Clinical Lead | Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

We are delighted to offer an exciting opportunity for a dynamic and motivated Clinical Lead (Band 7) to join our Liverpool Early Intervention in Psychosis Service (EIPS). The role invites an experienced clinician to lead high quality, compassionate care and assessment whilst shaping innovative service developments within a supportive and forward thinking NHS Trust. If you are passionate about driving clinical excellence, inspiring teams and making a meaningful difference to service users and their families, we would love to hear from you.

As Clinical Lead, you will work across the service with both Liverpool North and South teams, so care can be delivered safely and effectively. If successful, you will be part of a MDT delivering a range of evidence-based interventions concordant with the EIP NICE guidelines. You will be an integral part of the EIPS leadership team, including Team Leaders, a Senior Advanced Clinical Practitioner, Consultant Psychiatrists, and Psychology leads. There is a wide range of other disciplines within the MDT.

We support and encourage professional training and development, and there are opportunities for CPD through supervision, complex case discussions, reflective practice and level 1 psychological therapies. The successful candidate will also work in partnership with other internal and external, statutory and voluntary services to provide a collaborative focus on care.

The post holder will work autonomously taking responsibility for care, quality and clinical activity by providing specialist professional nursing leadership and guidance, clinical advice and management in relation to the key dimensions of health care quality:

• Patient safety
• The effectiveness of all health care interventions
• Patient experience
• The environment in which care is delivered

The post holder will exercise enhanced clinical expertise, levels of judgement, discretion and decision making in the delivery of clinical care. They will be responsible for delivering a high-quality mental health service for service users and carers of the Early Intervention in Psychosis Service.

The post holder will work as an integral part of the team with a specialist role in the development and implementation of services and care pathways. They will provide clinical leadership, supervision, and support to colleagues. They will work with the Team Leaders and Senior Advanced Clinical Practitioner to review and implement national and local guidance, and service innovations.

The post holder will ensure the delivery of a clinically effective service which meets the needs of service users and their families in line with local and national development plans, Trust policies and procedures. They will demonstrate an attitude which respects and values service users’ and their carers.

Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands. We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.

At the heart of all we do is our commitment to ‘perfect care’ care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We’re currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.

This role provides senior clinical and professional leadership within the assessment arm of the service, working closely with Team Leaders, Advanced Clinical Practitioners and the wider multidisciplinary team. The post holder contributes to the effective delivery, quality assurance and ongoing development of assessment, triage and care provision for service users with severe and complex mental health needs.

Key responsibilities include leading and supporting comprehensive assessments, risk management and care planning, ensuring interventions are evidence‑based, person‑centred and aligned with national standards, Trust policies and key performance indicators. The role involves coordinating care packages, monitoring progress, communicating complex clinical information, and working collaboratively with service users, families, carers and partner agencies to promote safe, effective care and timely discharge.

The post holder plays a significant leadership role in staff supervision, training and development, fostering a culture of learning, reflective practice and continuous improvement. This includes providing clinical supervision, supporting students and learners, facilitating training programmes, and ensuring staff maintain appropriate competencies and professional standards.

Clinical governance is a core component of the role, with responsibility for maintaining accurate records, participating in audits, managing incidents using PSIRF frameworks, contributing to quality improvement initiatives, and supporting action plans arising from CQC, serious incidents and reviews. The post holder also contributes to research, patient safety, public involvement activities and the implementation of new ways of working.

In addition, the role requires effective communication and leadership skills, including responding to complaints, representing the team at meetings, attending safeguarding conferences and acting as a professional role model. The post holder deputises for the line manager as required and supports service development, ensuring care delivery is safe, responsive and aligned with national guidance and Trust objectives.