Specialty Doctor in Forensic Psychiatry

The Trust is seeking to recruit a full-time Specialty Doctor for the forensic step-down units and SCFT based at the Hollins Park site.
The post holder will work alongside the three Consultants who have RC responsibility for the step-down units and community patients. The post holder will work as part of the MDT and provide medical input to ward rounds, the CPA process and admission and discharge planning.
Their primary role will be to oversee the day-to-day management of the patients on the step-down units as well as attending relevant meetings, risk assessment and liaison with other agencies. You will be expected complete reports for CPA reviews and ward rounds.
The forensic pathway includes pre-admission assessments, inpatient pathways, care planning and co-ordination of on-going care and discharge. MDT meetings are held monthly for each RC on Auden unit and fortnightly on Tennyson .
The patients are divided into 2 clinical teams on Auden. Pre-tribunal, renewal of detention, pre-managers hearings, discharge planning and pre-discharge meetings will also be scheduled as required. The general weekly timetable will involve attendance at ward round meetings, CPA reviews, SCFT caseload review meetings, allocations meetings to review new referrals, professionals’ meetings and assessments.
Overseeing the day-to-day management of patients on the inpatient stepdown service.
Completing reports for ward rounds, CPA and Section 117 meetings and Tribunal and Managers’ Hearings (under supervision)
Working collaboratively with the secure division physical health team to oversee physical health monitoring and access to physical health care.
Attendance at relevant meetings including risk assessment, CPA, Section 117 and MAPPA.
Liaison with other agencies as required.
Contributing to the management of the community caseload and participating in outpatient reviews alongside the team.
As part of the MDT undertake assessments of new referrals to the service and support discharge planning.
Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 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.
There is an optional on call (shift system) commitment with this post on the higher trainee rota. It is therefore desirable post holder has Section 12(2) approval or is within 3 months of being in post gets this approval. On call covers both General Adult and Old Age patients. On calls are non-resident and the shift they will be covering is a full shift not an on-call.
The individual doctor is responsible for maintaining their own CPD identified through appraisal, in line with the Royal College of Psychiatrists requirements and trust peer groups. This will be undertaken through study leave, in-house teaching and individual study of journals, books, and relevant websites during the Supporting Programmed Activities (SPA) time allocated in the job plan.
All medical staff are encouraged to attend local and trust-wide teaching for case presentations, journal clubs and teaching on specific topics. All medical staff contribute to these sessions.
The Trust is committed to SAS doctors’ development SAS doctors will be supported to meet pay thresholds and access discretionary and optional points, as appropriate.
SAS doctors are encouraged to become involved with the management of the service. There is a Trust SAS lead, regular SAS doctor peer-group meetings plus training and development opportunities.
The Trust is committed to encouraging SAS doctors to take on senior clinical and leadership roles and offers support and guidance related to applying for Certificate of Eligibility for Specialist Registration (CESR). The Trust will support applicants by ensuring that they can develop a portfolio which fulfils the core and specialist requirements for a successful CESR application. Key portfolio areas that will be covered include the domains around safety and quality and clinical skills. We have an excellent research and audit department, and you will be well supported in attaining these required outcomes for your application.
Our psychotherapy service is well resourced, and any prospective applicants will have access to specialist support for supervision of psychotherapy cases which will be required for the CESR application.
Your job plan will ensure that you have adequate supporting professional activities to allow you to undertake any secondments that may be required as part of the application process. Our electronic job planning system will ensure that there is a suitable balance of clinical, academic, and professional activities.
We have an excellent Medical Education department, and you will have access to CPD activities, including funded courses specifically aimed at SAS doctors. There will be an opportunity to register as an Affiliate with the Royal College of Psychiatrists (for those who are not currently members of the College).
Within the Trust we have consultants who are members of the Royal College CESR committee, and they will be on hand to provide any guidance and support that you need. Our SAS lead tutor will also be available to guide and support you through this process and meets regularly with the SAS doctors.
The Trust has a very well organised electronic appraisal system with several experienced appraisers. You will be supported in completing multi source feedback as part of this process. This is an important component of any successful CESR application.
SAS doctors are encouraged to become medical appraisers and support recruitment to other SAS roles.
The postholder will have access to library and education facilities across the Trust. The Trust has a Research, Audit and Clinical Effectiveness Team who support research and audit throughout the Trust.
The Trusts runs a weekly teaching programme which all medical staff are encouraged to attend and participate in. This is currently run virtually and is very well attended. Additional training events are also arranged.
There are medical students and trainee nurses placed within the Trust, and the post holder will have a role in informal supervision/teaching in their training.
SAS doctors will be encouraged and supported in exploring formal leadership roles in medical education and training.
The post has no specific research responsibilities other than those which are inherent in clinical duties. There is however opportunity for clinical and other basic research through the Research Department for the Trust based at Hollins Park Hospital.
Due to the nature of the job, it is expected that the post holder will have a good working knowledge and skills in the use of the Mental Health Act, the Mental Capacity Act and DOLS. The Trust offers regular training sessions and various updates. Approval under Section 12 of the Mental Health Act 1983 (2007) would be preferred but is not essential.
The post holder will have their own dedicated office base with full IT facilities within the SCFT offices, adjacent to the Auden and Tennyson units. Tennyson unit uses RiO electronic notes system, whilst Auden and SCFT use PACIS. Every employee is given the relevant training.
The post holder will share designated band 4 secretarial support with the consultants. IT/informatics support is provided by a dedicated IT department.
The primary base is Hollins Park Hospital, Warrington. The post holder must be able to undertake local travel as required to undertake the duties of the post. Support will be given where required to undertake local travel, such as through the Access to Work Scheme.
The clinical activity will be supported within the reporting arrangements of the Division Governance Committee, which itself will report to the Executive Director of Operations. This committee will establish and maintain an effective system of clinical governance across the whole of the Division’s activities that support the objectives of the Division and the Trust as a whole. It will do this by creating a structure that is focused on quality, particularly, Safety, Effectiveness, and Patient Experience.
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.
The Trust aims to ensure that all staff are provided with an environment and opportunities that encourage and enable them to lead healthy lives and make choices that support their wellbeing. The Occupational Health and Wellbeing Service is an advisory in-house service for all staff. The service offers advice on how health can affect work and how work can affect health. It also advises on physical and mental health issues and develops programmes and initiatives to enrich wellbeing in the workplace. Mersey Care's Occupational Health and Wellbeing Services include Occupational Health, Physiotherapy, Psychological support and Counselling and Health and Wellbeing. The team operates out of two sites (Switch House, Ground Floor, Norther Perimeter road, Bootle Liverpool, L30 7PT and Hollins Park House, Hollins Park, Hollins Lane, Winwick, Warrington, WA2 8WA Tel: 01925 664 010email: OHWB@merseycare.nhs.uk)
The staff wellbeing hub is a live and evolving portal for all things staff wellbeing. The hub aims to support staff by signposting to information, advice, tips and specialist services. Support is split into four categories including mental, physical, financial and social wellbeing.
Supporting the wellbeing of the post holder after serious incidents that involve patients in their care (e.g. homicide or suicide) is paramount, and a dedicated senior clinician will provide support and advice as needed after the incident. Details of the senior clinician able to offer this support will be provided via the Medical Directorate at the time of initial induction.
If there are changes to the pre-agreed workload (e.g. unexpected cover of a different unit/service outside the casual cross-cover arrangement) a timely meeting with the line manager before cover starts will enable discussion of the feasibility of the change within the constraints of needing to manage a safe workload. Additional support will be sourced if required. A timely job plan adjustment will be arranged if a new working arrangement is to proceed.
The trust has several initiatives to support wellbeing that the post holder is encouraged to participate in. These currently include flexible working, flexible retirement, season ticket scheme, lease vehicle scheme, cycle scheme, retail and restaurant discounts, eye test scheme, free health checks, menopause support, gym discounts, wellbeing events, mindfulness courses, wellbeing walks and jogs, and parenting workshops. The post holder will form part of a consultant peer group who meet regularly.