Lead Physician Associate

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

Recruitment

To lead in the recruitment, selection and retention of the PA workforce for SLAM

Liaise with SLAM directorates to understand their workforce need and raise awareness and understanding of the potential role of PAs within their workforce.

Liaise with Postgraduate department and on call clinical leads to understand how PAs can work effectively alongside junior doctors in SLAM and create a working partnership.

Work with local higher education institutes and postgraduate department to support quality student PA placements

Be a point of contact for all PA students on placement in the Trust

Provide appropriate mentorship for PA students

To develop job plans for PAs to ensure they reflect both service need and the PAs competencies and skills

Approve all PA job adverts/descriptions

Attend interviews for PAs

Set standards with HR of the requirements for employing a PA and pre-employment checks

Retention

Develop an induction programme for new PAs in the Trust

To provide mentorship and educational supervision to existing PAs within the Trust to support their personal and professional development.

To continue to lead and develop on a PA peer support network within SLAM to foster a sense of belonging.

To develop further creative strategies within SLAM that will lead to increased retention and recruitment

Career and Role Development

To support development of the PA role including career progression possibilities in mental health services throughout the South London Partnership and when appropriate

To develop and review policies relating to the PA role within mental health services

To liaise and meet regularly with other PA leads and ambassadors in London health services.

Teaching

To lead on the development on PA teaching within SLAM covering both clinical topics as well as teaching related to research, education and management.

To continue to foster relationships with other Lead PAs and PA Ambassador in London and to know about teaching in London that SLAM PAs can access to communicate this information regularly to existing PAs.

Governance

To provide twice yearly educational supervision and annual appraisals for PAs within SLAM and liaising with clinical supervisors within the local team.

To develop a robust governance policy in according with SLAM for the development and implementation of PAs.

Lead on the development and implementation of protocols and procedures which directly inform PA practice.

Ensure that the governance is reviewed annually and incudes new developments from GMC, RCPsych and the Faculty of Physician Associates.

Be involved, when necessary, in any investigation where a SLAM PA has been in a complaint or serious incident.

Raise fitness to practice/professional standards issues following correct procedures and escalating as appropriate to the Faculty of Physician Associates.

Lead on a service improvements project relevant to PAs in SLAM.

Other duties:

Deputise as necessary for other members of the team.

Represent the interests of SLaM at stakeholder meetings as required.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• BA/BSc prior to undertaking PA programme
• Graduate of accredited UK PA training programme
• Passed national PA licensing Exam
• Membership of Royal College of Physicians Faculty of PAs

Desirable

• Certified CPR/ALS/PALS

Experience

Essential

• Working as a PA in GP and/or secondary care
• Demonstrable patient assessment skills
• Phlebotomy, cannulation and ECG reporting
• Demonstrates an in-depth knowledge of related medical conditions, treatments and pharmacology
• Proven ability to support Drs in clinical decision making
• Detailed knowledge of maintaining confidentiality and implementing data protection legislation requirements

Desirable

• Experience of working in mental health
• Proven track record of successful project or initiative
• Previous education or leadership experience
• Experience of chairing meetings
• Experience of report writing

Knowledge

Essential

• Able to communicate at a high level verbally & in writing
• Ability to organise and prioritise workload
• Ability to exercise sound judgement when faced with conflicting pressures
• Understand how can contribute to EDI

Desirable

• Broad understanding of education and management theories and their application
• Up to date knowledge of national priorities in PAs
• Social media including Twitter & Facebook

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Address

The Royal Bethlem

Monk's Orchard Road

Beckenham

BR3 3BX

Employer's website

https://www.slam.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)