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Job summary

Main area
Learning Disabilities
Grade
Consultant Psychiatrist
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 10 sessions per week
Job ref
354-LD-20348
Employer
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Chapel Street Clinic (with regular visits to Durban House in Bognor)
Town
Chichester
Salary
£113,565 - £150,569 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
27/09/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust logo

Consultant Psychiatrist in Learning Disabilities

Consultant Psychiatrist

Come and join us

We’re looking for people who share our values of compassion, accountability and optimism to help us provide high quality care for the patients, carers, families and communities we serve. We specialise in NHS mental health and learning disability services and we’re proud to make a difference every day.

At SPFT we put people first. We’ll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. You’ll have opportunities to learn, grow and gain new experiences to support your career, with access to lifelong learning and professional development.

We actively promote flexible working and understand how important work life balance is, especially in healthcare. Whether it’s part time hours, hybrid working or flexible start and finish times, we’ll explore what works for you and the role.

We recognise that tools like AI are becoming part of everyday life and you may choose to use them when preparing your application. We welcome this, as long as what you submit reflects your own experience, skills and voice. AI can be helpful for structuring or refining your answers, but it should not replace your own examples or create content that isn’t based on your real experience.

Our recruitment process is designed to get to know you, and we’ll explore your examples further at interview, so it’s important your application genuinely represents what you bring. You can read more about using AI in applications and interviews on our recruitment process page.

We’re shaping a workplace where ideas are encouraged, technology supports you and everyone has a voice in how we improve. If that sounds like the kind of organisation you want to be part of, we’d love to hear from you.

Job overview

We are seeking a Consultant Psychiatrist to join our established Western Community Learning Disability Team. Based in Chichester and Bognor Regis, you will provide specialist psychiatric care for adults with learning disabilities. The post comprises 7.5 programmed activities for direct clinical care and 2.5 for supporting professional activities.

The job description and person specification was sent for approval by the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ regional advisor on 19.08.2026. Ref: SED KSS-CO-STH-2026-03880

Main duties of the job

You will:

  • Assess and treat adults with learning disabilities and complex mental, behavioural or physical health needs.
  • Provide clinical leadership to the multidisciplinary team.
  • Offer advice to primary care, community and inpatient services.
  • Support appropriate access and reasonable adjustments within mainstream services.
  • Participate in multidisciplinary meetings, clinical governance, quality improvement and service development.
  • Supervise resident doctors and contribute to teaching and training.
  • Support the prevention of avoidable hospital admissions and provide advice on relevant mental health and capacity legislation. 

Working for our organisation

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust provides mental health, learning disability and neurodevelopmental services across Sussex. Our vision is to deliver great care and improve outcomes together, supported by our values of being compassionate, accountable and optimistic. The Western team includes psychiatry, learning disability nursing, psychology, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, physiotherapy and behaviour practitioners.

We support continuing professional development, peer review, appraisal, revalidation, teaching and quality improvement. The postholder will have access to administrative support, IT equipment and dedicated office space. 

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The postholder will:

  • Deliver specialist community psychiatric assessment and treatment.
  • Work collaboratively with patients, families, carers and professional colleagues.
  • Provide medical and professional leadership across the service.
  • Maintain oversight of clinical quality, risk and patient pathways.
  • Contribute to safeguarding, audit, governance and service evaluation.
  • Maintain GMC registration, Approved Clinician status and continuing professional development.
  • Participate in annual appraisal and job planning.
  • Be approved as a Responsible Clinician or undertake the required training.

Person specification

Person Specification

Essential criteria
  • MB BS or equivalent medical qualification.
  • Fully registered with the GMC with a licence to practise at the time of appointment.
  • Included on the GMC Specialist Register OR within six months.
  • Approved clinician status OR able to achieve within 3 months of appointment
  • TRANSPORT Holds and will use valid UK driving licence OR provides evidence of proposed alternative.
  • Excellent knowledge in specialty
  • Excellent clinical skills using bio-psycho-social perspective and wide medical knowledge
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills in English
  • Able to manage clinical complexity and uncertainty
  • Makes decisions based on evidence and experience including the contribution of others
  • Able to meet duties under MHA and MCA
  • Able to deliver undergraduate or postgraduate teaching and training
  • Ability to work in and lead team
  • Demonstrate commitment to shared leadership & collaborative working to deliver improvement.
  • Participated in continuous professional development
  • Participated in research or service evaluation.
  • Able to use and appraise clinical evidence.
  • Has actively participated in clinical audit and quality improvement programmes
  • Ability to work in a participatory way so that shared decision making and conversations around formulation/diagnosis and ongoing care are a collaborative endeavour with the people who access our service.
Desirable criteria
  • Qualification or higher degree in medical education, clinical research or management.
  • MRCPsych
  • Additional clinical qualifications.
  • In good standing with GMC with respect to warning and conditions on practice
  • Wide range of specialist and sub-specialist experience relevant to post within NHS or comparable service
  • Able to plan and deliver undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and training relevant to this post
  • Reflected on purpose of CPD undertaken
  • Experienced in clinical research and / or service evaluation.
  • Evidence of achievement in education, research, audit and service improvement: SL awards, prizes, presentations and publications.
  • Has led clinical audits leading to service change or improved outcomes to patients

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyDisability confident leaderDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - BronzeCare quality commission - GoodArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardStep into healthPride In Veterans

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Dr Rabab Yassin
Job title
Interim Lead Psychiatrist for LD and NDS
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01903 846656
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