Primary Care Senior Staff Nurse - HMP Downview

Job overview

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust is a Top Employer Award Winner and works in partnership to provide responsive and dependable primary care, mental health, intellectual disability and substance misuse services to the diverse and culturally rich communities we serve.

In our quest to deliver patient-focused quality care we are looking to recruit a highly motivated, innovative and enthusiastic Senior Staff Nurse to join our forward thinking, friendly and expanding Health & Justice team at HMP Downview.  By joining our Prisons Health Care Team, you will not only look after the healthcare needs of our patients residing in secure environments, but who also can have a real impact on promoting health and well-being. Our healthcare services work to a 7-day week working model, to ensure our patient's healthcare is always managed and maintained to the highest of standards.

Our motto is “Caring NOT Judging” so by working in partnership with the criminal justice system and other agencies, we provide responsive, dependable and high-quality primary care and mental health services to those who may have offended and those at risk of offending in the communities we serve, to improve their health status and to encourage social inclusion.

We offer a great range of career pathways to support our nurses through their journey, see the list of endless opportunities under the working for your organisation tab.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will:

• Deliver an expert healthcare service to patients.
• Be confident in offering advice to clinicians, allied healthcare professionals and patients.
• Provide a comprehensive primary care health service as part of the integrated health service comprising Primary care, Substance misuse and Mental Health teams, supported by allied health professionals.
• Undertake physical health assessments, run clinics, provide and evaluate a range of health treatments and interventions, to meet the patient’s healthcare needs and contribute to the wider continuous development of healthcare services.
• Demonstrate knowledge, skills and understanding of health issues and treatment options in order to provide clinical guidance to staff on matters relating to physical health and wellbeing.
• Ensure high standards of primary care services are delivered in a changing healthcare environment, ensuring that the needs of the patients are at the centre of practice.
• Ensure that the Healthcare Team is integrated within the wider prison services and that there is excellent communication and working relationships with all stakeholders, both internal and external
• Continually promote high standards of service within the nursing team and contribute to development of a culture of professionalism within the team.
• Participate in a flexible working arrangement which will include weekends and unsocial hours when required.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Plan, deliver and evaluate clinically appropriate interventions using evidenced based guidance and practice.
• Set up processes/protocols for effective assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of care for those patients with physical, mental health and substance misuse.
• Safeguard vulnerable patients in line with CNWL Trust safeguarding policies.
• Apply local risk assessment and management
• Make appropriate referrals to other services for long term or complex care management.
• Co-ordinate multi-disciplinary clinical practice to provide focused and integrated care treatment programs/packages.
• Use highly skilled interventions to de-escalate aggressive patient behaviours and be aware of the appropriate processes for dealing with
• Work collaboratively with staff of other disciplines e.g. prison, education staff to provide integrated and coordinated
• Work within own sphere of competency and ensure that training needs are communicated to the team
• Participate in local and trust audits and trust audits. Participate in clinical governance and utilise research skills for audit, service development and research within the area served by the multi-disciplinary
• Liaise with other professional services e.g. hospital staff, GPs and caseworkers, sharing information
• Work in a highly emotive environment with patients who may have a sexual offending history or mental health / substance misuse problems on a regular basis. Able to communicate sensitive and complex information whilst maintaining a high level of professionalism at all times.
• Attend and contribute to prison meetings as required, and present the view of Healthcare Team on relevant clinical issues. Ensure any actions taken from these meetings are communicated to the appropriate individual responsible for completing the action.
• Ensure that pathways of care are created for the patients, including collecting collateral information and making appropriate referrals into the community when they are approaching
• Work closely with colleagues to ensure information about risk is recorded and communicated sensitively
• Maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping, including electronic data entry
• Ensure that within all aspects of professional activity e.g. communication with patients, relatives, colleagues and the assessment, development and delivery of interventions, issues of diversity such as race, culture, identity, gender and sexuality are sensitively considered and incorporated to reflect individual differences appropriately.

Research and Audits:

• Utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in individual.
• Assist in audits as per the annual planner or when requested to do so in order to develop and improve service provision.

Teaching, Training and Supervision:

• Participate in regular clinical and managerial supervision in accordance with professional practice and CNWL guidelines.
• Attend appropriate business and clinical meetings, supervision and reflective practice groups
• Develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties
• Contribute to and facilitate the training and support of all staff.
• Manage and provide supervision and training to nursing staff.
• Ensure all appraisals are up to date and each member of the team has a personal development plan.
• Develop nursing skills and systems which allow for effective triage, minor aliment management and appropriate referral to other healthcare services.
• Participate in the induction and training of new staff, peers, junior staff and students

Management, Recruitment and Service Development:

• Assist in the design and implementation of service development projects within the service as required.
• Attend meetings in which service developments are planned and discussed.