Clinical Adviser, to the alcohol and drug treatment division, leading on psychosocial interventions – OHID. Part time 0.2 FTE

Job summary

Contract Type

This role is being advertised on a 2-year time-limited specialist fixed term appointment or secondment basis , part-time 0.2 FTE (one day per week) and a flexible approach to spreading this across the week has worked well for these roles in the past. Two years reflects the time-limited specialist secondment model used for these 0.2 FTE clinical adviser posts and maintains links with current clinical practice.

Candidates appointed on a secondment basis will retain their current terms and conditions

If preferable, Loan may also be available for existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs.

Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis one day a week must be obtained before commencing the application process.

The terms of the loan will be agreed between the home organisation, or the host department, and DHSC. This includes grade on return.

Job summary

Clinical Adviser, to the alcohol and drug treatment division, leading on psychosocial interventions is a senior role within the department and the post holder will have responsibility for providing specialist clinical and policy leadership in the area of alcohol and drug treatment.

The job purpose is to lead, oversee, coordinate and deliver high quality, specialist clinical and policy leadership, advice and support to central government, the Alcohol and drug Policy, Evidence and Delivery Division and to the alcohol and drug treatment system commissioned by local government to drive improvements in health outcomes and reduction in health inequalities based on evidence and cost-effectiveness.

The job requires extensive specialist alcohol and drug treatment expertise, including up to date knowledge of research and evidence-based practice. The role includes providing expert clinical advice on psychological therapies and psychosocial interventions to the alcohol and drug treatment and recovery team, providing clinical leadership for their programmes and projects and advising on delivery of psychosocial interventions throughout the alcohol and drug treatment system.

Job description

SPECIALIST PRACTICE AND LEADERSHIP

• Play a lead role in developing national policy, strategy and programmes on alcohol and drug treatment, providing expert evidence- based advice on psychological therapies and psychosocial interventions and knowledge of the alcohol and drug treatment system to government officials and to the alcohol and drug treatment and recovery system.
• Provide national leadership for implementing improvements in quality and capacity of the national alcohol and drug treatment system in line with national strategy.
• Meet regularly with service providers and commissioners of the alcohol and drug treatment system, providing expert advice on improving treatment quality, implementing interventions, and addressing operational issues.
• Provide leadership on the development of national clinical guidelines for both drug treatment and alcohol treatment.
• Review and advise on briefings and guidance developed by the alcohol and drug treatment and recovery team.
• Provide clinical leadership on programmes to reduce alcohol and drug related deaths.
• Provide leadership on managing and communicating about clinical risks within government and to the wider health care system.
• Chair OHID and NHSE’s psychological professions working group overseeing the expansion of psychology and other psychological professions in the alcohol and drug treatment system.
• Provide clinical advice to NHSE on behalf of OHID on the expansion of psychological intervention training placements for addiction specialists.
• Provide clinical advice on content development for FRANK, the government’s drug information service.
• Contribute expert advice on treatment for alcohol and drug use disorders for guidance developed by other bodies including NICE and NHS Talking Therapies

INTELLIGENCE AND DATA

• Attend OHID’s National Intelligence Network on emerging health harms from drugs use
• Provide clinical input to OHID’s drug surveillance and early warning systems
• Advice on monitoring appropriate clinical interventions on the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System
• Provide and interpret data, information and advice on evidence of best practice, effectiveness and the cost-effectiveness of psychological therapies and psychosocial interventions

PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATIVE WORKING

• Develop and nurture key relationships with a wide range of individuals and stakeholders and maintain professional networks relevant to the role.
• Employ highly effective communication, negotiation and influencing skills to enable stakeholder relationships to deliver objectives.
• Work regularly with service providers and commissioners of the alcohol and drug treatment service to improve capacity and quality and address operational issues
• Provide high-level advice to Ministers and DHSC officials on evidence and intelligence relating to alcohol and drug treatment
• Work with professional bodies to communicate the work of OHID on alcohol and drug treatment and identify areas for collaborative working
• Contribute to expert working groups led by partner organisations, for example, NICE, NHS Talking Therapies
• Lead discussions, managing and actively promoting relationships with a range of stakeholders across central and local government, public representatives, the NHS and voluntary and independent sectors.
• Establish and maintain effective communications to ensure that external stakeholders are appropriately informed of OHID’s business and services, and vice versa.
• Draw on positive relations and discussions with stakeholder networks to inform policy and implementation Actively participate in and disseminate professional experiences/lessons learned through reports, internal and external presentations, electronic media, publications and participation in working groups.

COMMUNICATION AND KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Will develop working relationships and communicate regularly with a wide range of individuals, clinical and non-clinical, internal and external to OHID. This will include:

• Officials in the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities
• Officials in other government departments
• Officials and clinical leads in NHSE
• NICE
• NHS Talking therapies
• NHS and 3 rd sector alcohol and drug treatment service providers and commissioners
• Directors of Public Health
• Specialist alcohol and drug treatment clinicians
• Specialist clinicians from other health and care specialisms
• Professional organisations including the British Psychological Society
• Academic and research-based partners
• Voluntary and community sector organisations

PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Participate in organisational and professional appraisal and revalidation as appropriate.
• Pursue a programme of relevant CPD, including statutory and mandatory training undertake revalidation, audit or other measures required to remain on the professional register
• Practice in accordance with registered professional requirements
• Agree individual clinical / professional supervision or mentorship arrangements with line manager

OTHER DUTIES

• Participate in national research projects, working together with other Directorates and Academic centres.
• The above is only an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. You will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by and at the request of Alcohol and Drug Treatment and Recovery lead.
• The job description and person specification may be reviewed in accordance with the changing needs of OHID.

Person specification

It is important through your CV and Statement of Suitability that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the following

Essential criteria:

• Strategic Leadership & Vision: Proven track record as a visionary and transformational leader capable of driving strategic policy, national clinical guidance, and system-wide improvements in alcohol and drug treatment. Ability to articulate a clear strategic direction across central government and local delivery systems to expand treatment capacity, enhance quality, reduce health inequalities, and lower substance-related mortality.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Strategic Partnering: Demonstrable success in building, nurturing, and leveraging senior-level collaborative relationships across complex multi-agency landscapes. This includes proven experience working effectively with government departments, NHS England, local commissioners, third-sector providers, academic partners, and professional bodies to align priorities and deliver shared outcomes.
• Policy Advisory & Political Acumen: Extensive experience working within complex political and social environments, with a proven ability to translate high-level clinical intelligence, epidemiological data, and research into actionable national policy and clinical guidelines. Ability to provide confident, high-level advice to Ministers, senior officials, and national oversight bodies (e.g., NICE, NHSE).
• Complex Communication & Influencing: Exceptional oral, written, and presentational communication skills, with a track record of translating complex clinical data, evidence, and risk into persuasive messages for diverse audiences (including non-clinical decision-makers, senior stakeholders, and media channels). Proven ability to negotiate effectively and influence system-wide change across differing organisational cultures.
• Agile Delivery & Quality Assurance in Dynamic Environments: Proven ability to lead and deliver high-impact clinical governance, quality improvement, and early-warning surveillance initiatives against a backdrop of change, operational uncertainty, or unforeseen health harms. Strong analytical capabilities using qualitative and quantitative data to monitor system performance, evaluate cost-effectiveness, and maintain delivery at pace.
• Specialist Clinical Expertise: Demonstration of substantial clinical expertise and up-to-date knowledge of evidence-based research in specialist alcohol and drug treatment, with a specific focus on psychological therapies and psychosocial interventions.

Qualifications:

• Possess a relevant professional qualification in psychological therapies alongside current, active professional registration (e.g., GMC, BPS, or equivalent registering body)

Benefits

Whatever your role, we take your career and development seriously, and want to enable you to build a really successful career with the Department and wider Civil Service. It is crucial that our employees have the right skills to develop their careers and meet the challenges ahead, and you’ll benefit from regular performance and development reviews to ensure this development is ongoing. As a Civil Service employee, you’ll be entitled to a large range of benefits.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service values and supports all its employees.

We have strong and proactive staff networks, special leave policies for hospital appointments, reasonable adjustments put in place for those who need them, and diversity talent programmes to help everyone irrespective of background, to achieve their potential.

Candidates employed on secondment basis usually stay on the terms and conditions of their home organisation’s terms and conditions.

Pension

Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package.

A competitive contributory pension scheme that you can enter as soon as you join where we will make a significant contribution to the cost of your pension; where your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken; and where your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire. Visit Civil Service Pension Scheme for more details.

Generous Annual Leave and Bank Holida