The Positive Behaviour Autism, Learning disability Mental health Service (PALMS) are seeking to appoint a motivated and forward thinking Consultant Psychiatrist to join their team to support Children and Young People (CYP) and their families across Hertfordshire.

Psychiatric input is an integral part of the multi-disciplinary PALMS provision working alongside Clinical Psychologists, Learning Disability Nurses, Outreach Workers, PALMS’ Practitioners, Positive Behaviour Analysts, Speech and Language Therapists and Systemic Therapists supported by a team of administrators.

Main duties of the job

PALMS principally delivers a service between 7am and 7pm weekdays but also works outside these hours and offers weekend input according to need. It is expected that the consultants will provide a service to cover working hours 9am-5pm Monday- Friday with some flexibility to offer an early morning or evening clinic once a week, with each consultant keeping within their PA contract. There is no on call requirement at this time for PALMS.

Working for our organisation

PALMS provides early intervention where necessary and intensive support to families reaching crisis with a step up and step down approach throughout their care journey. Interventions include workshops, groups, individual therapy, and therapeutic work with parents/carers/siblings. PALMS clinicians comprise a ‘virtual team’, delivering a consistent service across Hertfordshire to CYP within the target group.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

PALMS is part of Hertfordshire Community Trust (HCT) which is one of a new generation of community health service Trusts in the NHS responsible for delivering a wide range of children’s and adult’s community health services across Hertfordshire. This includes Children’s: Community Paediatrics; Occupational Therapy; Speech and Language Therapy; and, Physiotherapy and School Nursing, Health Visiting and CAMHS commissioned services including PALMS and Step2.

PALMS is a nationally recognised CAMHS commissioned service which works across Hertfordshire providing a specialist multi-disciplinary approach. PALMS offers individually tailored support for CYP, aged 0-18 who have a global learning disability and/or Autistic Spectrum Disorder, helping families to manage challenging behaviour, toileting, feeding and sleeping concerns which have not benefitted from Community intervention and/or to support mental health needs which cannot be met with reasonable adjustment by other CAMHS services. Additionally, PALMS also supports problematic sexualised behaviours. PALMS aims to keep children and young people with their families within Hertfordshire thereby improving outcomes for all family members.

We have continued to support CYP and their families through the COVID19 pandemic embracing virtual working whilst continuing to offer face to face work where clinically appropriate. Virtual working offers flexibility to both team members and families and is now embedded in the PALMS team.

The PALMS team is friendly, cohesive and proactive. We value feedback and empower all team members to contribute to the continuous development of the service and welcome innovation and change.

Whilst it is not a legal requirement, Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust encourages and supports all staff to be vaccinated as this remains the best line of defence against COVID-19

Interviews are expected to take place  Wednesday 6th July 2022 via MS Teams

Person specification

Professional Qualifications

Essential criteria

• MRCPsych or equivalent
• Certificate of completion of relevant Specialist Training
• Full GMC Registration with a License to Practice

Experience, Skills & Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Section 12 Approval / Approved Clinician Status (Candidates from abroad can apply for this within 3 months of taking up post)
• Broad range of experience in psychiatric practice and in the use of psychological therapies
• Experience and competencies in assessing, and treating children and adolescents with complex mental health needs and their families. It is expected a high level skills in liaison with and consultancy to multiagency settings.
• Willingness and ability to work with others to achieve shared goals
• Ability to demonstrate experience and knowledge of Safeguarding in child and adolescent mental health particularly in this group of young people
• Experience of assessing and managing complex comorbidities
• Ability to assess capacity and consent
• Knowledge of current government policies in Learning Disability service
• An understanding of the importance of Clinical Governance in NHS organisations and importance in high quality care
• Experience of working in a multi -disciplinary team
• Ability to demonstrate experience and knowledge of Safeguarding in child and adolescent mental health particularly in this group of young people
• IT Skills

Desirable criteria

• Previous experience of working in a child and adolescent service
• Previous experience of working in a Learning Disability and/or ASD service.
• Formal training in management and administration
• Participated in research and published papers and original work in peer -reviewed journals.
• Experience in Organising Educational activities
• Experience of service quality monitoring (e.g. clinical audit, evaluative research etc.)
• Ability to critically appraise research findings

We will communicate any interview arrangements with applicants via e-mail so it is advisable that you check the email address you give on your application on a regular basis.

Staff recruited from outside the NHS will usually be appointed at the bottom of the pay band.

In submitting an application form, you authorise Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the Electronic Staff Record Inter Authority Transfer process should you be appointed to the post.  

Applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. Please visit the Gov.UK website for detail

For further details and to apply please click the Apply button.