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Job description

This is an exciting and challenging new post in the Offender Healthcare Service at HMP Wandsworth. This is a unique opportunity to be part of Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust and to work at one of the largest prisons in the UK. You will assist us to provide excellent primary care and substance misuse services for our population.

Offenders are a challenging population group to work with and they often have complex healthcare needs. Offenders often have chaotic lives in the community & a history of poor engagement with community healthcare services. With high rates of substance misuse and mental health problems, this is a real chance to make a difference.

You will join our established team of healthcare assistants across the prison. This includes assisting the primary care & substance misuse nursing teams in clinics, inpatient unit, reception, secondary screening & daily substance misuse observations. You will be supported by our friendly healthcare staff in an environment where no two days are the same.

You should possess good communication skills & the ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team in a busy environment. A kind, caring, compassionate & professional attitude is essential.

Only applicants that pass a literacy and numeracy test will be interviewed.

• To support qualified staff in all activities relating to the delivery of high-quality patient centred care.
• Work and act as a key member of the team, supporting each patient in achievement of their planned outcomes.
• Set up and manage support clinics for patients
• To undertake an extended role e.g offender-focused health promotion activities and programmes.
• Support Blood borne virus screening activity
• To work as part of the Integrated Healthcare Service, providing a range of quality services to offenders: This may include enhanced diagnostic assessment & treatment services and long-term conditions management

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children’s centres, schools and people’s homes.

We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.
Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

• We’re Kind
• We’re Fair
• We Listen
• We Care

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist patients will all activities of daily living (eating and drinking, movement, physical comfort, personal hygiene and use of toilet facilities).
• To work at the direction of registered nurses
• Communicate effectively with patients and the multi-disciplinary team.
• Participate in planning and liaison activities for patients.
• Inform a registered nurse as soon as possible when any change in a patient’s condition is noticed.
• Support patients in change due to admission, discharge, death or personal loss and in adapting to their new environment.
• Report any complaints or requests for information from patients immediately to the senior nurse on duty to enable prompt response.
• Use resources effectively.
• Report all risks to the senior nursing staff.
• Assist in the general running of the department by undertaking housekeeping and clerical duties as appropriate.
• Participate in appraisal and training of self to develop a personal development plan and strive to achieve the set objectives, including NVQs.
• Undertake any other duties commensurate to the grade and as requested by the line manager.
• Attend staff meetings, updates and attend mandatory training as required.
• Take responsibility for carrying a radio and responding as required.
• Work closely with Management to ensure that the Prison Health Agenda is supported at all levels in the Practice.
• Develop and maintain effective communications with all interested parties.
• Responding to the needs of offenders in an honest, non-judgemental and open manner, which respects the rights of individuals and groups.
• Actively engaging with offenders in the provision of holistic, needs-led care which takes into account the physical, psychological, emotional, social and spiritual needs of individuals and groups.
• Demonstrates a commitment to equal opportunities for all people. Responding to the needs of people sensitively with regard for age, culture, race, gender, ethnicity, religion and disability, especially regarding privacy and dignity
• Demonstrates a knowledge of the term ‘professional boundaries’ and how to apply this to working with patients, offenders and others.
• Understanding the need for promoting health & well-being and the delivery of health promotion activities and programmes (including self-help programmes) in support of a registered nurse.
• Understanding the need for and assisting offenders to attain optimal physical health and assisting with physical procedures in support of a registered nurse.
• Demonstrating good verbal and non-verbal communication skills
• Contributing appropriately to risk assessment and individualised care planning