Band 8a Learning Disability and Autism Senior Specialist role

Job summary

This role has been funded to align with the priorities set out in the draft Birmingham and Solihull Three Year Strategic Plan for Mental Health Inpatient Services (including Rehabilitation and care for people with learning disabilities and autism). The role is primarily aimed at supporting admission avoidance, reducing the length of stay in hospital and facilitating quicker discharge for people with learning disabilities and autism within Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust.

This role will work across the organisation and as part of the wider system to ensure that appropriate care and discharge pathways for people with learning disabilities and autism are identified and implemented. The post holder will be an experienced professional and hold specialist knowledge of learning disability and autism to ensure that those with more complex requirements are well supported in the community and as part of their discharge planning

This senior specialist role is required to provide advanced clinical support, leadership, and training within an agreed scope of practice. The role will require the post holder to demonstrate high levels of professional judgement, critical analysis, and decision- making skills as part of their everyday work and interactions with other clinical teams.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be an experienced clinician or practitioner working alongside the Head of Learning Disability and Autism and will sit within the Corporate Nursing Directorate at BSMHFT

The post holder will be expected to work alongside senior clinical leads and colleagues to provide oversight and co-ordination of the inpatient cohort including admission avoidance strategies, supporting to facilitate the discharging of clients and ensuring that those who are delayed in their discharge get the clinical and professional support they need.

The post holder will require specialist knowledge of the health and social care needs of people with learning disabilities, autism and/ or mental health as well as local and national priorities across health services and the impact of these on people with learning disabilities and autism with or without mental health needs.

An understanding of health and social care systems within the Birmingham and Solihull locality would also be beneficial. The successful candidates will also have highly developed reporting and analysis skills and be confident with having outcome focussed and collaborative conversations with a variety of stakeholders to promote patient outcomes and system challenge, working with both NHS and non NHS providers and Local Authorities.

Care reviews are being undertaken both virtually and in person as well as services being spread across the Birmingham and Solihull area, so an ability to travel is essential.

About us

Welcome to Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. Our 4000 clinical and support staff help us to improve mental health wellbeing and meet the needs of the 70,000 people we serve each year. We provide a range of mental healthcare services across Birmingham and Solihull, as well as specialised services nationally. We also offer medical, nursing and psychology training and are proud of our international reputation for both research and innovation.

Our population is culturally diverse, characterised in places by high levels of deprivation which create an increasing demand for our services and a necessity for us to make sure everyone can access the help they need. We are a team of compassionate, inclusive and committed people working together to provide excellent care to support our community. If you are looking for a place to belong, where you can make a real difference to people's lives, join our team where our warm welcome is waiting for you.