Consultant Psychiatrist Southwark Team for Early Psychosis (STEP): Sponsorship Available

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Job summary

The STEP team is a stand- alone community service offering support and management of First Episode Psychosis (FEP) to 18-65 year olds for up to 3 years following first episode. You will work as part of a comprehensive MDT including another consultant (0.4), an associate specialist (LTFT), ST (part time as split post with primary care mental health team), advance practitioner, mental health practitioners, psychologists, occupational therapists and admin support. STEP offers early treatment by means of a range of pharmacological, psychological and social interventions to adults who have made a transition to psychosis and are in the early stages of their illnesses. Care is provided according to PIG guidelines for FEP, using the model of care coordination to ensure that patients have access to the best treatment options available. Particular areas of focus are improving social and occupational outcomes in psychosis through vocational work, befriending, and support groups; and working with families to offer psychoeducation, carer support and family interventions.

Main duties of the job

The main duties of this post include providing psychiatry consultant leadership to the Southwark service for Treatment of Early Psychosis) team (STEP). Please see job description for more details.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential

  • Full registration with the General Medical Council with a licence to practice
  • Included on the GMC Specialist Register or within 6 months of eligibility
  • Approved Clinician status AND Approved under S12 of the UK Mental Health Act (1983), or able to achieve these within 3 months of appointment

Desirable

  • Qualification or higher degree in medical education, clinical research or management
  • Membership or Fellowship of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
  • In good standing with GMC with respect to warning and conditions on practice
  • Experience in other relevant specialties such as liaison psychiatry, home treatment or addictions

Experience and clinical skills

Essential

  • Excellent knowledge of speciality
  • Excellent clinical skills using bio-psycho-social perspective and wide medical knowledge
  • Able to manage complexity and uncertainty
  • Makes decisions based on evidence and experience including the contributions of others
  • Excellent working knowledge and experience of the application of the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act
  • Appreciation and understanding of ethnic minority issues and a commitment to developing culturally sensitive practices
  • Understanding of social factors relevant to psychiatry

Desirable

  • Experience of service development and introducing new services in mental health
  • Wide range of specialist and sub-specialist experience relevant to post within NHS or comparable service

Personal skills

Essential

  • Ability to work in multidisciplinary team and provide leadership for the team
  • Self-motivating
  • Confidence in therapeutic risk taking
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Willingness to innovate and problem-solve service issues

Organisational and management skills

Essential

  • Ability to manage complex workloads and support others to do that
  • Commitment to working with service users on service development
  • Commitment to Clinical Governance
  • Demonstrate commitment to shared leadership & collaborative working to deliver improvement

Desirable

  • Formal leadership and management training
  • Experience of team /service leadership

Research and Audit

Essential

  • Participation in Medical Audit and Quality Improvement initiatives
  • Commitment to research informed care and service development

Desirable

  • Publications in peer-reviewed journals in relevant academic fields

Teaching and supervision

Essential

  • Experience of teaching at either undergraduate or postgraduate level

Desirable

  • Medical education qualification
  • Approval to supervise psychiatric trainees

Other qualities

Essential

  • Commitment to developing user-focused services
  • Ability to get on with colleagues across disciplines and specialties
  • Ability to appraise own performance

Desirable

  • Experience of active involvement in service user initiatives

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Closing Date: 22 September 2026

To apply for this job please visit apps.trac.jobs.