Clinical Specialist Doctor in Community Child Health
County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
Darlington, DL3 6HXView on map(opens Google Maps in a new tab)
Salary
£104,401 to £115,341
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Not specified
Closing date
4 November 2026
12 days leftJob description
Clinical Specialist Doctor in Community Child Health interest in Neurodevelopmental Paediatrics and Children in Care. We are in the exciting position ...
Paediatrics Service provides consultant-led medical and health assessments,
investigation, treatment, management and support for children and young people
between the ages of 0-19 years in secondary care outpatient settings.
We work with children and young
people with complex health needs resulting from neurological disorders
affecting child development (neuro-disability), those with disordered child
development or where there are concerns about developmental disorders, Special
Educational Needs & Disability (SEND) and children and young people who are
in care.
We are a dedicated team of highly
specialised clinicians trained in paediatrics who have sub-specialised in
community child health. We deliver
holistic care as part of a multidisciplinary team with close links to primary
care teams, 0-25 service, mental health providers, tertiary paediatrics and
other hospital based paediatricians and agencies such as education, social
care, public health and voluntary sector organisations.
Work with a dedicated team of community and developmental paediatric consultants to deliver holistic and multi-disciplinary care to children with developmental disorders and complex health needs in the locality.
Support services for Children in Care, undertaking Initial Health assessments, as required along with Community Paediatricians and GPs with a special interest in Children in Care.
Liaise with colleagues in Primary Care, Education (including the provision of health advice for the Special Education Needs and Disability assessment process) and Social Care in the delivery of care.
Participate in peer review, contribute to service development, departmental clinical governance and annual appraisals towards revalidation with the GMC.
Share the ethos of our team in delivering high quality care to children and young people and where indicated liaise with a range of professionals dependent on the needs of the child or young person. This may include specialist nurses for children in care, specialist paediatric nurses, paediatric therapists, child psychologists, Education and Social Care.
This post will have the
Regular outpatient clinics for the statutory Initial
Health Assessments of Children in Care.
Outpatient clinics for children referred for
neuro-developmental concerns.
Allotted time for admin, matched to outpatient
clinics, in line with standards outlined by Coram BAAF and the British
Association of Community Child Health.
Time to attend departmental governance and
opportunity for continuing professional development appropriate to the role.
Appraisal and Revalidation: Time to participate in
personal objective setting and review, including the creation of a personal
development plan and the Trusts appraisal process.
offered include adoption and fostering, Children in Care, historic child sexual
abuse assessment, assessment and management of children with neurodevelopmental
difficulties and neurodisabilities (including Autism Spectrum Disorders,
epilepsy) and children with Special Educational Needs. Safeguarding duties are
undertaken in accordance with local procedures and Working Together to
Safeguard Children (2023) for children on caseload.
service works closely with a well-established and dedicated team of Specialist
Community Nurses for children, Childrens therapy team of physiotherapists,
occupational therapists and speech and language therapists, Looked After
Nurses, Safeguarding Team and Clinical Psychologists. There is good liaison
with Primary Care, the 0-25 service (Health Visiting and School Nursing Teams)
across County Durham and Darlington, Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Services and partner agencies (Education, Childrens Social Care).
team has close links and shared care with tertiary neurology services from the
Great North Childrens Hospital in Newcastle and with the regional Northern
Genetics Service supporting the provision of outreach clinics. We are fully integrated with the acute
paediatric team into a department of Child Health.
offer postgraduate training within the clinical environment, supporting
paediatric trainees, including training at Level 3 for Community Child
Health. We also provide opportunities
for undergraduate trainees as part of the new curriculum and allied health
professionals.
service hosts the Designated Paediatricians for the Child Death Review process,
Children in Care and Safeguarding Children.
wider Child Health team includes general paediatric consultants with
sub-speciality interests, who deliver daytime out-patient care and in-patient
care to the paediatrics ward and special care baby unit at the University
Hospital of North Durham and Darlington Memorial Hospital.
If you are being interviewed you must accept an interview slot in the system to continue, even if you have arranged with the manager.
You must be able to produce ALL certificates stated essential in the person specification or you will not be able to complete pre-employment checks.
We provide hospital services from two acute sites - Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham. We have a centre for planned care in Bishop Auckland and provide care from community hospitals in Chester-le-Street, Shotley Bridge, Barnard Castle, Sedgefield and Weardale as well as over 80 other community based settings and providing care in patients' homes.
We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under-represented.
Full Job Descriptions can be found in the adverts supporting documents.
Over reliance on
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For the most up-to-date information on visa requirements and eligibility, please check online to determine whether you can apply.
Please note that we may close any vacancy early once a sufficient number of applications have been received.
Experience
Essential
- Completed extensive medical work (either continuous period or in aggregate) since obtaining a primary medical qualification of which significant experience should have been in Community Paediatrics.
- Equivalent years experience in relevant specialty from other medical grades including from overseas will also be accepted.
- A broad experience of community paediatric problems including child development, ASD, Children in Care, medical advice for special educational needs.
- Significant experience of working independently within neurodevelopmental paediatrics should be evidenced.
- Level 3 Safeguarding Children training and experience.
Desirable: - Experience in neurodisability.
Qualifications
Essential
- MBBS or equivalent.
- Full GMC Registration.
- Evidence of compliance with standards of Good Medical Practice.
- Level 3 safeguarding children training.
- Meets the criteria set out in the Specialist grade generic capabilities framework https://www.nhsemployers.org/system/files/2022-09/Generic-capabilities-framework-for-new-specialist-grade.pdf.
- Is able to critically assesses own learning needs and ensures a personal development plan reflects both clinical practice and the relevant generic capabilities to develop the service working with community paediatric team members and clinical lead.
Desirable
- MSc in Paediatrics.
- Membership of the Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health (or equivalent) or Diploma in Child Health.
- Sheffield diploma in neurodisability if working within neurodisability field.
Statutory Registration
Essential: - Full GMC registration
Special Requirements
Essential: - Ability to travel independently to undertake clinical commitments.
Special Skills & Knowledge
Essential
- Able to demonstrate safe and effective care.
- Values and behaviours in line with trust values.
- Effective administrative and time management skills.
- Enthusiastic and willing to participate in day-to-day delivery of the service with flexibility.
- Has an awareness of own leadership responsibilities as a clinician and demonstrates appropriate leadership behaviour.
- Is able to develop effective working relationships across teams promotes and participates in both MDT and interprofessional team working.
- Evidence of contribution to clinical governance and clinical audit activities.
- Evaluates and audits own clinical practice and able to act and implement finding to improve patient care.
- Takes prompt action where there is an issue with the safety or quality of patient care, raises and escalates concerns through clinical governance systems where necessary.
- Contributes to quality improvement within the department.
- Motivated to teach juniors and students.
- Knowledge of evidence-based medicine and critical appraisal.
- Good interpersonal, time management, organisational and communication skills.
- Effective team worker/player.
Desirable
- Proven research experience.
- Publications or presentations.
- Experience in teaching medical students/postgraduate doctors with feedback.
- Evidence of attendance at courses or additional roles held related to medical education.
- Evidence of previous clinical audit or quality improvement presentations.
- Understanding of current legislation and issues within the NHS, especially in relation to children in care.
How to apply
Applications are handled entirely by the employer on the original advert. We do not collect CVs, supporting statements or application data.
Provenance
Source
NHS Jobs
First seen
21 October 2026
Last checked
23 October 2026
Salary, closing date and description are taken from the employer's advert. The original advert always takes precedence.
About the employer
NHS organisation
This listing was structured from NHS Jobs. Vacancy details and the application process remain the responsibility of the original source.
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