Consultant in LD for Ferndown and Purbeck Dorset

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity to join our service as a part‑time (6 PA) Consultant Psychiatrist in Learning Disability Psychiatry, as part of the reconfiguration of Psychiatry of Intellectual Disability (Learning Disability) provision within the Community Learning Disability Teams in Dorset.

As the consultant psychiatrist you’ll provide a community psychiatry service for adults with learning disabilities across the Purbeck and Ferndown areas. The role does not include epilepsy management, which is provided by the specialist Dorset Epilepsy Service within the Neurology service.

You will be supported by experienced colleagues in Learning Disability Psychiatry and will work as part of a well‑established, integrated Community Learning Disability Team, with additional support from the Intensive Support Team. You'll contribute to weekly IST review meetings and the wider development of community‑based Learning Disability services.

This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to the ongoing development of community‑based Learning Disability services, working collaboratively with a skilled multidisciplinary team to deliver high‑quality, person‑centred care to adults with learning disabilities across Dorset.

Main duties of the job

You’ll provide psychiatric leadership, assessment, diagnosis and treatment for adults with learning disabilities, alongside psychiatric input to patients supported by the IST. Clinical work will be a combination of clinics and home visits. The role includes medical cross‑cover for annual, study and emergency sick leave with Consultant colleagues across the adult Learning Disability service.

We offer a £10,000 Recruitment & Retention Payment, paid monthly during your first year in post, alongside a relocation package of up to £10,000 if you are relocating to Dorset. You'll also benefit from flexible working, excellent NHS benefits, 10 days' study leave and an annual study budget of up to £1,000 - supporting you both professionally and personally.

You’ll be offered the opportunity to participate in the county‑wide senior on‑call rota, which attracts a 3% on call availability supplement plus 0.75 APA per week. The on‑call frequency is approximately 1 in 21.

About us

At Dorset HealthCare we're on a mission to empower people to make the most of their lives through our outstanding, joined‑up healthcare services. We're a dynamic, forward‑looking Trust, running 12 community hospitals, specialist inpatient facilities and a wide range of integrated community and mental health services for a population of almost 800,000 people.

We do things differently here - it's one of the reasons the CQC rated us 'outstanding' in 2019. It's also why 95% of patients across our services say they have a good or very good experience of our services and 89% of staff feel they can really make a difference. Whether you're looking to work with us in one of our bustling market towns, vibrant urban locations, thriving seaside spots, or among the rolling hills of Dorset, there are lots of ways you can make a difference in our communities.

Our 7,000-strong workforce is at the heart of what we do and our success is a testament to our brilliant people. We're all about building a workplace for the future, we believe in equal opportunities and we celebrate diversity. We're an inclusive workplace, where everyone is welcome, everyone can be authentic, and we are all encouraged to be the best version of ourselves.

Working with us you'll be part of a strong team, challenge yourself, build a career, and teach us what we don't know. And you'll be working towards our vision to be better every day through excellence, compassion and expertise in all we do.

Details

Date posted: 11 September 2026

Pay scheme: Hospital medical and dental staff

Grade: Consultant

Salary: £113,565 to £150,569 a year pa pro rata for part time.

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Part‑time

Reference number: 152-ME11.26

Job locations: Hillcrest or Forston Clinic
31 Slades Farm Road, Ensbury Park (BH10 4EU) OR
Herrison Rd, Charlton Down, Dorchester
DT2 9TB
United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

For the main duties and responsibilities for this role please read the attached job description and person specification. When completing your application please ensure your supporting statement reflects the criteria set out in these documents by showing how your experience and skills apply to this post.

We understand that using AI can be a useful and supportive tool when completing your application. However, we have also seen an increase in the over‑reliance of AI tools which is negatively impacting applications as they remove candidates individuality, and it becomes much harder to get a sense of who you are and your authentic experience. If you do use AI, it should be used to enhance your application and not to create your supporting statement in its entirety. If we suspect you have used AI to create your supporting statement and this does not match your experience, we may withdraw your application.

Person Specification

Qualifications/Training

Essential

• General medical Qualification e.g. MBBS, or equivalent and hold a Licence to Practise.
• MRCPsych or recognised equivalent, e.g. membership of a psychiatry college in another country.

Desirable

• Qualification or higher degree in medical education, clinical research or management.
• Additional clinical qualification.

Eligibility

Essential

• Must be in possession or within 6 months of possession of a CCT in Psychiatry or on Specialist Register in Psychiatry.
• Section 12(2) approval and Approved Clinician approval or ability to obtain approval before starting post
• If no CCT in Psychiatry of Intellectual Disability / not on Specialist Register in Psychiatry of Intellectual Disability, then must demonstrate interest and ability to apply psychiatric practice to this patient group

Desirable

• Experience of medicine outside psychiatry e.g. general practice, medicine.
• CCT in Psychiatry of Intellectual Disability

Clinical Skills, Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• Excellent knowledge in specialty
• Evidence of effective multidisciplinary team involvement.
• Excellent clinical skills using bio‑psycho‑social perspective and wider medical knowledge.
• An understanding of how psychiatric issues and non‑psychiatric issues may present as changes in behaviour, and competence in assessing mixed or unclear presentations.
• Competence in prescribing and deprescribing short and long term psychiatric medications.Able to meet duties under MHA and MCA
• Make decisions based on evidence and experience including contribution of others.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Desirable

• Teaching Experience.
• Wide range of specialist and sub‑specialist experience relevant to post within the NHS or comparable service.

Dorset HealthCare Values

Essential

• Proactive, respectful, supportive, reliable, trustworthy and positive.

Leadership Skills

Essential

• Understand principles of leadership and give examples of leadership in own practice.
• Able to provide clinical leadership to a multi‑disciplinary team and while valuing and recognising the skills, training and experience of team members in allied professions in the community learning disability team, both health and social care.

Clinical Governance

Essential

• An understanding of the importance of Clinical Governance in the NHS organisations and importance in patient care.
• Awareness of current issues in mental health service provision, policy and legislation

Self Awareness

Essential

• To have an understanding of own strengths and weaknesses and how these attributes affect professional functioning
• To have an understanding of the stresses involved in being a consultant psychiatrist and how to manage these appropriately.

Supervision of Junior medical Staff

Essential

• Knowledge of requirements for supervision and appraisal of junior medical staff.

Desirable

• Approved educational supervisor training.

Research and Audit

Essential

• Experience of carrying out an audit project.
• Experience or involvement in a research project and publication.
• Ability to supervisor junior medical staff undertaking research projects.

Desirable

• Published audit project
• Ability to critically appraise published research.

Management Skills

Essential

• Understand the importance of working with managers in the interest of good patient care
• Able to manage priorities
• Evidence of management/Leadership skills training

Desirable

• Previous management experience including that of other junior medical staff

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.

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).