The Football Association Independent Mental Health Expert Panel

Our Organisation 

The Football Association (The FA) is the governing body of football in England. We are responsible for promoting and developing the game at all levels; from grassroots through to the professional game, The FA Cup and the England Teams, and we have two world class assets: Wembley Stadium and St. George's Park.  

Our vision is to inspire positive change through football; our national game that breaks down barriers and unites people from very different backgrounds. Today, we are the governing body of a national community that includes more than 15.7 million football participants, almost 30 million fans and more than 90,000 grassroots teams.  

At The FA mental health and wellbeing is a core enabler of everything we do, personally and professionally, on the field and off the field, in how we perform, deliver, and navigate the world around us.   

The Role 

As an organisation we are increasingly responding to a range of complex mental health related cases that often involve ethical, psychosocial, and occupational challenges that impact individuals as well as presenting, in some cases, increased organisational risk. As we continue to evolve our internal support structures, we recognise the value that an independent expert panel will bring.  

The purpose of the Independent Mental Health Expert Panel (IMHEP) is to bring together specialists to provide independent multidisciplinary oversight, consultation, reflective supervision and expert guidance regarding complex mental health cases. The focus of the panel is to support our internal workforce of c.1000 colleagues, for whom we have a duty of care to support and protect mental health and wellbeing.  

We are looking for individuals with a strong passion for delivering human centred, multidisciplinary mental health care, and a broad knowledge of the mental health challenges faced by individuals working in high performance sport cultures. We are seeking individuals with a sound understanding of the modern game of football in its various forms, and who have a comprehensive working knowledge of the most up to date policy and research progressions in their respective field.   

Key Accountabilities 

As a member of the IMHEP you will be required to: 

• Provide twice yearly independent expert case consultation for the Mental Health and Wellbeing (MH&WB) and HR teams
• Improve quality and consistency of internal case management 
• Strengthen safeguarding and risk management
• Ensure the safety of, and ethical practice by, internal practitioners and the organisation
• Identify common themes and learning opportunities 
• Support the MH&WB and HR teams (and in some cases line managers) in managing particularly complex cases (where such support is requested by the MH&WB and HR teams)
• Offer advisory recommendation, observation and learning  
• Where appropriate support psychologically informed governance and policy 

The panel will offer recommendation only and The FA retains operational, legal, clinical, safeguarding and managerial accountability for all decisions.  

The MH&WB team will be responsible for coordinating the panel, chairing meetings, recording and securely storing/sharing relevant information, and remain accountable for all case related decision making.  

There will be two formal meetings per year where a selection of complex cases will be taken to the panel for review and discussion. Examples of selected cases might include: 

• High-risk mental health concerns 
• Suicidality or self-harm concerns 
• Repeated safeguarding concerns
• Complex interpersonal challenges or behavioural risk
• Significant psychological or emotional trauma 
• Ethical uncertainty
• Multidisciplinary or cross function conflict of interest
• Organisational risk
• Longstanding mental health and/ or performance support needs  

What we are looking for 

Members of the Panel will include: 

• Consultant Psychiatrist
• Clinical Psychologist
• Occupational Psychologist or Organisational Consultant
• Neurodiversity Specialist
• Health and Safety Representative  
• Human Resource Specialist 

Members of the Panel will be expected to participate independently and objectively, and within the boundaries of their professional competence. Any conflicts of interest (case specific or in relation to the organisation whole) must be declared to the Chair of the Panel prior to participation. Contributions must be constructive and offered for the good of The FA and its employees. Members are expected to promote safe and ethical practice at all times and maintain confidentiality throughout (The panel may decide that confidentiality be broken where there is a legal obligation to disclose information, where there is a risk of serious harm to an individual or others, or where the sharing of information is needed to safeguard an individuals welfare)

Time Commitment 

As a minimum, IMHEP members should attend two scheduled meetings per year to review and discuss a selection of identified complex cases. Meetings will usually be face to face on weekdays at The National Football Centre St George's Park, or Wembley Stadium. Additional Panel meetings may be called at the discretion of the Panel Chair.  Panel members will also be available for ad hoc consultation on specific matters within the Panel's remit as required. Ad hoc meetings will be kept to a minimum and usually be held online.  

Members will receive a set fee for attending meetings, and reasonable expenses incurred in order to travel to meetings will be reimbursed.    

Members will be appointed for an initial term of two years, after which they will be eligible to reapply for another two years, up to four times (maximum of 8 years). Members can resign from the Panel at any point with written notice, and The FA can also terminate appointments where necessary. 

Role Descriptors 

The FA are looking to appoint the following specialist roles: 

Consultant Psychiatrist 

Providing specialist medical and psychiatric expertise regarding complex mental health presentations, risk assessment considerations, diagnostic complexity, treatment pathways, and psychiatric considerations.  

Key Responsibilities 

• Provide expert psychiatric consultation
• Advise on risk formulations
• Consider diagnostic complexities
• Provide expert understanding of severe mental illness
• Advise on treatment considerations and appropriateness of support plans
• Contribute to reflective discussions 

Essential Qualifications 

• Registered medical practitioner 
• Specialist registration in psychiatry
• Professional registration with General Medical Council (GMC) and indemnity insurance
• Significant experience in the management and review of complex mental health  

Clinical Psychologist 

Providing psychological formulation, behavioural understanding, trauma-informed diagnosis, and psychologically informed perspective on complex cases. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Provide psychological formulation
• Advise on trauma-informed approaches
• Identify behavioural and systemic factors
• Advise on safe and ethical practice
• Support reflective learning process 

Essential Qualifications 

• HCPC-registered Clinical Psychologist
• Current professional registration
• Significant experience working with complex cases
• Experience working within a multidisciplinary team 

Occupational Psychologist or Organisational Consultant

Providing expertise on workplace mental health and wellbeing, psychosocial risk factors, systemic stressors, and psychologically well organisations.  

Key Responsibilities 

• Advise on workplace psychosocial risk factors
• Consider organisational impact
• Provide perspective on psychologically informed workplace approaches
• Support broader workplace wellbeing considerations 

Essential Qualifications 

• Registered Occupational Psychologist or relevant equivalent
• Relevant professional memberships, including HCPC registration
• Significant experience in organisational mental health 

Neurodiversity Specialist 

Providing expertise on neurodiversity, psychosocial risk factors, equality and inclusion support, and systemic risk factors concerning neurodiverse cases management.   

Key Responsibilities 

• Provide expert advise on appropriate support infrastructure for cases involving neurodiverse diagnoses
• Advise on behavioural and systemic factors 
• Support reflective learning process where neurodiverse factors are involved   
• Support escalation process where required  

Essential Qualifications 

• HCPC-registered Clinical Psychologist
• Current professional registration
• Significant experience working with neurodiverse populations in the workplace 

Health and Safety Representative  

Providing expertise regarding workplace health and safety requirements, psychosocial risk management, and organisational safety obligations.  

Key Responsibilities 

• Support organisational safety considerations
• Identify systemic risk implications
• Advise on safe systems of work
• Support governance and risk compliance 
• Advise on psychosocial risk management 

Essential Qualifications 

• CertIOSH or CMIOSH membership, or equivalent MIIRSM membership
• Significant experience working with organisational risk management  
• Understanding of organisational risk management legislations including ISO45003
• Working understanding of psychosocial risk factors  
• Working understanding of supporting organisational wellbeing obligations 

Human Resource Specialist

Providing expertise on employment practice, people management, workplace policies, employee relations, and organisational processes to inform consideration of complex workplace mental health cases.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide advice on HR policies and employment practices
• Consider employee relations and workplace processes
• Advise on reasonable workplace adjustments and organisational procedures
• Support fair, consistent, and legally compliant decision-making
• Contribute a people management perspective within multidisciplinary discussions

Essential Qualifications

• Chartered Member or Fellow of the CIPD (or equivalent professional body)
• Significant senior HR experience, including employee relations and complex workplace cases
• Experience advising on workplace wellbeing, absence management, and organisational policy
• Experience working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams

If you feel that you have the relevant skills and experience, please do apply, and select which panel position you are applying for on the application form.

We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be an equal opportunities organisation. If you have any particular requirements in respect of the recruitment or interview process, please mention this during your application.

Members will receive a set fee (£150) for attending meetings, and reasonable expenses incurred in order to travel to meetings will be reimbursed.

Not applicable