Substance Misuse Healthcare Support Worker - HMP Styal

Job overview

Are you a caring and compassionate Healthcare Support Worker? Would you like the opportunity to develop your skills in a Health and Justice setting? You could be a key part of our multi-disciplined healthcare team, providing individualised care for our patients in a prison environment.

We operate a shift-based rota, which includes evenings, weekends, and bank holidays. Applicants must be able to work flexibly across these shift patterns.

We welcome applications from individuals who can meet these requirements, as well as those with experience in clinical roles and/or a good understanding of substance misuse.

Main duties of the job

Our services include Substance Misuse, reception screening, providing agreed care packages, undertaking appropriate physical health observations, clinics such as Phlebotomy, ECG, NHS health checks, sexual health, and health promotion. You will need a good level of communication skills, be a team player and provide high standards of care to patients under the supervision of a qualified nurse/practitioner. If you have NVQ level 3 and a good level of care experience, then we could have the perfect job for you.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Working under the delegated authority of a Registered Nurse, the post holder will compliment and form a key part of the multi-disciplinary healthcare services, providing high standards of individualised, non-judgemental care for patients and supporting the operational requirements of delivering Prison Healthcare across Primary care, Mental Health and Substance misuse services to support the delivery of holistic care packages within our integrated services. The post holder will undertake delegated duties covering the patient journey from reception of prisoners into prison through to their discharge through the gate. This includes reception screening, providing agreed care packages, undertaking appropriate physical health observations, appropriate clinical duties, undertaking clinics such as Phlebotomy clinics, ECG Clinics and NHS health checks, sexual health and health promotion to improve mental, physical and social needs. The post holder will also be expected to work as part of the emergency response team as required. The post holder will have the skills to support patients showing low level mental ill health and withdrawal from illicit substances by providing support in accordance with agreed care plans. The post holder will be expected to operate in line with our shared commitment to our values, Working Together, Integrity, Respect and Recognition, Compassion, and Innovation.

• Communication and Relationships
• Maintaining contemporaneous patient records and care plans on the electronic patient record in line with NHS Information governance standards.• Work across professional boundaries to develop therapeutic, purposeful and meaningful activity.• To work cooperatively and collaboratively with other members of the team by developing effective working relationships to provide a therapeutic working environment conducive to rehabilitation and recovery.• Provide information as appropriate to support the prison operator in fulfilling the wider offender management processes such as drug testing schemes.• Participate in local assurance audits to provide accurate information on performance.
• Support patients to address issues that affect their own health, behaviour, and social welfare.• Support patients and exercise positive relationships within professional boundaries as part of a purposeful and caring regime.• Adhere to Spectrum’s information sharing policies when dealing with requests for potentially sensitive information .• To actively participate in individual and/or group clinical supervision.2. Analytical Data and Information• To undertake reception screening in accordance with agreed SystmOne template to identify any clinical risks to the prisoner and signpost accordingly.• To assess fitness to travel and complete documentation for transfer and escorts outside of the establishment.• To improve the standards of patient care by adhering to care plans and support evaluation of care for patients.
• Demonstrate knowledge, skills and understanding of minor health and substance misuse issues to support patient’s health and wellbeing.• Works under the direction of senior staff during the core day whilst carrying out duties
• Ability to closely observe and monitor patients at risk of self-harm and ensure appropriate escalation to Mental health services.• The ability to assess, observe and respond to prisoners at risk of suicide and/or self-harm using raising concerns at first sign of distress.• To support the clinical intervention with Substance / Alcohol detox units which includes completing clinical assessment tools.• Work within a demanding and high emotion environment with challenging patients which requires compassion and empathy.• Participate in assurance audit, Health and Justice performance indicators and NHS data collection activity.3. Planning and Organisational Work• To attend and participate in staff meetings, shift handovers and clinical inpatient meetings as required.• To help service users to access resources and to provide information on health education /promotion.• To escalate any patient, staff or environmental concerns and report any incidents in a timely manner to line manager and via Spectrum electronic reporting systems.
• Support the safety and security procedure within the prison to ensure that patient and staff safety is paramount.• Participate in clinical governance and quality improvement projects as outlined with your manager.• To participate in the investigation and take corrective actions relating to untoward incidents, accidents, and complaints in accordance with policies and Procedures.• Undertake delegated tasks to contribute to the safe and smooth running of the unit.4. Patient/Client Care• The post holder will support, implement, and provide high standards of care to patients under the supervision of a qualified nurse/practitioner
• To support Medication Administration as a second singer and complete required competencies annually.• Undertake clinical observations of patients e.g., blood pressure tests.• Develop appropriate and professional relationships with service users, which will promote effective communications and recovery.
• Ensure consent is obtained at every intervention.• Promote patient engagement and personal responsibility to manage their health providing the necessary support to do so.
• To support the development of appropriate care plans and contribute to the review and evaluation.• To carry response radio and respond to emergencies with qualified nurse undertaking relevant interventions as directed.• Deliver 1:1 intervention as agreed within care package.• Support patients presenting to the service in crisis ensuring appropriate onward referrals and flag immediate risks.• To have a good understanding of System1 and complete electronic documentation using the agreed read codes where appropriate.• To record, use and store information in accordance with Caldicott and GDPR.5. Financial Resources• To be responsible for equipment used in carrying out clinical duties, and to adhere to departmental policy, including competence to use equipment.
• To reduce waste and ensure efficient use of resources both material and physical.• Support Spectrum’s SAVE cost improvement programme, working efficiently and effectively, identifying, and realising potential cost savings.6. People Management and Development• Strictly adhere to Spectrum Community Health CIC policies and procedures.• To participate in regular clinical and managerial supervision meetings as determined by your line manager and within the Supervision Policy.• The ability to resolve conflict in a solution focused manner.• To participate in the Spectrum’s Appraisal Process and complete a Personal Development Plan on a yearly basis.• To participate in all mandatory training and ensure skills and competencies are kept up to date and that a portfolio of training is maintained and signed off by supervisor.
• To exercise good time management, punctuality and maintain consistent and reliable attendance.• To show flexibility by working a rotational shift pattern including, days, nights, weekends and public holidays according to the needs of the service.The post holder will be expected to operate in line with our shared commitment to our values; Working Together, Integrity, Respect and Recognition, Compassion and Innovation. These values and behaviours are extremely important to us and we expect everyone who works with us in any capacity, including employees, bank staff, contractors, agency staff, people who hold honorary contracts, students and volunteers to demonstrate behaviours consistent with Spectrum’s values and behaviours.GENERAL• ConfidentialityMaintain high levels of confidentiality at all times, ensuring that information is not communicated except in the course of recognised duty and in accordance with Spectrum’s policy.• Equality and DiversitySupport the equality, diversity and rights of patients, clients and colleagues by working in a way that recognises the importance of people’s rights and respects and promotes their privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs.• SafeguardingThe post holder will be expected to undertake safeguarding training (Children and Adults) appropriate to their role and adhere to policies and procedures relevant to the area they work in.• Infection Prevention Duty and responsibility to comply with Spectrum’s Infection, Prevention & Control Standards Precaution Policy, ensuring compliance with any specific role and responsibilities outlined within this policy.• Health and SafetyPromote and maintain the health, safety and security of self and others as defined in the Health & Safety Policy.• Mandatory TrainingTo complete and update all Mandatory Training requirements.The above indicates the main duties of the post which may be reviewed in the light of experience and development within the service. Any review will be undertaken in conjunction with the post holder.

Applicant requirements

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.