Role Overview
The Trust is seeking to appoint one Consultant Psychiatrist to the Park Lodge Community Mental Health Team (CMHT). This post is one of two General Adult Consultant Psychiatrist roles within the Park Lodge CMHT. The vacancy has arisen following the departure of the previous postholder.
The service covers a population of approximately 58,000 and currently manages a caseload of around 310 patients. The area is demographically mixed, with pockets of social deprivation and a prevalence of drug and alcohol-related difficulties, which are consistent with an urban population. The caseload is anticipated to reduce over time as patients with lower complexity needs transition back to Primary Care, supported by newly established Primary Care Mental Health Teams.
The postholder will also play an active role in supporting strategic service development and contributing to business planning. The catchment area for this post is smaller than the Trust average, and the current caseload is below the Trust median. There is no inpatient responsibility associated with this role.
Key Responsibilities
- Hold Consultant Psychiatrist responsibility for Park Lodge CMHT and Recovery Team
- Actively involve in the leadership, management and decision‑making within the Community Mental Health Team
- Utilise a flexible approach to the delivery of clinical care to best meet the needs of service users and carers
- Supervise and support team members who carry out assessments of patients referred to the team
- Carry out comprehensive psychiatric assessments and provide treatment for patients
- Support MDT staff to manage psychiatric emergencies
- Conduct patient reviews and lead multidisciplinary and multi‑professional meetings
- Contribute to the development of the service and be actively involved in the critical evaluation of its effectiveness over time
- Ensure that management plans are clearly displayed in the medical records and undertake administrative duties associated with patient care
- Foster relationships between staff within each organisation and with local Clinical Commissioning Groups
- Act as team responsible clinician for the purposes of the Mental Health Act 1983 and carry out duties in accordance with the code of practice
- Carry out comprehensive risk assessments and participate in Trust’s risk management processes such as Health Risk Assessment and Management Meetings (H‑RAMM)
- Maintain effective communication and work flexibly and cooperatively with other parts of the service, including inpatient units, other community mental health teams, specialist services and primary care
- Liaise with families/carers, stakeholders and interested parties
- Maintain effective communication with IAPT services and other community mental health teams and primary care
- Achieve Approved Clinician status recognised by the Trust by commencement of clinical duties, to act in this capacity if responsible for CTO patients and other patients subject to the Mental Health Act as part of the on‑call rota
Clinical Governance and Quality Improvement
- Programmed activity time will allow for standard setting and audit of the service
- Regular stakeholder meetings
- Partnership forums involving service user representatives and advocacy
- Involvement with critical incident / serious untoward incident reporting and response
- Protocol development
- Attendance at monthly consultants' meetings
- Participation in service/team evaluation and the planning of future service developments
- Provide input into the commissioning and strategic planning of high‑quality services for adults with mental health problems
- Recovery team activity will be supported within the reporting arrangements of the Mental Health Division Governance Committee
General Duties
- Manage, appraise and give professional supervision to trainee medical staff in accordance with the Trust’s personnel policies and the Medical Director’s arrangements
- Ensure that junior medical staff working with the post holder operate within the parameters of the New Trainee Doctor contract
- Undertake the administrative duties associated with patient care
- Ensure optimal use of all resources allocated to the post
- Record clinical activity accurately and comprehensively
- Participate in service and business planning activity for the locality and, as appropriate, for the whole mental health service
- Participate in annual appraisal for consultants
- Attend and participate in the Trust’s internal CPD programme, including lectures and seminars
- Maintain professional registration (licence to practise) with the GMC, Mental Health Act Section 12(2) approval, and abide by professional codes of conduct
- Participate annually in a job plan review with the clinical manager, including consultation with a relevant manager to ensure the post is developed in line with changes in service configuration and delivery
- Ensure appropriate handover and communication to colleagues during periods of leave
- Work with local managers and professional colleagues to ensure the efficient running of services and share the medical contribution to management with consultant colleagues
- Comply with Trust‑agreed policies, procedures, standing orders and financial instructions, and 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 its consultant staff who may wish to undertake roles outside the Trust that benefit medical practice at regional, national and international levels, recognising the value of such roles for the Trust’s reputation and standing
- Consultants should undertake such duties only after discussion with colleagues and agreement of the Clinical Director or Associate Medical Director and should be sensitive to the increased workload undertaken by colleagues; they must fully account for these activities in terms of interest to the Trust, professional society, college or wider NHS
Other Duties
- From time to time, the post holder may be required to carry out additional duties assigned by the Trust, such as participation in complaints review and Serious Untoward Incident reviews, and 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, a meeting will occur 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 programmed activities is 7.5 devoted to direct clinical care and 2.5 to supporting professional activities (as per the Royal College of Psychiatrists recommendation)
- 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 South Liverpool. The rota is shared with approximately 15 FTE colleagues, from adult, addictions and learning disability services. During office hours each consultant is expected to provide emergency cover within his or her own team in response to requests from wards and Care Coordinators. The consultant is expected to swap on‑call dates that clash with annual or study leave with other consultant colleagues; at times of unexpected sickness or absence on‑call duties are sorted by medical staffing by seeking locum cover from within the Trust.
Consultants shall, in the normal run of their duties, deputise for absent consultant colleagues (and vice‑versa) so far as is practicable (Schedule 2).
Contractual Information
The post will be covered by the Terms and Conditions of Service relating to the Consultant Contract (2003). Travel expenses are paid in line with the Terms and Conditions of Service for Hospital Medical and Dental Staff, Doctors in Public Health Medicine and the Community Health Service, and the General Whitley Terms and Conditions of Service (England and Wales).
This advert closes on Sunday 31 May 2026.
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