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.
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.
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.
Person specification
Person Specification
Essential
- 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
- 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
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Consultant Psychiatrist in Learning Disabilities with Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in Chalkhill. It is listed as a Consultant Medical doctor Psychiatry role. The advertised salary is £113,565 - £150,569 per annum. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 27 Sep 2026.
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