Lead Pharmacist for Community Mental Health and AOTNHS

Job summary

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is one of the first Trusts in the country to achieve Advanced Foundation Trust status, demonstrating the delivery of excellent care, strong leadership with financial sustainability. We are looking to recruit an experienced and motivated Lead Pharmacist for our Community Mental Health Services to enhance our current pharmacy offer and to provide pharmaceutical leadership, care and support to our new trust wide Assertive Outreach Team.

This Band 8b post holder will work closely with the Deputy Chief Pharmacist to ensure our strategic plans align to the 10-year plan to increase focus on reducing health inequalities, ensuring faster and more joined up care, support people in being cared for in the community and optimising digital technology.

The post holder will work closely with our Trust Mental Health Clinical and Service Leads, Senior Clinicians, Non-Medical Prescribing Leads as well as being a member of our Pharmacy Senior Leadership Team. Other key relationships to be built with GP practices, community pharmacies, third sector partners, patient/carer groups local acute Trusts as well as our Thames Valley ICB partners. The post is based at Prospect Park Hospital, Reading, with Trust-wide working. Travel across Trust sites may be required. We support flexible and hybrid working where appropriate to the role.

Work Pattern: Monday-Friday, 9-5, with some flexibility required to meet service needs.

Main duties of the job

The Lead Pharmacist for Community Mental Health Services and Assertive Outreach Team (Band 8b) provides strategic, professional and operational leadership for clinical pharmacy services across community mental health services within Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. The post holder leads the development, delivery and continuous improvement of high-quality, patient-centred medicines optimisation services, ensuring compliance with national standards, legislation and best practice.

Working closely with the Deputy Chief Pharmacist, Chief Pharmacist, multidisciplinary teams and system partners, the role is responsible for driving service development, governance, workforce development, quality improvement and financial stewardship. The post holder acts as the Trust's lead pharmacist for the Assertive Outreach Team, provides expert clinical advice on complex medicines-related issues, manages specialist pharmacy staff, and supports the organisation in achieving its strategic objectives for safe, effective and innovative mental health care.

The role also contributes to wider pharmacy and Trust leadership, leading audits, policy development, staff training and service transformation initiatives, while promoting excellence in medicines optimisation and improving patient outcomes across community mental health services.

Job description

The must have's for this role:

• MPharm degree and current registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
• Substantial mental health pharmacy experience in hospital or community settings.
• Ability to provide specialised medicines advice to teams and colleagues about the safe and evidence-based use of medicines.
• Strong communication, organisational, analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across Pharmacy and Community Mental Health services.
• Experience of supervising, training or supporting pharmacy staff, trainees or colleagues.

For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.

Your application is your opportunity to demonstrate to us how you meet the requirements of the role. We recognise that AI tools can support accessibility, equity and confidence for applicants. However, its important that examples and responses given in your supporting statement genuinely reflect your own experience and abilities, as these will be explored further during the selection process. AI must not be used to provide misleading or false information during any stage of the application journey.

In addition to explaining how you meet the person specification, you must complete your employment history for at least the last five years. Any experience, skills or responsibilities referenced in your supporting statement should be evidenced within your employment history. Applications that do not include sufficient employment history to support the experience claimed may not be shortlisted.

Were committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Stonewall Proud Employer, Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.

We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don't hesitate to contact Ozma Tahir, Deputy Chief Pharmacist on 07580737965 or email [email protected] who'll be delighted to help.

Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

We have identified that this is a role where we have underrepresentation of ethnically diverse colleagues. As part of our commitment to inclusion and Unity Against Racism we offer guaranteed interviews to candidates who meet the essential criteria and identify as: Asian or Asian British, Black or Black British, Mixed and Other Ethnic Groups.

About us

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we're committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.

Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:

• Caring for and about you is our top priority
• Committed to providing good quality, safe services
• Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions

Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:

• Flexible working options to support work-life balance
• 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
• Generous NHS pension scheme
• Excellent learning and career development opportunities
• 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
• Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
• Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
• Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
• Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
• Free parking across Trust sites