Job summary
Are you enthusiastic and passionate about improving the lives of patients with mental health problems, then apply for a lead pharmacist role in our Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Trust. We have an opportunity to support the Urgent Care teams and inpatient unit currently based in Eastbourne, which later this year, will be moving to a brand new purpose built unit in Bexhill. Combe Valley - a new mental health hospital for Bexhill :: Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

You should have an interest for working within a specialist mental health service, an understanding of the medicines used and an awareness of the people we support and care for. The role will primarily be based at Combe Valley Hospital.

The post holder will be supported to undertake further accreditations as appropriate, and there are opportunities to develop the role and service to the inpatient wards and urgent care, allowing your vision for clinical care to grow with the service in a collaborative, holistic and accessible therapeutic environment.

You will be joining a friendly, supportive Pharmacy team which is highly regarded in the Trust. This role is a great opportunity to start or continue a career in mental health and can lead to a future senior role.

This post is subject to an enhanced check with adults barred list Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check.

Main duties of the job
This role provides a high-quality clinical pharmacy and medicines optimisation service, ensuring that patients receive the maximum benefit from their medicines while promoting their safe, effective, and cost-efficient use. The post holder will support and advise healthcare professionals, enabling them to prescribe, administer, and monitor medicines safely and appropriately.

Working closely with pharmacy colleagues across the East Sussex locality of Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, the post holder will contribute as an integral member of the multidisciplinary team (MDT) and the wider Trust pharmacy service. Alongside supporting the safe and effective use of medicines, the postholder will lead on delivering clinical pharmacy services, promoting medicines optimisation, and contributing to the continuous improvement of patient care, within Combe Valley Hospital.

The successful candidate will be a well-organised, adaptable, and motivated individual with excellent communication and interpersonal skills. They will be able to work independently, demonstrate sound clinical judgement, manage competing priorities effectively, and build strong collaborative relationships with colleagues across multidisciplinary teams.

About us
We are a friendly and committed pharmacy team, who are keen to support the wellbeing of our patients and each other. Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust is one of the largest mental health and learning disability trusts in the UK. As a mental health trust SPFT places a huge focus on the wellbeing of our staff, as well as ensuring our reward packages reflect the immensely important work they do.

You can expect:

• Access to full psychological support, the wellbeing team
• Excellent supervision programmes.
• Flexible working opportunities
• Access to a host of discount schemes (including gyms, shopping, restaurants and cars)
• A position within a trust rated as Outstanding for caring and Good overall by the CQC
• Generous holiday entitlement (starting at 27 days + 8 bank holidays) pro rata
• Excellent NHS Pension Scheme

Job responsibilities
The physical health of our mental health and learning disability patients is important to us, with the life expectancy of patients suffering serious mental health illness being reduced by 15 to 20 years, often through avoidable causes. The trust is committed to reducing this risk and the pharmacy team plays a leading role.

The role also encompasses line management, medicines management and education. The successful candidate will have experience of leadership or will be looking to develop their leadership skills through training, education and workplace exposure in line with the principles of the NHS Healthcare Leadership Model. Education and training are central to the aims of the pharmacy department and we actively seek to promote opportunities as such. We also recognise the importance in realising the potential of our team by providing training and expertise to patients and colleagues.

Please see the attached job outline and person specification for more details about this role. For an informal discussion about the role, please refer to the contact details accompanying this advert to arrange this.

Qualifications
Essential

• Degree in Pharmacy
• Post graduate clinical pharmacy qualification

Desirable

• Further post-graduate qualification (management and/or clinical)

Knowledge & Experience
Essential

• Experience of working with a range of healthcare professionals and managers
• Mental Health Clinical Pharmacy Experience
• Provision of Medicines Information

Desirable

• Experience of supporting Medicines Optimisation Committee or Groups

Communication Skills
Essential

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrate ability to work well as a team

Analytical & judgemental skills
Essential

• Able to make judgements involving complex facts or situations

Planning and organisational skills
Essential

• Able to be effective in organisation and time management skills

Information resources and technology
Essential

• Demonstrates IT competency including use of pharmacy computer system

Research and development skills
Desirable

• Experience of research and development including audit

Values and Behaviours
Essential

• Demonstrates enthusiasm, good interpersonal skills, reliability, flexibility and able to motivate others

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.

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).

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