Clinical Director – Children and Young Persons

• Lead the development and transformation of CYP services, improving patient experience, clinical outcomes, capacity and service efficiency.

• Maintain a strong focus on safeguarding and ensure the voice and needs of children, young people and families remain central to clinical decision-making.

• Support the recruitment, induction, development and retention of doctors and wider clinical professionals across CYP services.

• Promote effective multidisciplinary working, evidence-based practice, innovation and clinical excellence across CYP teams.

• Work with senior leaders and external stakeholders to shape clinical strategy, policies, standards and the continued growth and development of CYP services.

To succeed as our Clinical Director – Children and Young Persons, you will be:

A strategic and compassionate clinical leader with significant experience working within children and young people's mental health services. You will have a strong understanding of the clinical, safeguarding and operational complexities involved in delivering high-quality services to children and young people. You will have excellent oral and written communication skills and be confident engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, including clinicians, senior leaders, external partners and, where appropriate, the media. Strong interpersonal, motivational and influencing skills are essential, alongside the ability to build effective relationships across multidisciplinary teams. You will be comfortable leading through change, managing complex situations and responding effectively to unforeseen circumstances.

You will demonstrate high levels of professional integrity and sound clinical judgement, with the ability to balance clinical quality, patient safety, operational requirements and organisational priorities.

You will also have the ability to coach, mentor and develop clinical leaders, helping to build leadership capability and promote a culture of continuous improvement.

Essential Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• Medical degree (MBBS or equivalent) and postgraduate qualification (MRCPsych or equivalent).

• Full GMC registration with a licence to practise and inclusion on the GMC Specialist Register.

• Significant senior clinical and strategic leadership experience, including CYP service delivery, within mental health or a similarly complex healthcare environment.

• Significant experience working clinically with children and young people within mental health services, with a strong understanding of CYP service delivery and operational requirements.

• Strong knowledge of safeguarding, clinical risk management, clinical governance and quality improvement.

• In-depth understanding of NHS operations, healthcare regulation and the wider healthcare environment.

• Proven experience leading service development, transformation, change and service improvement initiatives.

• Demonstrable experience managing and developing clinical teams, including building clinical leadership capacity.

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, project management and clinical performance management skills.

• Excellent communication, influencing and stakeholder management skills, with a strong commitment to patient-centred care and improving outcomes for children and young people.

Desirable Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• Management qualification or equivalent leadership experience.

• Experience of delivering digital or remote mental health services.

• Experience of medical education, clinical supervision and/or workforce development.

• Experience of research related to children and young people's mental health.

• Evidence of scientific publications and presentations at conferences or seminars.

• Experience of working across NHS and/or independent healthcare settings.

• Experience of developing or implementing innovative clinical pathways for children and young people.

Psychiatry UK: Supporting You

We want you to enjoy your work while feeling healthy, happy and appreciated. That’s why we’ve created a benefits package designed with you in mind.

You’ll have access to a range of wellbeing perks, including a Health Cash Plan, Wellhub Subscription, access to an Employee Assistance Programme, Annual Volunteering Day, Enhanced Sickness and Family Leave pay, Length of Service Bonus, Work from Home allowance and Pension options.

At Psychiatry UK, we care about what matters to you.

Recruitment Process

At Psychiatry UK, we are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. Our process includes:

• Application

• Profile review

• Screening conversation

• Competency-based interview(s)

If at any point you require any reasonable adjustments — such as additional time, assistive technology or an alternative format for materials — please let us know. We are happy to accommodate your needs to ensure you have a fair and comfortable experience.

If this opportunity excites you, why not apply today?

We review applications as they come in and may close the advert early if we receive a high volume of interest. To ensure you don’t miss out, we encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible.