Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a substantive, clinical academic post in women’s mental health, consisting of six sessions based at the Health Service and Population Research (HSPR) Department at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), and four sessions as Consultant Perinatal Psychiatrist in the South London and Maudsley (Lewisham) Perinatal Community Mental Health Service. The primary academic focus is on women’s mental health, particularly in the perinatal period, in relation to basic understanding, service requirements, and policy implications. This includes, but is not limited to, epidemiological, qualitative, and quantitative research into the gendered determinants of mental health problems, the impact of mental health problems on women and their families, and interventions to support women and their families. The successful candidate will carry out research and teaching and will be encouraged to develop collaborations, including with other departments across the IoPPN, the Department of Women and Children’s Health in the Faculty of Life Science & Medicine, and the Pears Maudsley Centre for Children and Young People.   

Key academic responsibilities (6 sessions):

• To contribute to the women’s mental health research programme within the HSPR department and broader university, particularly the IoPPN. 
• To conduct and publish high quality, internationally recognised research outputs in peer-reviewed journals.  
• To secure external grant support for research activity. 
• To contribute to education (2 sessions) in the department, the IoPPN and the wider university, including leading the perinatal mental health module for iBSc and MSc students and contributing to teaching on other programmes, such as MSc Global Mental Health, MRCPsych, DClinPsy and undergraduate psychiatry. 

Key clinical activities (4 sessions):

• Service promotion/liaison with agencies that are sources of referral. 
• Psychopathological assessment of clients referred to the Lewisham perinatal mental health team. 
• Medical reviews. 
• Monitoring and treatment of patients at clinical high risk for perinatal relapse. 
• Mental Health Act work. 
• Chairing multidisciplinary team meetings. 
• Care co-ordination reviews. 
• Supervision of medical staff and clinical research workers. 
• Teaching core trainees, team members, other staff and medical students. 
• Mandatory and CPD training. 

This post will be offered on an indefinite contract (subject to a three-year probation period). This is a full-time post, but part-time options will be considered.

Key responsibilities

Academic

• To establish a portfolio of research projects in women’s mental health through the development of collaborations with local, national, and international clinical and research colleagues and the submission of high-quality research grant proposals.  
• To disseminate high quality, internationally recognised research outputs, including publications in high impact, peer-reviewed journals, conference presentations and social media.  
• To first supervise between 1 and 2 postgraduate doctoral students and contribute to the development of other postgraduate students through second supervision.  
• To contribute to education in the department, the IoPPN and the wider university, including teaching on undergraduate or Masters-level programmes and clinical programmes (e.g., MRCPsych, DClinPsy, undergraduate psychiatry), module leadership, supervision of student projects, and external requests for teaching and training as appropriate.  
• To contribute to the wider academic world, through board and steering committee membership, peer review, advisory roles, public and patient engagement etc.  
• The post holder will be expected to maintain and develop working relationships with internal (within King’s) and external research teams and organisations, and to maintain and develop internal and external research networks to promote women’s mental health at King’s College London.  

Clinical

• To provide clinical leadership and consultant input into the Lewisham Perinatal Team, working with the team leader, Clinical Service Lead and Clinical Lead. 
• To participate in the framework of Clinical Governance as it develops in the Psychological Medicine and Older Adults (PMOA) Directorate and across the Trust and deliver on quality and outcomes set by the directorate care pathways. 
• To take consultant responsibility for Community/Liaison Perinatal Team patients, assessing or supervising assessment and risk assessment of patients and devising/helping to devise appropriate treatment plans and medication regimes and providing prompt medical responses for patients under their direct care and advise and work closely with other members of the MDT. 
• To provide RC and section 12 responsibilities under the Mental Health Act to patients where necessary or appropriate. 
• To provide intensive and expert intervention and management of acutely ill patients under the care of the team. 
• To work flexibly with other consultants across the boroughs to ensure good transitions of care for patients giving birth at Lewisham University Hospital and living in the boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham.   
• To offer advice and provide clinical supervision when needed to the ST trainee in the Perinatal Team. 
• To promote and advocate for the principles and practice of Perinatal Psychiatry in the local and national arena. 
• To work flexibly and creatively as part of a multidisciplinary team promoting informed risk taking and anti-discriminatory practice. 
• Liaison with/advice to General Practitioners and allied professionals concerning service users subject to CPA. 
• To participate in training for medical students, FYs, CT and STs in SLaM, as well as to teaching to allied professionals.  
• To provide reciprocal cover under Section 12 of the Mental Health Act for the leave, study leave and sickness of senior medical staff within the Community Perinatal Service.  
• To encourage and lead service-based research and teaching, as appropriate. 
• To contribute to clinical governance work within the Community Perinatal Service and work alongside national standards, e.g., internally with audit and service evaluation and externally as outlined by the Royal College Psychiatry CCQI standards for community perinatal services. This will include audit/management meetings, regular feedback to commissioners about progress of the continuing expansion, including participating in collection of outcome measures and performance metrics for the service.  
• To agree and regularly review job plan objectives with the Associate Medical Director and Clinical Lead. 
• To carry a mobile during work hours and be contactable by team members. 
• External duties to include participation in pan London and national perinatal psychiatry events, Royal College Psychiatry peer review and accreditation of perinatal services, annual RCPsych Perinatal Psychiatry Scientific day and Marcé Society events. 
• Annual leave will be agreed with the Clinical Director and Lead Clinician and communicated promptly to the Community Team Manager.  

Skills, knowledge and experience

Essential criteria

1. Undergraduate medical degree  
2. GMC registration with a license to practice at the time of appointment. 
3. Postgraduate clinical training in psychiatry (MRCPsych or equivalent) with evidence for inclusion in the Specialist Register (psychiatry) or within six months of gaining CCT 
4. Approved Clinician Status 
5. High quality peer reviewed publications in women's mental health  
6. Experience of postgraduate and undergraduate teaching/research supervision and supervising clinical and non-clinical junior staff 
7. Experience of clinical academic leadership  
8. Clinical experience in perinatal mental health and other relevant clinical areas  
9. Knowledge translation and dissemination of research for impact 
10. Ability to work well in a multidisciplinary team and provide shared leadership for the team 
11. Excellent communication skills, and ability to make good relationships with colleagues across the university, NHS, third sector, and other organisations 

Desirable criteria  

1. PhD in relevant area 
2. Knowledge of the UK hospital systems (or equivalent) and developments in perinatal psychiatry research, commissioning, as well as wider NHS Strategy  
3. Previous research grant funding in women's mental health  
4. Experience of co-designing research with people with lived experience and developing user-focused services 
5. Experience of designing and implementing quality improvement initiatives  

Further information

This post is subject to Disclosure and Barring Service and Occupational Health clearance.