GM RECONNECT Prison Link Worker

NHS; Wigan; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 31,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Evening & weekend pay enhancements

27 days annual leave (+ bank holidays)

Job summary

Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) Foundation Trust is seeking a Band 4 practitioner to support individuals leaving prison by helping them access health services, voluntary sector support, and community activities. The role focuses on early identification of needs and strong collaboration with health and community providers.

You will monitor service activity and outcomes for individuals and families, using coaching and motivational interviewing to empower clients in difficult situations and

Qualifications

• Significant experience with the criminal justice system or similar.
• Experience working with vulnerable individuals in outreach or clinical settings.
• Ability to build partnerships with health and community services.

Responsibilities

• Support individuals leaving prison to access health services and community support.
• Identify needs early and monitor outcomes with partners; maintain records.
• Provide coaching and motivational interviewing to help service users engage with care.

Skills

Prison health experience

Criminal justice liaison

Coaching & MI

Communication skills

Record keeping

PARIS IT system

Education

NVQ Level 3 in Health and Social Care

Tools

PARIS

Microsoft Office

Job description

Main area Mental Health Grade Band 4 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday- Friday 9am-5pm (Happy to discuss flexible working)) Job ref 437-8388712

Site HM Prison Services Greater Manchester Locations (base HMP Hindley) Town Bickershaw, Wigan Salary £28,392 - £31,157 per annum/ pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 23/11/2026 23:59

Job overview

The post holder will support individuals leaving prison setting to enhance their health, wellbeing and quality of life, assisting them to connect with and access health services, voluntary sector services and community-based activities and support.

Referrals will be received from Criminal Justice Agencies, people and families . The focus of the role will be on early identification of need of people who are vulnerable and will struggle to engage with community-based health services, due to comorbid health problems or any single significant health or social care need, that are being released from prison custody. Interconnection with health and community service providers will be a fundamental part of the role along with monitoring and recording service activity and outcomes for individuals and families.

Main duties of the job

Please see job description for details of clinical, general, education and development, research and audit, standard requirements and trust mandatory and ongoing requirements

Please see person specification for details of all essential and desirable criteria for post

Working for our organisation

Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) Foundation Trust employs over 7000 members of staff, who deliver services from more than 122 locations.

We provide inpatient and community-based mental health care for people living in Bolton, the city of Manchester, Salford,Trafford and the borough of Wigan, and a wide range of specialist mental health and substance misuse services across Greater Manchester, the north west of England and beyond.

Greater Manchester is one of the world's most innovative, original and exciting places to live and work. From the beauty of the surrounding countryside to the heart of the vibrant inner city with great shopping, entertainment and dining options.

Wherever you go you will experience a great northern welcome with people famed for their warmth, humour and generosity.

Our people enjoy their work, have opportunities to learn and develop their skills and are encouraged to generate new ideas that improve care for our service users.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

See attached detailed job description and person specification:

• Pay Enhancements – 30% additional for Evenings (8pm onwards) and Saturdays and 60% additional for Sundays and Bank holidays.
• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays rising to 29 after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years
• NVQ Level 3 in Health and Social Care or demonstrable comparable experience

Experience

• Significant experience of working with the criminal justice system, community groups, voluntary organisations in some capacity. Experience of working with individuals on a one-to-one basis Experience of building relationships and partnerships Experience of working collaboratively with other health care and non-health care professionals to meet patient needs. Experience of peer support and/or mentoring others.
• Experience of delivering presentations. Experience of collating and presenting information. Experience of involvement in service monitoring and evaluation.

Knowledge

• Evidence of CPD An understanding of the needs and challenges faced by those in contact with the criminal justice system, particularly prisons. An understanding of the role of voluntary and community sector organisations and the contributions they make to the health and wellbeing of individuals. Knowledge of local communities including resources and assets Knowledge of factors influencing behaviour and behaviour change approaches. An understanding of health and/ or social care infrastructure and how services are provided to the local population. An understanding of the factors that can impact on an individual’s health and wellbeing. An understanding of community development and asset-based approaches. An understanding of the barriers and challenges that people may face in connecting to and accessing local activities and support. An understanding of the importance of accurate record keeping and knowledge of information governance requirements. Knowledge of Microsoft office such as Outlook, Excel, Word and Power Point Knowledge of health and safety requirements in relation to processes for risk assessment in relation to venues and home visits.
• Knowledge of IT systems used within Primary/ Secondary Care such as PARIS

Skills and abilities

• Skilled in using coaching approaches and motivational interviewing techniques to support individuals to identify opportunities and challenge unhelpful thinking. Ability to prioritise workload. Ability to set up, plan and coordinate initiatives and projects. Excellent communication skills including the ability to build effective relationships and productive working relationships at all levels. Good written skills including the ability to write reports. Ability to influence, inspire and encourage new approaches to service delivery. Ability to respect confidentiality of patients. Ability to support and empower patients in difficult situations. Skilled in using coaching approaches and motivational interviewing techniques to support individuals to identify opportunities and challenge unhelpful thinking. Respectful of patient’s circumstances, background, beliefs, values, opinions Ability to seek relevant information to support patients. Ability to both work as part of a team and independently using own initiative. Aptitude and willingness for personal development in relation to role

Other

• Demonstrate a commitment to always respecting and displaying the Trust Values. The post holder base will be at HMP Manchester however there will be a requirement to travel mainly within the Greater Manchester area in order to support service users.

Important Information about working for GMMH:
All positions within the Trust are subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks, for further information on the checks required please visit the NHS Employers website www.nhsemployers.org

The Trust mandates all post holders who require a DBS for their role to subscribe to the DBS Update Service. You will be required to enrol for this service for a fee of £16 per year and maintain registration throughout your employment with GMMH.

We are also committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We are aspiring to ensure our workforce is representative of the diverse communities that we serve, and we are strongly committed to removing barriers to employment for candidates from under-represented groups, for example BAME, Disabled and LGBT+ communities.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications

A candidate may utilise the help of AI when writing job application.The assessment of an application is made on its entirety and most times AI-generated content does not fully grasp the context and requirements of the job one applies for thus producing inaccurate and misleading information, especially in the supporting statement section of an application that can lack real life examples of one’s achievements, success and challenges.

We have added a disclaimer to our application process advising that the use of AI is monitored. GMMH reserves the right to follow up with a candidate at the interview on specific responses and those examples used in the supporting statement to explore it further.

Sponsorship

We are proud to be an approved sponsor for the Skilled Worker visa. Applications from individuals who require sponsorship will be considered alongside all other applications. Please be aware that not all roles are eligible for sponsorship. You can review the list of eligible roles and salary requirements on the UK Government’s website – click here .

If you are offered a role with us and you require sponsorship, we will check your eligibility in line with the information on the above website. Your offer of employment could be withdrawn if the role is not eligible for sponsorship, and you are not otherwise able to evidence your right to work in the UK.

The Home Office introduces new changes from 22/07/2025 that impact the health and care sector, you may wish to familiarise with it here .

Do you have experience outside the NHS?

**Please note, this vacancy may be closed at any time if sufficient applications have been received**

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.

Name Lyn Little Job title Team Manager Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 07775778620 Additional information

Lyn Little- contactable between 9am-5pm Monday- Friday.

Alternative contact:Jennifer Rennox, Clinical Lead, contact number 07552246506. Available 9am-5pm Monday- Friday

As a service user, relative or carer using our services, sometimes you may need to turn to someone for help, advice, and support.