Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Consultant in Forensic Psychiatry (KCW Refocus)
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Job Overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and innovative Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist to join KCW ReFocus, a specialist community forensic service commissioned by North West London and delivered by CNWL.
If you are an ambitious and forward-thinking forensic psychiatrist seeking a role that combines excellent clinical practice, leadership, quality improvement, service development, and system-wide partnership working, we would be delighted to hear from you.
Main Duties of the Job
We are seeking a clinician who is passionate about delivering high-quality, recovery-focused forensic care, driving service transformation, and supporting multidisciplinary teams to achieve outstanding outcomes for patients with complex needs.
The successful applicant will provide clinical leadership to a multidisciplinary community forensic team and will manage a caseload of up to 40 patients with forensic and rehabilitation needs.
This consultant post offers an exceptional opportunity to provide expert clinical leadership across a dynamic service that sits at the interface between secure forensic services, acute inpatient care, community mental health teams, and criminal justice agencies. The role has been created following a reduction in sessions of the current full-time consultant. The role is key in shaping the next phase of community forensic rehabilitation and recovery pathways across Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster.
Working for Our Organisation
ReFocus is a specialist service for adults with forensic mental health needs, providing expert assessment, risk management, rehabilitation, and care coordination for individuals transitioning between secure services and local mental health pathways.
The service manages the critical interface between:
- Secure forensic inpatient services
- St Charles Hospital acute inpatient services
- Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster Community Mental Health Teams
- Probation and Criminal Justice Services
- Wider health, social care, housing, and voluntary sector partners
The team supports patients with complex mental health, risk, and rehabilitation needs, ensuring safe transitions, continuity of care, and successful community reintegration.
This post offers a unique opportunity to:
- Shape and develop a growing community forensic service.
- Lead innovation in rehabilitation and recovery pathways.
- Deliver meaningful improvements in patient flow and outcomes.
- Influence service transformation across North West London.
- Work alongside experienced multidisciplinary colleagues and partner organisations.
- Develop leadership, quality improvement, and strategic service development expertise.
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Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities
Clinical Leadership
- Providing consultant psychiatric leadership across the service.
- Supporting the assessment, treatment, and management of patients with complex forensic presentations.
- Undertaking comprehensive psychiatric and forensic risk assessments.
- Accepting clinical responsibility for patients stepping down from specialist forensic services and those requiring specialist forensic oversight.
- Supporting management of patients who no longer require specialist forensic pathways.
Collaborative Working
- Working closely with Community Mental Health Teams, acute inpatient services, secure providers, and Criminal Justice agencies.
- Developing strong partnerships with probation services, social care, housing teams, and wider stakeholders.
- Supporting safe and effective transitions between inpatient and community services.
Service Development and Transformation
- Leading the ongoing development of community forensic pathways across North West London.
- Contributing to strategic planning and service redesign.
- Supporting innovative approaches to rehabilitation, recovery, and patient flow.
- Helping shape future models of forensic community care.
Quality Improvement and Clinical Governance
- Leading quality improvement initiatives aimed at improving patient outcomes, experience, safety, and system efficiency.
- Supporting clinical governance, serious incident reviews, audit, and learning processes.
- Using data and evidence to drive improvements in care delivery and service performance.
- Promoting a culture of continuous improvement and excellence.
Leadership and Workforce Development
- Providing visible and compassionate leadership within the multidisciplinary team.
- Supporting recruitment, retention, team development, and staff wellbeing.
- Supervising specialty doctors, trainees, and multidisciplinary colleagues.
- Encouraging innovation, learning, and professional development.
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Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- MB BS or equivalent medical qualification
Desirable criteria
- Qualification or higher degree in medical education, clinical research, or management
- MRCPsych
Eligibility
Essential criteria
- 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
- Approved under S12 OR able to achieve within 3 months of appointment
Desirable criteria
- In good standing with GMC with respect to warning and conditions on practice
Transport
Essential criteria
- Holds and will use a valid UK driving licence OR provides evidence of proposed alternative, e.g., public transport
Clinical Skills, Knowledge, and Experience
Essential criteria
- Excellent knowledge in Forensic Psychiatry with an interest in rehabilitation treatment
- Excellent clinical skills using a 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
Desirable criteria
- Wide range of specialist and sub-specialist experience relevant to the post within NHS or comparable service
- Experience of working collaboratively with local CMHT and inpatient colleagues to ensure that patients are managed in the least restrictive setting
- Experience of Quality Improvement
- Management experience
- Membership of committee / relevant regulatory body
- CQC preparedness
- Contract / procurement knowledge
Academic Skills and Lifelong Learning
Essential criteria
- Participated in continuous professional development
- Participated in research or service evaluation
- Able to use and appraise clinical evidence
- Has actively participated in clinical audit
Desirable criteria
- Evidence of achievement in education, research, audit, and service improvement: awards, prizes, presentations, and publications
- Has led clinical audits leading to service change.
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