Consultant Community Paediatrician in Birkenhead

We are looking to appoint and welcome two motivated community paediatricians to join our friendly team and build on what has already been achieved by the service. There is the opportunity for 2 x 0.8 WTE (8 programmed activities) or 1 WTE (10 programmed activities) and 0.6 WTE (6 programmed activities) posts; those wishing to job share or work less than full time are welcome to apply. There is a keen scope to support any specialist interest enhancements for the right candidate.

The department is committed to the introduction and development of skill mix across medical and nursing specialist roles. To this end, five (3.5 WTE) specialist nurses provide a specialist role in the management of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and provide nurse-led follow up.

The Community Paediatrics Service provides specialist assessment, diagnosis and ongoing management for children and young people with ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, developmental delay (specific or global), disability, coordination difficulties (DCD), social interaction and communication difficulties, attention control difficulties, learning difficulties (specific or complex), and Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). In addition, the consultant workforce delivers statutory and non-discretionary functions, including Initial Health Assessments for Children Looked After, participation in the child protection rota, and pre-adoption medicals.

All new colleagues can expect to receive a warm and friendly Wirral welcome from the very first time they make contact with us. We are described as "competent and caring staff" by our patients.

Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is situated on The Wirral peninsula which has a stunning coastline and beautiful countryside surroundings, with great activities for its residents. We are one of the largest and busiest acute Trusts in the North West of England, comprising of the Wirral's only Emergency Department. We provide a high quality range of acute care services and employ over 6,000 staff, who serve a population of approximately 400,000 people across Wirral, Ellesmere Port, Neston, North Wales and the wider North West footprint. We have approximately 855 beds trust-wide and our financial turnover is in excess of 337m. Wirral is easily accessible with excellent transport links including motorway, train, bus or ferry and within easy reach to the major cities of Liverpool, Chester and Manchester as well as neighbouring North Wales.

Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details regarding the main responsibilities of this role. If you are successful in this role, there is a requirement for you to have a standard/enhanced DBS. This will be paid for by the Trust and then deducted from your salary over a period of 3 months. As this vacancy is within the division of Women and Children, there is a mandatory requirement for successful applicants to join the DBS update service. The cost of joining the update service is 16 per year, and applicants are liable to cover this cost with no reimbursement from the Trust. Further details of how to join the update service will be provided upon appointment.

Person Specification

• Academic
• Essential: Participation in research or clinical audit; Participation in departmental teaching.
• Desirable: Formal research training; demonstrated ability to design a research or audit project; Formal training in teaching methods; demonstrated ability in teaching/training.

• Experience
• Essential: Wide experience in general paediatrics with specialist knowledge of community child health (CCH); Competent in all aspects of CCH including child public health, behavioural paediatrics, safeguarding including CLA and neurodisability.
• Desirable: Have substantial clinical experience of the health needs of children looked after and experience of providing medical advice to an adoption and/or foster panel.

• Qualifications
• Essential: MBBS / MBCHB; MRCPCH; Full GMC registration; On the GMC Specialist Register in Community Child Health or within 6 months of CCT (the applicant must supply a letter from the Regional Advisor to confirm this). Any applicants without a CCT in CCH would have to demonstrate how they have attained Level 3 CCH competencies, as well as Level 3 Child Protection competencies.
• Desirable: MSc or further qualification in Community Child Health.

• Knowledge and Skills
• Essential: Willing to work unsupervised and make decisions; Good written and oral communication skills; Demonstrated ability to manage time effectively; Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team; Knowledge of normal child development and communication; Knowledge of developmental and complex special needs particularly in relation to Looked After Children; Have substantial knowledge of medico-legal issues relating to looked after children and the law applying to children in the court process; The ability to assess, diagnose and manage developmental difficulties in babies, children and young people including those with special and complex care needs; Have good negotiating and leadership skills and experience of multi-agency working at local and regional level.
• Desirable: Demonstrated ability to work unsupervised and make decisions; Demonstrated ability to lead a multi-disciplinary team; Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, e.g. report writing, thesis.

• Management
• Essential: Understanding of management issues including medical discipline; clinical governance, service planning.
• Desirable: Demonstrated ability to manage, e.g. project work, mentoring junior staff.

• Other
• Essential: Able to meet the travel or health requirement of the job.