them most.
The aim of the community model is to deliver a whole population approach that is integrated and maximises on the work at the interface between Primary and Secondary care. We have already established these working models in parts of our service which have demonstrated great success in managing both the demand and the need for services at local level by working collaboratively with primary care and other partners. This work results in a reduction of up to 40% of our referrals and has maximised the opportunities for working collaboratively alongside our GP colleagues with those individuals who may experience mental health needs but who do not require to be on the CMHT caseload, consequently caseload sizes are reducing significantly in sites where this work has already been implemented.
Community Mental Health Teams will be aligned to the Primary Care Networks and Integrated Care Teams we will work with smaller secondary care caseloads, utilising structured interventions but will have an active role in delivering a population based approach. The opportunities for Consultants will be to have a varied experience in their post, in work that is dynamic and which will require leadership to engage and work with partners across the boundary of primary and secondary care. Providing care that is consultant led but delivered as part of a multidisciplinary team and maximising on the assets.
Appraisal and job planning
Trust commitment to implementation of annual consultant appraisal, outlined in the NHS Executive Advance Letters (MD) 6/00 and (MD) 5/01.
Trust process, including linkage to job planning.
Trust processes to support appraisal, links to revalidation; named Responsible Officer.
Details of any Consultant Induction Programme and mentoring scheme / arrangements.
Teaching and training
Teaching commitments of post, and support in place to achieve these.
Trust-wide teaching.
Teaching arrangements in locality/team.
Participation in undergraduate and postgraduate clinical teaching.
Participation in the training of other disciplines.
Providing educational supervision of trainees and other disciplines.
Taking part in continuing medical education within statutory limits.
DME is Dr Indira Vinjamuri
Research
Synopsis of R&D department; trust research strategy, link with clinical research networks and university as applicable.
Support facilities.
Specific research and development responsibilities expected of the post holder.
Mental Health Act and Responsible Clinician approval
The post holder would be expected to be approved as a Responsible Clinician or be willing to undertake training to obtain Section 12(2) MHA and will be expected to renew this approval according to agreed procedures.
Training duties
Participation in undergraduate and postgraduate clinical teaching.
Participation in the training of other disciplines.
Providing educational supervision of trainees and other disciplines.
Taking part in continuing medical education within statutory limits.
Clinical governance and quality assurance
Expected contribution to clinical governance and responsibility for setting and monitoring standards.
Participation in clinical audit and other local assurance processes.
Participation in service/team evaluation and the planning of future service developments.
Quality improvement
Leads and manages a team in a way that supports the development of a culture of continuous improvement and learning.
Utilises a quality improvement approach to think systemically about complex problems, develop potential change ideas and test these in practice using a systematic QI methodology.
Empowers the team to resolve local issues on a daily basis using the tools and method of quality improvement without staff having to seek permission.
Promotes awareness and understanding of quality improvement, and shares learning and successes from quality improvement work.
General duties
To manage, appraise and give professional supervision to junior medical staff as agreed between consultant colleagues and the medical director and in accordance with the Trusts personnel policies and procedures. This may include assessing competences under the Modernising Medical Careers framework.
To ensure that junior medical staff working with the post holder operate within the parameters of the New Deal and are Working Time Directive compliant.
To undertake the administrative duties associated with the care of patients.
To record clinical activity accurately and comprehensively, and submit this promptly to the Information Department.
To participate in service and business planning activity for the locality and, as appropriate, for the whole mental health service.
To participate in annual appraisal for consultants.
To attend and participate in the academic programme of the Trust, including lectures and seminars as part of the internal CPD programme.
To maintain professional registration with the General Medical Council, Mental Health Act Section 12(2) approval, and to abide by professional codes of conduct.
To participate annually in a job plan review with the clinical manager, which will include consultation with a relevant manager in order to ensure that the post is developed to take into account changes in service configuration and delivery associated with modernisation.
To work with local managers and professional colleagues in ensuring the efficient running of services, and share with consultant colleagues in the medical contribution to management.
To comply with the Trusts agreed policies, procedures, standing orders and financial instructions, and to take an active role in the financial management of the service and support the medical director and other managers in preparing plans for services.
External duties, roles and responsibilities
The Trust actively supports the involvement of the consultant body in regional and national groups subject to discussion and approval with the medical director and, as necessary, the chief executive officer.
Other duties
From time to time it may be necessary for the post holder to carry out such other duties as may be assigned, with agreement, by the Trust. It is expected that the post holder will not unreasonably withhold agreement to any reasonable proposed changes that the Trust might make.
Work programme
It is envisaged that the post holder will work 10 programmed activities over 5 days. Following appointment there will be a meeting at no later than three months with the clinical manager to review and revise the job plan and objectives of the post holder. The overall split of the programmed activities is to be devoted to direct clinical care and to supporting professional activities (as per the Royal College of Psychiatrists recommendation). The timetable is indicative only. A formal job plan will be agreed between the post holder and associate medical director or clinical manager three months after commencing the post and at least annually thereafter.
On-call and cover arrangements
The post holder will be included in the daily on-call rota for North Liverpool. There is usually always a higher trainee ST4-6 first on call at night. On-call availability supplement is 1% - Band B low frequency, low intensity and has been consistently for many years. The rota is currently shared with approximately 18 FTE colleagues, from adult, addictions and learning disability services.
Wellbeing
Effective local occupational health support (confidential, includes modalities of self-referral, promoted regularly at induction and when in post)
Please see job description for further details.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
11. MB BS or equivalent medical qualification.
Desirable
12. Qualification or higher degree in medical education, clinical research or management.
13. MRCPsych
14. Additional clinical qualifications.
Eligibility
Essential
15. Fully registered with the GMC with a licence to practise at the time of appointment.
16. Included on the GMC Specialist Register OR within six months
17. Approved clinician status OR able to achieve within 3 months of appointment
18. Approved under S12 OR able to achieve with 3 months of appointment
Desirable
19. In good standing with GMC with respect to warning and conditions on practice
Transport
Essential
20. Holds and will use valid UK driving licence OR provides evidence of proposed alternative
CLINICAL SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE
Essential
21. Excellent knowledge in specialty
22. Excellent clinical skills using bio-psycho-social perspective and wide medical knowledge
23. Excellent oral and written communication skills in English
24. Able to manage clinical complexity and uncertainty
25. Makes decisions based on evidence and experience including the contribution of others
26. Able to meet duties under MHA and MCA
Desirable
27. Wide range of specialist and sub-specialist experience relevant to post within NHS or comparable service
ACADEMIC SKILLS & LIFELONG LEARNING
Essential
28. Able to deliver undergraduate or postgraduate teaching and training
29. Ability to work in and lead team
30. Demonstrate commitment to shared leadership & collaborative working to deliver improvement
31. Participated in continuous professional development
32. Participated in research or service evaluation.
33. Able to use and appraise clinical evidence.
34. Has actively participated in clinical audit and quality improvement programmes
Desirable
35. Able to plan and deliver undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and training relevant to this post
36. Reflected on purpose of CPD undertaken
37. Experienced in clinical research and / or service evaluation
38. Evidence of achievement in education, research, audit and service improvement: awards, prizes, presentations and publications
39. Has led clinical audits leading to service change or improved outcomes to patients