Neurodevelopmental Practitioner in Liverpool

Are you passionate about improving care for adults with neurodevelopmental conditions? Excited by the opportunity to shape a brand-new service and make a genuine difference from day one? If so, we'd love you to join our growing Primary Care Network team!

We are establishing an innovative, forward-thinking neurodevelopmental service within primary care, and we are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated Neurodevelopmental Practitioner to help us bring it to life. You will be joining a small, friendly, and highly supportive team that currently includes three GPs, an ANP and a care coordinator, with big plans to expand and develop the service over the coming years.

In this varied and rewarding role, you'll be the first point of contact for adults seeking support around ADHD and associated challenges. You'll use your skills to complete needs-led assessments, provide evidence-based guidance and education, and help people navigate their options with confidence. Under clinical supervision (and with full training provided), you'll also play a key role in delivering ongoing ADHD reviews, including physical health checks and monitoring of symptoms and treatment needs. This post is part-time for up to 15 hours per week.

Main duties of the job

• Shape a new and developing service within a progressive PCN
• Work holistically with patients to improve understanding, self-management and wellbeing
• Develop specialist ADHD knowledge and skills, supported by experienced clinicians
• Collaborate closely with GPs, care coordinators and wider primary care colleagues
• Contribute to service innovation, sharing ideas and helping to build something excellent

The post holder will be required to travel from practice to practice during fulfilment of their duties. South Liverpool is a great place to live and work, while making a meaningful impact on the health and well-being of our local community. As training practices and a PCN focused on the career development of our staff, you will be part of a high-achieving team that always strives for improvement.

If you're someone who thrives on variety, enjoys working collaboratively, and is motivated by supporting neurodiverse adults to thrive, we'd be delighted to hear from you. Come and help us grow a service that truly meets the needs of our community.

About us

Childwall and Wavertree Network is a Primary Care Network made up of eight established GP practices: Valley Medical Centre, Rutherford Medical Centre, Penny Lane Surgery, Greenbank Road Surgery, Greenbank Drive Surgery, Lance Lane Medical Centre, Beacon Health at Mossley Hill Surgery, and Storrsdale Medical Centre. We provide high-quality, compassionate care for a diverse population of around 48,000 patients in South Liverpool. Our mission is to deliver innovative, patient-centred services and to create an environment where staff and patients thrive. We work collaboratively across sectors to improve access, reduce health inequalities, and ensure care is inclusive and forward-thinking.

Our multidisciplinary team includes GPs, Advanced Clinical Practitioners, Clinical Pharmacists, Pharmacy Technicians, Practice Nurses, Nurse Associates, Social Prescribers, Health and Wellbeing Coaches, Mental Health Practitioners, First Contact Physiotherapists and Physician Associates. We also support three aligned care homes: Oak Springs Care Home, Stapley Residential and Nursing Home, and Prince Alfred Residential Care Home. As teaching practices, we are committed to staff development and fostering a fair, supportive workplace where contributions are valued and excellent patient care is central to everything we do.

Job responsibilities

• To receive, screen, triage, stratify and stream patient referrals for adult ADHD assessments, or ongoing treatment
• To conduct face-to-face and occasionally remote appointments.
• To undertake comprehensive needs-led stratification assessment in line with relevant guidance, best practice and service model, identifying needs from possible ADHD and other conditions or factors.
• To offer a range of evidence-based education, advice and guidance relating to ADHD with patients to help reduce and manage symptoms.
• To manage an identified caseload of patients, in conjunction with other professionals, agencies and carers as may be required to support the take-up of appropriate education, advice and guidance.
• Under appropriate supervision, undertake ADHD annual reviews, to include a physical examination and discussion on symptom management, side effects, supporting non-pharmacological strategies and liaison/referral to other agencies as appropriate.
• To ensure a holistic and empathetic approach to appointments and treatment is undertaken, including consideration of physical and mental health needs and signposting to other resources or referring to other services or agencies as required.
• To complete clear, accurate and timely records, summarising the results of all appointments and the advice and guidance provided.
• Make recommendations for ongoing support and clinical or other referral when necessary.
• To develop an understanding of a patient's journey from the point of referral for an assessment of adult ADHD, including the various treatment options and their management under the specialist primary care service or shared care with the patient's practice.
• To support effective collaborative working across general practice, the primary care service, and secondary care provision through effective communication with other professionals.
• To engage with and use web-based information specific to this patient group, maintaining up to date and accurate resources which can be made available to both colleagues and patients.
• To stay up-to-date and engaged with the latest research and developments in ADHD assessment and treatment and mental health.
• To function autonomously on a day-to-day basis within the remit agreed in clinical supervision and the ADHD primary care service model.
• Plan and coordinate other necessary investigations on behalf of patients, including the physical healthcare needs of service users in the community.

Supplementary Duties and responsibilities

• To ensure own actions contribute to the maintenance of a quality service provision.
• To be responsible for the self-development of skills and competencies through participation in training and development activities and to maintain up to date technical and professional knowledge relevant to the post.
• To participate in an annual performance and development review and to undertake any identified training and development related to the post.
• To undertake statutory and mandatory training as deemed appropriate by the Practice/Primary Care Network (PCN).
• To adhere to all primary care/PCN policies and procedures.
• To establish strong working relationships with GPs and practice teams and work collaboratively with other staff of the multi-disciplinary team, supporting each other, respecting each other's views and meeting regularly as a team.
• Demonstrate a flexible attitude and be prepared to carry out other duties as may be reasonably required from time to time within the general character of the post or the level of responsibility of the role, ensuring that work is delivered in a timely and effective manner.
• Contribute to the wider aims and objectives of the PCN to improve and support primary care.

Confidentiality

All staff and contractors working for or on behalf of the NHS have both a common-law duty and a statutory duty of confidentiality to protect patient (and indeed any personally identifiable) information and only use it for the purposes for which it was intended. The disclosure and use of confidential patient information needs to be both lawful and ethical.

Information Governance

Staff must keep up to date with the requirements of information governance and must follow policies and procedures to ensure that all information is dealt with legally, securely, efficiently and effectively. Staff must appropriately manage the records they create or hold during the course of their employment, making the records available for sharing in and confidentiality policies, procedures and guidelines (e.g. Freedom of Information Act 2000, Caldicott guidelines).

Health & Safety

All staff have a duty to ensure the health and safety of themselves and others whilst at work. Safe working practices and health and safety precautions are a legal requirement. All accidents must be reported to your manager and in line with the general philosophy of the PCN; you must participate in accident prevention by reporting hazards and following relevant policies and procedures including Moving and Handling guidelines.

Safeguarding Children and Adults

The PCN has a zero-tolerance approach to the abuse of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All staff must ensure they abide by the Safeguarding Children and Adults Policy and comply with the Local Safeguarding Children and Adult Board procedures. They must be mindful of their responsibility to safeguard children and adults in any activity performed inline with the requirements of statutory guidance and legislation. Staff must keep up to date with safeguarding knowledge and skills by undertaking mandatory safeguarding training as specified in the safeguarding policies, which includes understanding and recognising the signs of abuse and knowing how to raise concerns when those signs of abuse are noticed in a person.

Person Specification

• Flexible approach to working hours (to cover rota between 08:00 20:00)
• Access to own transport and ability to travel across the locality on a regular basis
• Ability to organise, plan and prioritise on own initiative, including when under pressure and meeting deadlines

Qualifications

• A degree in Psychology, Health, Social Care or a related field, or demonstrate equivalent experience through formal qualifications (minimum Level 3)
• Substantial experience in neurodevelopmental conditions, mental health, or primary care settings.
• Evidence of extensive professional development relevant to the role
• Professional registration (e.g. NMC, HCPC, BACP)

Experience

• Ability to work independently within defined policies/procedures, with clinical supervision from the line manager.
• Ability to engage with people with neurodiversity effectively, assessing their needs, assess/understand risk, and designing and delivering appropriate interventions, evaluating their impact to inform future interventions and their personal practice.
• Developed communication and coaching skills to aid understanding, motivating others or negotiating agreement.
• An extensive knowledge and understanding of neurodevelopmental conditions.
• Knowledge of common mental health conditions.
• Confidence and credibility to hold challenging discussions with patients.
• Ability to write clear appointment notes, data entry and letters to other clinical settings.
• High level communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be emotive.
• Problem solving skills and ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands.
• Able to work collaboratively as part of a team.
• Is able to work on own initiative and plan workload effectively responding to changing priorities.
• Ability to engage in evidence-based practice, with an understanding of care quality (clinical governance).
• Knowledge of general administrative procedures.
• Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office software.
• Knowledge of admin procedures within a primary care setting.
• Knowledge of current issues in the NHS and wider health and social care sector.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer name

Childwall and Wavertree Primary Care Network

£39,000 to £48,000 a year pro-rate, per annum