Specialty Doctor Forensic Psychiatry - HMP Brixton

at  Barnet Enfield Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust

The post is based in His Majesty’s Prison Brixton where the specialty doctor will join an established multidisciplinary team in providing psychiatric care to the inmates. This post is especially desirable for those wishing to pursue a career in Forensic Psychiatry.
The successful candidate will be joining a recently expanded Mental Health Hub in a Cat C resettlement prison (with an inmate population of around 800) in a vibrant part of south London. The Mental Health In-reach is multidisciplinary, with a Team Manager, Consultant, 5 CPNs, a lead and 4 trainee psychologists, an occupational and speech and language therapist, and social worker. The MH Hub works closes with primary care, prison counselling services, the Forward Trust (for inmates with a history of addiction), and the LPU services for inmates with a diagnosis of personality disorder.
The post is based in His Majesty’s Prison Brixton where the specialty doctor will join an established multidisciplinary team in providing psychiatric care to the inmates. This post provides excellent experience in prison psychiatry. Previous post holders have gone on to pursue careers in Forensic Psychiatry. The successful candidate joins a multidisciplinary team led by a Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, who is there 2 days per week but is contactable for the rest of the week. The team also includes nurses, psychologists and occupational therapists. They will manage major mental illness and organize transfers to hospitals. They will be involved in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. Experience in the assessment and management of a wide range of clinical presentations including personality, affective, anxiety, psychotic, neurodevelopmental and substance related disorders will be developed. They will expect to see around 6 new patients each week and 10 follow ups
In addition to the in-patient services, the NLFS also provides a number of other services. The NLFS set up its first forensic outreach service in the Borough of Camden in 1997 and since that time outreach services have been set up in the Boroughs of Islington, Haringey, Enfield and Barnet.
The NLFS has always had close links with HMP Brixton and has provided the medical mental health input into the prison since 2008. The service now provides psychiatric care into HMYOI Feltham, HMP Pentonville, HMP Brixton, HMP Wormwood Scrubs and Buckinghamshire prisons.

The NLFS provides a well established court diversion scheme at Highbury Magistrates Court and is the London pilot site for the National Court and Police Liaison and Diversion Scheme with East London and North East London Foundation Trusts. As part of this scheme, the NLFS has police liaison schemes in Islington, Enfield, Camden and Haringey. The service also provides a court diversion service at Hendon Magistrates Court and a police liaison scheme in Barnet. The NLFS is part of the London Partnerships Project.

• Development of skills in assessing and managing complex presentations, including identifying longer-term treatment goals for those with chronic illness.
• Develop skills in risk assessment.
• Develop competencies in working closely with carers, community support agencies, interpreters and the local authority.
• Developing knowledge of working with patients with extensive forensic history.
• Develop knowledge of pathways for individuals with mental illness involved in criminal justice system.
• Gain an awareness of national guidelines, e.g. NICE guidelines, and their application to relevant clinical situations.
• Develop awareness of protocols and policies as applied to clinical situations, including the opportunity to contribute to the formation of local protocols, service development and clinical governance.
• The Specialty doctor will attend the regular weekly academic program on a Friday as well as opportunities to attend other academic activities on the Chase Farm Site.
• Engage in service development

Please refer the Job description for details