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

Contract Type

This role is being advertised on a 2 year time-limited specialist 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.

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 Description

Clinical Adviser, to the alcohol and drug treatment division, leading on medical interventions is a senior role within OHID, 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 professional public health 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 medical interventions, including pharmacotherapy, mental and physical healthcare, to the alcohol and drug treatment and recovery team, providing clinical leadership for their programmes and projects and advising on delivery of broad treatment and harm reduction interventions for the alcohol and drug treatment system.

SPECIALIST PRACTICE AND LEADERSHIP

• Play a lead role in developing national policy, strategy and programmes on alcohol and drug treatment, providing expert evidence-based clinical advice, particularly on medical interventions, advice and knowledge of the alcohol and drug treatment system
• Provide national leadership for implementing improvements in quality and capacity of the national alcohol and drug treatment system in line with national strategy
• Chair regular meetings with service providers and commissioners of the alcohol and drug treatment system.
• Provide expert advice on improving treatment quality, implementing medical interventions and addressing operational issues,
• Chair regular meetings with the medical directors and pharmacy leads of treatment services, providing advice on pharmacological interventions and offering support to address 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. For example, advising on national patient safety alerts or responses to medicines shortages
• Provide clinical leadership and advice to the cross -government response and to OHID’s response to emerging public health threats, such as synthetic opioids
• Provide clinical advice to OHID and NHSE’s work to increase the number of addiction psychiatrists in the field, liaising with Royal College of Psychiatrists
• Review applications and advise the Home Office on applications for doctor licences to prescribe diamorphine.

INTELLIGENCE AND DATA

• Chair OHID’s National Intelligence Network on emerging health harms from drugs use, including providing clinical input into OHID’s surveillance system
• Work in partnership with UKHSA and Chief Coroner to improve toxicology data flows through clinical leadership for OHID’s Early Warning System which collates intelligence on drug related deaths and overdoses
• Advise on monitoring of clinical interventions in the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System
• Provide and interpret data, information and advice on evidence of best practice, effectiveness and the cost-effectiveness of medical 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, including the Royal College of Psychiatrists, 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
• 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.
• 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.

COMMUNICATION AND KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

The post holder 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
• Relevant colleagues in UKHSA
• Chief Coroner
• NICE
• NHS and 3rd 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 Royal College of Psychiatrists
• 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.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Application Process

To apply for this post, you will need to email the following documents to dhscscsrecruitment@dhsc.gov.uk no later than 23:55 Monday 21st September 2026.

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years. You must also include on your CV a list of the professional qualifications you hold as set out in the job advert / person specification.
• A Statement of Suitability (no more than 1000 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria in the person specification (above).

Applications will be sifted against personal statements and CVs.

Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only has limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.

As part of the application process, you will be asked a number of diversity-related questions. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select 'prefer not to say'. The information you provide when submitting your application will help us monitor our progress towards A Modern Civil Service.

Please note, we are unable to provide feedback to those candidates who are not shortlisted for an interview. Written feedback will be made available (on request) to those candidates who attend the interview.

If you are unable to apply online please contact dhscscsrecruitment@dhsc.gov.uk

Selection Process

A panel chaired by Peter Burkinshaw - Alcohol and drug Treatment and Recovery Lead, DHSC, will assess your application to select those demonstrating the best fit with the role by considering the evidence you have provided against the criteria set out in the ‘Person Specification’ section. Failure to address any or all of these may affect your application.

Peter will be supported by a selection panel made up of other senior stakeholders for the role, full details of this panel will be shared with shortlisted candidates.

Alongside other departments, DHSC is committed to making the Civil Service more inclusive and recognises the value of diverse interview panels. Helping candidates, particularly those from diverse backgrounds, to feel comfortable and at ease during the interview process, to reduce bias and increase the objectiveness of decisions. In line with the Civil Service’s Inclusive Board initiative we aim to ensure that, as well as being gender diverse, DHSC’s interview panels for Senior Civil Service will include at least one panellist who is from an ethnic minority background and/or who has a physical or non-physical disability (which may not be visible).

Shortlist

You will receive an acknowledgment of your application, by email.

The panel will select a shortlist of candidates whose applications best demonstrate suitability for the role, by considering the evidence provided against the essential criteria set out in the ‘Person Specification’.

Candidates applying under the Disability Confident Scheme and A Great Place to Work for Veterans Scheme who meet the minimum selection criteria in the job specification are guaranteed an interview.

The timeline later in this pack indicates the date by which decisions are expected to be made, all candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter, and we will advise on any delays.

Shortlisted candidates who attend an interview will also be offered verbal feedback from a member of the interview panel.

Interview

You will be asked to attend a panel interview in order to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification

Shortlisted candidates may be asked to prepare a 5-minute presentation at interview on a scenario issued to them ahead of their panel interview. This presentation will be designed to test your ability to translate specialist evidence into practical national policy and delivery advice and full details will be provided prior to the interview.

You will be asked a series of questions at interview around the following behaviours and the essential criteria earlier in this pack.

Behaviours:

• Leadership
• Communicating and influencing
• Working Together
• Seeing the Big Picture

Interviews will take place online via Teams, full details of the interview format will be provided to shortlisted candidates prior to interview.

Feedback

Due to the anticipated volume of applications to this role, we are unable to offer feedback to those not selected for the shortlist.

Shortlisted candidates who attend an interview will be offered verbal feedback from a member of the interview panel.

Expected Timeline

We will try and offer as much flexibility as we can, but it may not be possible to offer alternative dates for assessments or interviews. You are therefore asked to note the below timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process, in order to meet the dates given. Please note that these dates may be subject to change

The anticipated timetable is as follows:

Advert Closing Date 23:55 Monday 21st September 2026

Short List Meeting Week commencing Monday 28th September 2026

Final Interviews Week commencing Monday 12th October 2026

Reasonable Adjustoments

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments in order to support disabled job applicants and ensure that you are not disadvantaged in the recruitment and assessment process.

If you feel that you may need a reasonable adjustment to be made, or you would like to discuss your requirements in more detail, please contact dhscscsrecruitment@dhsc.gov.uk in the first instance.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.