About Vertis Health

Vertis Health is a federation of general practices delivering high-quality NHS services across Worcestershire. We were founded by local primary care clinicians and are owned by the practices we serve. As a purpose-led limited company, the money we generate is reinvested into the local healthcare economy, helping to strengthen services, support innovation and improve patient care. 

Our neurodevelopmental services are being built around clinical quality, meaningful outcomes and strong governance. You will join an organisation that understands NHS systems and values while giving experienced clinicians the opportunity to influence, develop and improve services. 

Depending on the role, our benefits include access to the NHS Pension, structured learning and development, clinical leadership opportunities, career progression and genuine flexibility. 

Why this role exists

This post provides dedicated operational and people leadership across the Adult ASD service so that senior clinical oversight (including medical oversight and specialist clinical input) is not saturated by day-to-day management activity. The role holds the centre on delivery, standards, and risk, while enabling the wider leadership team to focus on clinical oversight, pathway development, and system engagement.

About the Services

The Adult ASD service is one of four Mental Health & Neurodevelopmental Services offered by Vertis Health:

• Adult ADHD – assessment and ongoing clinical reviews, with medication titration delivered under appropriate prescribing governance and shared care with GPs where agreed for patients aged 18+. 

• Adult ASD – diagnostic assessment pathway delivered through an MDT model for patients aged 16+.

• Children and Young People (CYP) ADHD – an assessment and diagnosis pathway (with onward treatment and medication pathways subject to commissioning and wider system arrangements) for patients aged 6-17. 

• Children and Young People (CYP) ASD – a diagnostic assessment pathway delivered through a multidisciplinary model, aligned to national guidance and local commissioning arrangements for patients aged 0-15. 

The postholder will be working primarily within the Adult ASD service and its commissioned scope and agreed clinical governance arrangements, contributing to pathway improvement without over-promising provision outside current remit. From time to time however, you may have opportunities to collaborate with colleagues elsewhere across these four services. ASD diagnostic assessments are delivered face-to-face at our Redditch HQ or a similar Worcestershire location. The service is open to eligible patients aged 16 years and over who are registered with a Worcestershire GP.

The end-to-end pathway includes referral screening, pre-assessment questionnaires, initial contact, face-to-face clinical assessment, MDT diagnostic decision-making, report production, support planning and post-diagnostic signposting, with clinicians contributing to all aspects of the assessment process.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Provide visible, values-led leadership across the ASD service, modelling high standards of professionalism, compassion, and accountability.

• Lead day-to-day operational delivery, including rota/capacity planning, waiting list management and triage arrangements (within governance), and ensuring safe clinic delivery.

• Hold oversight of clinical quality, ensuring assessment and review processes are consistent, evidence-informed, and delivered in line with service standards and policies.

• Lead and line-manage non-medical clinical staff within the service scope (final span of control agreed to reflect the successful applicant’s route and service model).

• Ensure effective supervision structures are in place (clinical/professional supervision, reflective practice, competency development, and escalation routes).

• Work with Ops/BI to agree and monitor KPIs (referrals, waits, DNAs, report timeliness, clinical safety indicators) and lead performance reviews and improvement actions.

• Maintain robust risk management, including safeguarding awareness, incident reporting, learning reviews, and escalation of clinical risk in line with governance.

• Support recruitment, induction, and retention of staff, ensuring safe onboarding and clear expectations.

• Contribute to service development and pathway improvement work, including SOPs, documentation standards, and audit/service evaluation activity.

Route-specific responsibilities and governance

Route A: Advanced Nurse Practitioner (Mental Health)

• Provide advanced clinical leadership and expert nursing practice within ASD pathways, within the ANP’s scope of practice and professional code.

• Where the postholder is an independent prescriber, practice as a prescriber within organisational governance, including safe prescribing standards, documentation, and audit.

• Where the postholder is not an independent prescriber, support safe operational arrangements for prescribing activity, ensuring clear escalation to the designated prescribing clinical lead.

• Provide professional nursing leadership, supporting competency development and safe delegation within the MDT.

Route B: Principal Clinical Psychologist

• Provide senior psychological leadership and expert clinical practice within ASD pathways, within professional scope and HCPC standards.

• Provide psychological supervision and consultation (as appropriate) to support safe, high-quality practice across the MDT, including reflective practice and formulation-informed thinking where relevant to pathway delivery.

• Where the postholder is not a prescriber (expected), ensure safe operational arrangements for prescribing activity delivered by prescribers, with prescribing decision authority and prescribing supervision held by the designated prescribing clinical lead.

Person specification

Essential (common)

• Direct experience working within ASD assessment and review pathways, with adults and/or children and young people, sufficient to provide credible clinical leadership, governance oversight, and line management within specialist neurodevelopmental services.

• Significant post-qualification experience in mental health and/or neurodevelopmental services with demonstrable senior clinical leadership responsibilities.

• Experience leading service delivery across multidisciplinary teams, including line management, supervision structures, and performance management.

• Demonstrable understanding of clinical governance, risk management, safeguarding, and quality improvement within healthcare settings.

• Strong operational capability: ability to manage capacity, waiting lists, performance metrics, and service standards in a busy clinical environment.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including ability to produce high-quality documentation and lead difficult conversations appropriately.

• Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, trauma-informed practice, and psychologically safe working cultures.

Essential (Route A: ANP)

• Registered Nurse (NMC) with recognised Advanced Clinical Practice qualification (or equivalent evidence of advanced level practice).

• Evidence of advanced assessment and clinical decision-making within mental health services.

• If independent prescribing is held: V300 (or equivalent) and evidence of safe prescribing practice within governance.

Essential (Route B: Principal Clinical Psychologist)

• HCPC registration as a Practitioner Psychologist (Clinical Psychologist).

• Doctoral-level training in Clinical Psychology (or recognised equivalent route to HCPC registration).

• Evidence of senior-level clinical leadership within psychological services and/or neurodevelopmental pathways.

Desirable (either route)

• Experience designing or improving pathways, SOPs, clinical documentation standards, or audit/service evaluation programmes.

• Training and competency in relevant assessment tools and frameworks used in ND services (commensurate with role).

• Experience of working with primary care interfaces, shared care arrangements, and wider system stakeholders.

Additional information

This job description is written to appoint the strongest candidate via one of two professional routes. Final span of control, professional supervision arrangements, and any route-specific clinical duties will be confirmed at appointment to ensure safe practice, clear accountability, and alignment to service need.

Location(s)

Vertis Health
38 Kenilworth Close
Crabbs Cross
Redditch
B97 5JX