The Trust is seeking a dynamic and enthusiastic Old Age Psychiatry Specialty Doctor to join the Mendip Older Persons Community Mental Health Team.
This is a permanent, full-time position at 10 PAs per week, working over 5 days - Monday to Friday. Please see the Job Description for a sample Job Plan. A final Job Plan will be agreed within 3 months of appointment to the post.
Doctors who have caring commitments and are looking for flexible working patterns should ring the Clinical Specialty Lead to discuss these further, as there is scope for flexible working in this post.
We welcome applications from doctors who are looking to complete a CESR in Old Age Psychiatry, and we will provide support and information relating to this if the post holder wishes.
This Specialty Doctor, along with a supervising Consultant and other Specialty Doctors and Trainee Psychiatrists, covers a community patch of approximately 34,000 over 65s, registered with the GP practices based in the towns of Frome, Wells, Glastonbury, Street and surrounding villages.
Main duties of the job
This Specialty Doctor post covers a community population of approximately 34,000 older people. The appointed Specialty Doctor will have their own dedicated office and will be supported by a medical secretary along with a full-time consultant/specialist doctor and a part-time consultant covering the Dementia Assessment Service. There is a trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioner, who is also a non-medical prescriber, working within the team.
This is a single older person's mental health team split across two sites in Frome and Wells, with a single team manager. They will work closely with the appointed specialty doctor, but are used to practising independently. The specialty doctor will only be expected to become involved in the most complex, risky and unstable cases.
The post holder will be based by negotiation at either the Chantry day hospital in Frome or the Bridge in Wells. At both locations, there are several consultant, trainee, and specialty doctor colleagues from other sub-specialties, allowing for mutual support and to avoid clinical isolation.
The Specialty Doctor will not have any inpatient responsibilities. The post holder will need to liaise with inpatient colleagues around the admission and discharge arrangements for these patients.
About us
At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:
* Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
* NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
* Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
* A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential
Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.
We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.
Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.
The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.
Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.
Job responsibilities
* The Specialty Doctor is expected to undertake assessments of older adults with mental disorder and to carry a small caseload of complex and severe cases.
* They will be expected to keep up to date with an evolving evidence base and to adapt their practice in response to this.
* To be available at short notice to provide consultation and advice to other team members.
* To undertake memory assessment.
* To assist in the provision of Mental Health Act assessments within their area during their normal working hours (if S12 approved or has previous acquaintance).
* To undertake liaison advice to the community hospitals in the area.
* To attend team meetings for the older persons community mental health team.
* To attend the memory assessment meetings.
* To keep accurate and comprehensive notes using RIO electronic patient record system, and to fulfil the trust requirements for recording assessments on RIO.
* To promote effective multi-disciplinary team working.
* To maintain close relationships with GPs, primary, secondary and tertiary care teams.
* To be available to patients, families and carers, to provide information and support.
ON-CALL AND COVER ARRANGEMENTS
* The appointed Specialty Doctor will be expected to seek the agreement of a colleague to cover holiday and study leave in normal circumstances and locums are not used for usual planned leave allocation. The appointed Specialty Doctor may (by mutual agreement) cover leave for colleagues.
* There are no on-call commitments with this post.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
* Medical Degree
* Full GMC registration or eligibility to be included on the register and holding a current licence to practice at the time of appointment.
* GMC registration and experience of psychiatry in another country of at least 3 years.
Desirable
* MRCPsych or recognised equivalent, eg membership of a psychiatry college in another country.
* Further academic qualifications such as MRCP or research degree/diploma.
Experience
Essential
* Experience in Old Age Psychiatry at ST 4-6 level or equivalent senior level in a variety of settings including in-patient, memory service and community.
* Awareness of current evidence base and guidelines for the assessment and treatment of mental disorder.
* A sound understanding of the range of therapeutic approaches, including psychological therapies.
* Able to manage clinical complexity and uncertainty.
* Excellent organisational skills, ability to manage own time and plan timed activities.
* Excellent IT skills.
Desirable
* Wide range of specialist and sub-specialist experience relevant to post within NHS or comparable service.
* Formal training or qualifications in psychological approaches.
Additional Criteria
Essential
* Transport
* Holds and will use valid UK driving licence OR provides evidence of proposed alternative.
* Academic Skills and Lifelong Learning
* Ability to reflect on own practice and learn from experience.
* Commitment to CPD and peer supervision.
* Ability to demonstrate an understanding of the current policy within the NHS.
* Demonstrable commitment to leadership & collaborative working to deliver improvement.
* Able to use and appraise clinical evidence.
* Experience of teaching and training others.
* Participated in research, quality improvement or service evaluation.
* Has actively participated in clinical audit.
* Communication and Interpersonal Skills
* Effective communicator verbally and in writing.
* Ability to form warm and effective team-oriented relationships with other professionals.
* Committed to team development and team working.
* Committed to developing skills in other team members, for example nurse prescribers.
Desirable
* Please see Job Description for full details.
Employer details
Employer name
Somerset NHS Foundation Trust
Address
The Bridge
Glastonbury Road
Wells
Somerset
BA5 1TJ
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