Fixed Term Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist - Waddon Ward

Fixed Term Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist - Waddon Ward

The closing date is 03 November 2025

This 0.5 wte (5 session) consultant post offers an exciting opportunity to join an innovative, well-established service within the Croydon and Behavioural and Developmental Psychiatry Operational Directorate of the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM). The Trust provides the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK and works closely with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, as part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre. There are excellent opportunities for research, teaching and training in association with the Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be based in the Forensic Intensive Psychological Treatment Service (FIPTS) inpatient service on Waddon Ward, Bethlem Royal Hospital (5 sessions). Waddon Ward is a medium secure service providing assessment and treatment for 15 adult men with severe personality disorder from across England, who have committed serious offences and continue to pose a high risk to others. The clinical model is an integrated modular approach centred on the Violence Reduction Programme and incorporating other evidence-based treatments for specific personality difficulties and offence types, including sexual offending.

The successful applicant will join the SLaM forensic consultant on-call rota with an approximate commitment of circa 1:14 weeks.

About us

Waddon Ward is a medium secure service providing assessment and treatment for 15 adult men with severe personality disorder from London and the South, who have committed serious offences and continue to pose a high risk to others.

Job responsibilities

This is a 6-month replacement post (with possibility of extension) whilst the substantive consultant is on secondment.

Person Specification Qualifications

• Registered Medical Practitioner
• Full registration with the General Medical Council
• Certificate of Completion of Specialist training (CCST) in Forensic Psychiatry
• Approval under Section 12(2) of Mental Health Act 1983
• Member of Fellowship of the Royal College of Psychiatrists or equivalent qualification
• Other academic qualifications, preferably in field of forensic psychiatry
• Publications accepted by peer review

Experience

• Commitment and experience of multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working
• Excellent working knowledge and experience of the 1983 Mental Health Act, Code of Practice and Care Programme Approach
• Training or experience in Psychotherapy
• Training and experience of risk assessment and risk management
• Training in effective psychological therapies

Knowledge / Skills

• Participation in Medical Audit and Quality Assurance
• Experience in Post Graduate Teaching, supervision of psychiatric trainees, undergraduate medical student teaching
• Experience in conducting and supervising research projects. Commitment to research and evidence-based practice
• Enthusiasm for both forensic and personality disorder psychiatry. Ability to support forensic teams working in a morbid and challenging inner city area. Ability to provide medical leadership to, and function within, an active multi-disciplinary team
• Appreciation and understating of equality, equity and diversity issues and mental health inequality generally, and commitment to developing culturally sensitive practices
• Confidence in therapeutic positive risk taking. Commitment to developing user-focused services. Excellent communication skills. Ability to get on with colleagues. Capacity to respond positively to changing NHS environment
• Ability to travel within the community
• Excellent report writing and record keeping skills
• Evidence of ability to plan, implement and supervise research
• Experience of service development and introducing new service in forensic mental health
• Evidence of training in management skills
• Membership of Medical Defence Union

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.

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust