The closing date is 25 August 2026
Salary: £41,959 to £50,117 a year PER ANNUM **RECRUITMENT & RETENTION INCENTIVE INCLUDED**
Job summary
As a senior nurse you will provide high quality primary care services and a range of specialist interventions for offenders. At HMP Rochester & HMP Cookham Wood, we deliver a nurse-led integrated primary care service and operate a specialist practice-based clinical model of care.
Our senior nurses deliver primary care, emergency response and first night in custody/new registration services.
You will maintain an effective case management service to ensure care and continuity of treatment is maintained throughout a patient care pathway whilst detained in prison.
You will be required to ensure all clinics and consultations are delivered in a clinically effective and timely way and implement strategies designed to promote and improve health and prevent disease whilst in prison.
As a senior member of staff, you will be responsible for the day-to-day co-ordination of the Healthcare Team, supporting junior colleagues and ensure systems are in place for clinical supervision to junior team members.
***Important Sponsorship Information for this post: We are currently unable to offer a certificate of sponsorship for this post.***
Job responsibilities
This post is based at HMP Rochester and HMP Cookham Wood, but will require close working relationships with colleagues at nearby Kent prisons; HMP Maidstone, HMP East Sutton Park, and cross-cover may occasionally be required.
Operational
- The post holder will need to carry a radio and be competent to lead in medical emergency responses.
- To support the delivery of an effective integrated healthcare service clinical model.
- To manage a complex clinical caseload.
- To support the development, implement and maintenance the National Standards for Health Care in Prisons for the service.
- Ensure all clinics and consultations are delivered in a clinically effective and timely way, in line with service needs.
- Maintain systems for the collection of triage & allocation of referrals as appropriate and monitoring and supporting the auditing of quality and effectiveness of service delivery.
- To be able to give intravenous injections, immunisations and syringe pumps and infusions as necessary for the role of co-ordinating complex prisoners.
Management
- Implement the strategies designed to promote and improve health and prevent disease, working proactively and collaborating with other professionals, organisations and agencies as required.
- Maximising resources to target need, including the supervision of staff.
- Delegate appropriate responsibility and authority to team members, whilst retaining overall responsibility and accountability on a shift-to-shift basis.
- To maintain an effective case management service to ensure care and continuity of treatment is maintained throughout a patient care pathway whilst detained in prison.
- To implement appropriate & effective and accredited care planning tools that are subject to the process in accordance with agreed Trust Policies.
- To implement effective systems and interfaces with community and acute health services ensuring continuity of care on release or discharge. To actively promote and demonstrate working across professional and organisational boundaries.
- To maintain close working partnerships with all services that may be involved with the care and management of offenders, (prison staff, Ministry of Justice, Trust & Directorate senior managers & relevant forums, CMHT staff, NHS Hospitals, Probation Services, CPS, Courts, GP’s, community health services, Housing/Benefit services, social care, community multi agency forums etc.).
Human Resources
- Responsible for day-to-day co-ordination of the Integrated Healthcare Team.
- To ensure systems are in place for clinical supervision to junior team members including annual appraisal and identification of specific service, training, and personal development needs.
Governance
- Ensure junior staff compliance with all Prison and Trust clinical policies and procedures as appropriate.
- Ensure appropriately skilled & qualified staff comply with the administration and management of medications according to their responsibilities in accordance with all relevant policies, guidance, and procedures.
- Ensuring high standards of electronic record-keeping competencies and offender confidentiality in line with trust & prison policy and systems, through effective monitoring and auditing processes.
General
- To liaise with other senior Trust personnel to share expertise, promote ideas and to ensure the service is working collaboratively with the Trust’s other Directorates as required.
- To work positively and effectively in a difficult and often hostile environment.
- Be aware of environmental hazards in the working area; ensure staff are aware of relevant health & safety policies deriving from the Health & Safety at Work Act.
- To work in accordance with Trust policies and guidelines
- To be familiar with Prison Standards, Standing Orders, Circular instructions, Notices to Staff, Health and Safety and all other relevant material to function as an informed practitioner within a prison setting.
- Promote equality of opportunity and provide an environment in which the dignity of individuals is respected and free from workplace harassment and bullying.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION PLEASE READ:
All applicants must be willing to undertake National Security Vetting in order to work in a Prison Setting. This will be completed as part of the pre-employment checks through Oxleas and the prison vetting team.
You will need to provide:
Proof of right to work documentation
Proof of ID, needs to include 1 photographicID
Proof of address documentation
Non-UK passport holders will need to have correct documentation (right to work in the UK) and a Home office Share code.
Address History:
5 years address history will be needed.
Applicants that are not UK Passport holders who provide less than 5 years UK address history will need to provide a Police Certificate which must be in English from where they resided previously.
Applicants who are UK Passport holders who have lived abroad for a period of more than six months during the last three years will need to provide a certificate of good conduct or an overseas police check in English from the countries resided in or visited.
In order to assist you in obtaining a Police Certificate, guidance can be sought from:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-records-checks-for-overseas-applicants
If the country you have resided in is not listed here, you can obtain the necessary information by contacting the relevant Embassy or High Commission for that Country. Their contact details can be found on the Foreign & Commonwealth Office website (http://www.fco.gov.uk/en).
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential
- Registered Nurse RGN
- Post Graduate Qualification or equivalent experience.
Desirable
- Registered General Nurse
Experience
Essential
- Minimum of two years’ experience at Band 5.
- Working knowledge of current issues/agendas facing prison/offender healthcare
- Experience of multi-professional collaboration including working in partnership with other statutory and voluntary organisations.
- Experience of setting, monitoring and evaluating standards of care.
Desirable
- Experience of working within secure & prison settings (desirable but not essential)
Skills/Abilities/Knowledge
Essential
- Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing, presenting ideas with clarity in a persuasive and influential style.
- Ability to demonstrate an understanding of change management and new ways of working.
- Ability to lead and empower people to make decisions and to plan ahead.
- Knowledge of current National Prison Health Quality & Performance Indicators
- Good analytical and judgement skills
Effort and Environment
Essential
- Ability to manage complex & challenging behaviour
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).