Job summary Are you ready to unlock your potential within a challenging, creative and fast paced work environment? Do you want to work with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past? This is an excellent opportunity for a Registered Mental Health Nurse to join our team of diverse, talented healthcare professionals to deliver care that is not only efficient but deeply centred on the patient. Our healthcare team have a real impact on promoting health and well-being to those in prison and we pride ourselves on using skills and strategies that instil hope for patient's future resettlement back into the community. We directly deliver Mental Health, Physical Health, Pharmacy and Clinical Substance Misuse in an integrated healthcare delivery model to provide effective and responsive care to improve wellbeing and support better outcomes in the future. This position isn't just a job; it's a chance to blend your clinical knowledge, personal skills and a commitment to delivering the highest standards of care in an environment that is as rewarding as it is challenging. We welcome applications from Newly Qualified Nurses who will undertake our award winning preceptorship programme. We also encourage experienced Band 5 nurses looking for a career in offender healthcare to apply Important Sponsorship Information for this post: Due to service budget restrictions we are currently unable to offer a certificate of sponsorship for this post. Main duties of the job As a Mental Health Practitioner you will be providing specialist mental healthcare to offenders and working as part of the Mental Health In-Reach Team, plus wider mental health services. You will be required to work in a psychologically minded way with offenders in achieving their agreed goals and quality health outcomes. Our Mental Health Team provide specialist interventions at primary and secondary care level including; referral management, screening assessment, triage, evidence-based interventions, care planning and risk assessing, plus one-to-one and group-work facilitation. Our Mental Health Practitioners manage a mixed and challenging caseload and are required to perform robust assessment, screening and interventions to offenders with learning disabilities and mental health conditions. You will contribute to alternatives to inpatient admission and assisting with early discharge through the implementation of high intensity interventions and complex case management arrangements. One of our key aims is to ensure continuity of care for an offender on ordinary location and reduce the length of stay, both in relation to prison inpatient services and external NHS/independent in-patient services. You will work closely with community mental health teams to ensure appropriate sharing of information, continuity of care and the Care Programme Approach for all offenders as necessary. About us 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 Details Date posted 04 July 2025 Pay scheme Agenda for change Band Band 5 Salary £29,970 to £36,483 a year pa Contract Permanent Working pattern Full-time Reference number 277-7323988-DORS Job locations HMP Portland 104 Grove Rd, Grove, Portland DT5 1DL Job description Job responsibilities To provide mental health nursing care to offenders. This will require liaison with prison colleagues, probation services, education staff, security personnel, and external NHS providers both in primary and secondary care and visiting specialists when required. To support senior staff in the development of high-quality mental health care through the effective assessment, development, and implementation programmes. To assess care needs and provide high quality nursing care as a member of a multi-disciplinary team for offenders who have mental health care needs utilising the CPA processes and risk assessment & care planning. To maintain accurate, legible records of care provided based upon the CPA care plan process, incorporating relevant communication and liaison with other care providers and the wider prison establishment. To promote the overall health and wellbeing of the offender population using evidence-based practice. To work under the direction of senior staff to deliver and constantly strive to improve the offender healthcare services To provide mental health care based on the principles of timely, comprehensive assessment and evidence based practice. To reduce or mitigate the effects of unhealthy or high risk behaviours (ACCT). To promote effective links with health and related services in the community to ensure continuity of care as appropriate (Care program Approach, CPA) To work as part of a multi-disciplinary in-patient team, comprising all healthcare staff, including strategic partners, and prison managing a single referral pathway. 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 photographic ID 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 ). Job description Job responsibilities To provide mental health nursing care to offenders. This will require liaison with prison colleagues, probation services, education staff, security personnel, and external NHS providers both in primary and secondary care and visiting specialists when required. To support senior staff in the development of high-quality mental health care through the effective assessment, development, and implementation programmes. To assess care needs and provide high quality nursing care as a member of a multi-disciplinary team for offenders who have mental health care needs utilising the CPA processes and risk assessment & care planning. To maintain accurate, legible records of care provided based upon the CPA care plan process, incorporating relevant communication and liaison with other care providers and the wider prison establishment. To promote the overall health and wellbeing of the offender population using evidence-based practice. To work under the direction of senior staff to deliver and constantly strive to improve the offender healthcare services To provide mental health care based on the principles of timely, comprehensive assessment and evidence based practice. To reduce or mitigate the effects of unhealthy or high risk behaviours (ACCT). To promote effective links with health and related services in the community to ensure continuity of care as appropriate (Care program Approach, CPA) To work as part of a multi-disciplinary in-patient team, comprising all healthcare staff, including strategic partners, and prison managing a single referral pathway. 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 photographic ID 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/Qualification Essential Registered Mental Health Nurse NMC Registration Experience Essential Experience of assessing risks and care-plan effectively (Either through employment or placement) Ability to demonstrate safe and effective assessment, triage and care planning & interventions for complex cases. Desirable Experience, interest or understanding of secure environments (prisons or forensic services) Skills Essential An understanding of the 1983 Mental Health Act and subsequent mental health legislation as they pertain to nursing Ability to present information both written and oral form and communicate this effectively. Person Specification Education/Qualification Essential Registered Mental Health Nurse NMC Registration Experience Essential Experience of assessing risks and care-plan effectively (Either through employment or placement) Ability to demonstrate safe and effective assessment, triage and care planning & interventions for complex cases. Desirable Experience, interest or understanding of secure environments (prisons or forensic services) Skills Essential An understanding of the 1983 Mental Health Act and subsequent mental health legislation as they pertain to nursing Ability to present information both written and oral form and communicate this effectively. 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). Additional information 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). Employer details Employer name Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust Address HMP Portland 104 Grove Rd, Grove, Portland DT5 1DL Employer's website http://oxleas.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab) Employer details Employer name Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust Address HMP Portland 104 Grove Rd, Grove, Portland DT5 1DL Employer's website http://oxleas.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab). Location : HMP Portland, 104 Grove Rd, Grove, DT5 1DL Portland, United Kingdom
