Healthcare Professional - Custody Nurse / Paramedic

Medteam; Blackburn; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Medteam in Blackburn, Lancashire, is recruiting two Permanent Healthcare Professionals to deliver frontline healthcare in police custody settings. Ideal backgrounds include General Nursing, Custody, Prison or Paramedic experience, with autonomy to assess and manage detained individuals within established protocols.

You will perform holistic assessments, provide treatment, medicines support and safeguarding, and maintain accurate records while working closely with custody officers and clinical

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse or Paramedic with NMC/HCPC registration.
• Minimum 2 years relevant clinical experience.
• Ability to assess and plans autonomously; escalation when needed.

Responsibilities

• Provide healthcare in custody settings within defined protocols.
• Assess fitness for detention and manage urgent medical needs.
• Maintain accurate clinical records and support safeguarding practices.
• Collaborate with custody officers and police staff on care priorities.

Skills

Autonomous clinical decision-making

Strong communication skills

Safeguarding knowledge

Education

NMC/HCPC registration

Nursing degree or equivalent

Tools

Electronic health records

Clinical governance systems

Job description

Overview

Our client is a well respected Nationwide Healthcare Provider that focuses on service users in Police Custody. They are looking for 2 Permanent Healthcare Professionals (Ideally from a General Nursing / Custody / Prison / Paramedic background) to work in Blackburn, Lancashire. Our client is also looking for Bank Staff to cover these roles which you can also apply for here. The HCP provides healthcare interventions within police custody suites, assessing and addressing the health needs of detained persons. The role ensures detainees are assessed holistically and safely within a short time frame, including fitness for detention, interview/court, physical and mental health assessment, substance misuse and withdrawal management, minor illness/injury care, forensic sampling, medication support, safeguarding and onward referral.

Accountabilities & Duties

• Provide safe, professional and compassionate healthcare to detained persons in custody suites and the wider force area as directed.
• Assess fitness for detention, interview, charge/release and court attendance, escalating appropriately where risk is identified.
• Complete holistic assessments covering acute illness, injury, mental health, substance misuse, long-term conditions, vulnerability and safeguarding.
• Provide treatment, advice, care planning, medicines support, forensic sampling and onward referral within your scope of practice and protocols.
• Advise custody officers and police staff on healthcare needs, priorities of care, risk and welfare arrangements of detained individuals.
• Maintain accurate, complete, and contemporaneous clinical and forensic records on approved systems.
• Comply with PACE, local protocols, safeguarding requirements, information governance, professional codes and SONAR Cares policies.
• Participate in clinical supervision, CPD, audits, training, and service improvement activities.

Role Boundaries and Support model

The HCP is responsible for autonomous clinical assessment and care and will spend a lot of time working as a lone practitioner. The HCP must elevate clinical risk, safeguarding, uncertainty, system access issues, equipment concerns and staffing pressures promptly to the SHCP/clinical lead or agreed escalation route (e.g. during the out of hours period).

HCP Requirements

• Registered Nurse / Paramedic with NMC / HCPC Registration. Degree / Relevant Diploma or Professional Qualification, evidence of CPD.
• Minimum 2 years post-qualification experience in a relevant clinical field such as urgent/emergency care, primary care, mental health, ambulance, prison, custody, substance misuse or community/acute services.
• Able to assess, plan, implement and evaluate care autonomously; competent in recognising deterioration, assessing risk and escalating appropriately.
• Understanding of safeguarding, consent, confidentiality, capacity, equality, clinical risk, medicines safety and professional accountability.
• Strong written and verbal communication; able to document clearly, use IT systems and communicate complex or sensitive information professionally.
• Calm, resilient, reliable, compassionate, assertive, impartial, and able to work under pressure in a fast-paced and unpredictable environment.
• Enhanced DBS, police vetting, eligibility to work in the UK, ability to meet force residency/security requirements, flexible approach to shift work and site cover.