Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist - Ofsted Registered Children's Home Provider
Job Title: Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist
Location: Eastbourne
Salary: Negotiable
Contract: Permanent or Contractor
About The Role:
In this role you will provide specialist psychiatric leadership and direct clinical support to children and young people living within an Ofsted Registered Children's Home provider across East Sussex.
This is an opportunity to become a core part of an established multidisciplinary clinical model, working directly alongside our Clinical Lead, Clinical Psychologist, Occupational Therapist, Speech & Language Therapist, Positive Behaviour Support, Education and Residential Care teams.
Our young people can present with complex mental health, developmental and behavioural needs including Autism, ADHD, complex trauma, PTSD, SEMH needs, self-harm, suicidal ideation, emotional dysregulation, aggression and previous psychiatric inpatient or secure care admissions.
We are therefore looking for an experienced and responsive Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist who can provide consistent psychiatric oversight, assessments, medication management, mental state reviews and crisis input, while working collaboratively with the wider professional network around each young person.
What We Offer:
- Full Time Permanent or Contractor Options Available
- Private Healthcare and 24/7 GP Access with Vitality
- Excellent Work Life Balance
- 40 per month Gym Membership Contributions / Fitness Classes
- Enhanced Maternity / Paternity / Adoption Packages
- Free Access to Flexible and Unlimited Therapeutic Support
- Free or Subsidised Parking
- Blue Light Card Membership Included
- Company Sick Pay Policy (Above Statutory)
- Established Internal Multidisciplinary Clinical Team
About You:
- GMC registered with a current licence to practise
- Specialist training and significant experience within Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
- Consultant level experience working with children and young people with complex mental health needs
- Strong knowledge of psychopharmacology, prescribing and physical health monitoring
- Experience assessing and managing significant clinical risk
- Experience working with self-harm, suicidal ideation and complex presentations
- Experience working with neurodevelopmental conditions including Autism and ADHD
- Strong understanding of trauma, attachment and developmental needs
- Confident working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team
- Able to provide responsive clinical decision making when a young person's presentation changes
- Excellent communication, clinical documentation and professional liaison skills
- Strong understanding of safeguarding and working with vulnerable children and young people
- Experience within CAMHS, community, inpatient, secure or crisis services would be highly desirable
- Specialist Registration in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry / appropriate consultant level accreditation would be highly desirable
Key Responsibilities:
As our Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist you will:
- Complete comprehensive psychiatric assessments of children and young people
- Undertake regular mental state examinations and psychiatric reviews
- Provide psychiatric formulations, treatment recommendations and clinical plans
- Assess changes or deterioration in a young person's mental health presentation
- Take appropriate clinical responsibility for psychiatric prescribing and medication management
- Complete regular medication reviews and assess effectiveness, side effects and ongoing clinical need
- Review PRN medication and complex medication regimes
- Ensure appropriate physical health monitoring is identified and completed alongside psychiatric medication
- Liaise with GPs, pharmacies and other prescribing professionals
- Provide responsive psychiatric input during periods of increased clinical risk or mental health deterioration
- Assess young people presenting with significant self-harm, suicidal ideation or other acute psychiatric concerns
- Contribute to crisis plans, safety plans and clinical escalation pathways
- Support residential and clinical teams when urgent psychiatric decisions are required
- Determine when escalation to NHS CAMHS, Crisis Services, A&E or inpatient provision is clinically required
- Contribute to post-incident and serious clinical reviews where psychiatric input is required
- Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings and clinical reviews
- Work closely with Clinical Psychology, OT, SLT, PBS, Education and Residential Care teams
- Liaise with NHS CAMHS, Local Authorities, Social Workers, GPs, hospitals and existing treating clinicians
- Support young people transitioning from hospital, secure care or other specialist placements into residential care
- Facilitate and participate in clinical handovers with existing psychiatrists and treatment teams
- Review psychiatric risks ahead of new placements where required
- Contribute to care plans, risk assessments and crisis management plans
- Support the development of psychiatric pathways and clinical governance across the group
- Provide psychiatric input into safeguarding and complex case discussions
- Maintain clear, accurate and defensible clinical records
- Support the development of medication, prescribing and physical health monitoring protocols
- Provide clinical advice and guidance to senior operational and clinical leaders
- Promote continuity of psychiatric care and reduce avoidable delays to safe community placements
Working Hours & Clinical Availability:
This is a full time role supporting specialist services in Eastbourne.
The successful psychiatrist will provide both planned and responsive clinical input, including regular assessments and reviews alongside support when young people experience significant changes in their mental health presentation.
You will form part of the wider clinical and care structure around each young person. Crisis management will be undertaken collaboratively with the MDT, residential teams and appropriate external emergency / NHS services rather than by the psychiatrist in isolation.
Permanent employment and full time contractor arrangements will both be considered for the right individual.
Safer Recruitment
All roles are subject to Enhanced DBS checks, referencing, verification of professional registrations and qualifications, and full safer recruitment procedures.
If you are an experienced Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist who wants to work within a highly collaborative clinical model and have a meaningful impact on the lives of children and young people with complex needs, apply now to become part of the multidisciplinary team.
