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An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Consultant Psychiatrist in Forensic Psychiatry to join a well-established secure forensic mental health service in Northern Ireland.

This Consultant post offers the opportunity to provide specialist forensic psychiatric care in a low-secure inpatient setting while contributing to prison mental health services, multidisciplinary collaboration, clinical leadership, and service development. The successful candidate will work within a highly supportive forensic team delivering assessment, treatment, rehabilitation, and risk management for patients with complex mental health needs.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

The Consultant Psychiatrist will:

• Provide consultant-led forensic psychiatric assessment and treatment
• Deliver clinical leadership within a low secure inpatient forensic service
• Act as a Responsible Clinician for forensic inpatients
• Manage complex forensic mental health cases and risk assessments
• Conduct access and suitability assessments for low secure admissions
• Participate in prison mental health clinics
• Lead multidisciplinary formulation, treatment, and discharge planning
• Prepare Mental Health Tribunal and Ministry of Justice reports
• Support rehabilitation and recovery-focused pathways
• Work collaboratively with inpatient, prison, and community forensic services
• Supervise junior medical staff and trainees
• Participate in clinical governance, audit, and quality improvement
• Contribute to teaching, supervision, and service development
• Participate in the consultant on-call rota

Service Overview

The forensic mental health service includes:

• Low secure inpatient forensic wards
• Medium secure forensic services
• Forensic community teams
• Prison mental health pathways
• Rehabilitation and recovery services
• Specialist forensic multidisciplinary teams

The multidisciplinary team includes:

• Consultant Forensic Psychiatrists
• Speciality Doctors and Psychiatry Trainees
• Forensic Mental Health Nurses
• Clinical Psychologists
• Occupational Therapists
• Social Workers
• Peer Support Workers
• Activity Coordinators
• Pharmacy and allied health professionals

The service works closely with:

• Prison mental health services
• Community forensic teams
• General adult psychiatry services
• Ministry of Justice pathways
• Rehabilitation services
• Social care and external agencies

Leadership, Teaching & Development

The role offers opportunities in:

• Clinical leadership within forensic psychiatry
• Service development and expansion
• Medical education and supervision
• Research and academic development
• Clinical governance and audit
• Multidisciplinary leadership
• Quality improvement initiatives
• Risk management and forensic care innovation
The department actively supports:
• Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
• Consultant mentoring and appraisal
• Leadership development programmes
• Undergraduate and postgraduate teaching
• Research and publication opportunities
• Educational supervision training
• Academic and forensic psychiatry development

Person Specification

Requirements

Essential

• Full GMC Registration with Licence to Practise
• Included on the GMC Specialist Register in Forensic Psychiatry or eligible within 6 months of CCT
• Approved Clinician Status
• Section 12(2) approval under the Mental Health Act
• Minimum 1 year NHS experience
• Excellent clinical skills in Adult and Forensic Psychiatry
• Experience managing complex forensic psychiatric presentations
• Strong multidisciplinary team working ability
• Experience in clinical audit and governance
• Excellent communication, leadership, and teaching skills
• Ability to work effectively within secure and prison mental health environments

Desirable

• MRCPsych or equivalent qualification
• Postgraduate qualification in a relevant field
• Experience in service development and leadership
• Research and publication experience
• Experience in multi-agency forensic work
• Training in educational supervision or appraisal
• Specialist interests within forensic psychiatry
• Experience in psychological therapy approaches or rehabilitation pathways
Apply now