Are you passionate about delivering sustainable, high quality community mental health services?
We are seeking a Consultant Psychiatrist to join our Bristol Mental Health Assessment & Recovery South Team. The Assessment and Recovery service operates across Petherton Resource Centre (this post), Speedwell Centre and the Greenway Centre, delivered through Mental Health Bristol, a partnership of local health and social care providers including AWP.
The service aims to increase meaningful contact with service users and improve access by working closely with local communities and GP practices. It supports adults aged 18+, including those transitioning from CAMHS, except individuals whose sole diagnosis is dementia.
In this role, you will hold medical responsibility for one GP-aligned cluster (around 5-6 practices). You will undertake two new assessments and two follow-up appointments each week, alongside approximately eight Recovery appointments arranged across two flexible clinic blocks.
You will work within a supportive multidisciplinary team including doctors, senior nurses, psychotherapists, non‑medical prescribers, support workers and an experienced admin team. The service also hosts GP trainees, FY2 doctors, higher trainees and medical students, creating a friendly and lively medical environment.
You will have access to established PDP groups for peer supervision and will be supported to develop a specialist clinical interest aligned to service needs.
Main duties of the job
Key responsibilities include:
- Provide high‑quality assessments, diagnosis and treatment, including assertive engagement for hard‑to‑reach service users.
- Supervise the medical team and act as Responsible Clinician for service users on Community Treatment Orders.
- Support MDT reviews and deliver care in line with New Ways of Working.
- Work with acute care teams to ensure timely access to intensive services and safe discharge planning.
- Contribute to caseload management and provide senior input to daily MDT assessment discussions.
- Complete specialist assessments for primary care and other referral pathways.
- Help embed the Mental Health Battery (MHB) model and promote recovery‑focused practice.
- Participate in Mental Health Act work and support CTO processes.
- Ensure smooth transitions across care pathways and contribute to recovery‑service development.
- Hold a small non‑CPA caseload as required.
- Support performance monitoring, governance, audit and service development.
- Provide visible clinical leadership and develop a specialist interest aligned to service needs
About us
We are AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust) a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community‑based mental health care. We provide services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B& NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire and in parts of Dorset.
Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. The expertise and resources within AWP are dedicated to a person‑centred approach for those who use our services and all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- MB BS or equivalent medical qualification
Desirable
- Relevant Higher Degree e.g MD, PHD, MSc or other additional clinical qualifications
- MRCPsych OR MRCPsych equivalent approved by the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Eligibility
Essential
- 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 of gaining CCT
- Approved clinician status OR able to achieve within 3 months of appointment
- Approved under S12 OR able to achieve with 3 months of appointment
Desirable
- CCT in General Adult Psychiatry
Experience
Essential
- Experience of assessing and treating patients in a community setting.
- Knowledge and evidence of participation in CPD
- Evidence of effective multidisciplinary team involvement
Personal Skills
Essential
- To possess leadership skills and be able to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team.
- Ability to manage own time, workload and prioritise clinical work
- Ability to appraise own performance as a Consultant.
- Able to demonstrate excellent communication skills, in order to effectively work with patients, carers and staff.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
Desirable
- Evidence of specific achievements that demonstrate leadership skills
Clinical Skills
Essential
- Ability to assess and treat psychiatric problems in Adults of working age and to deal with crisis situations.
Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding of the management skills required to function successfully as a Consultant.
- Awareness of current issues in mental health service provision, policy and legislation.
Desirable
- Knowledge of alternatives to inpatient admission care approaches
Teaching
Essential
- Commitment to and experience of undergraduate and postgraduate learning and teaching.
Desirable
- Experience as an Educational Supervisor for trainees
Research and Audit
Essential
- Experience or involvement in a research project and publication.
- Experience of carrying out an audit project.
Management
Essential
- Evidence of management/leadership skills training.
Desirable
- Previous management experience including that of other junior medical staff
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