Lead Nurse - Surrey Prisons

Forward Trust; England; Remote; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Family‑friendly benefits

Training and development opportunities

Cycle to work scheme

Contributory pension scheme

Health cashback scheme

Job summary

Forward Trust is seeking a Band 7 Nurse Manager to lead the nursing team within our specialist substance misuse service in a prison setting at HMP Highdown and HMP Downview. This is a senior clinical and management role delivering safe, high‑quality care to patients with substance misuse needs.

You will oversee the specialist prescribing service, ensure safe dispensing and controlled drug management, and provide clinical leadership across the service while supporting staff development and

Qualifications

• Registration with the NMC and current UK practice.
• Post‑registration experience in substance misuse care and recovery.
• Experience in health service management or equivalent leadership roles.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical leadership across the service and ensure safe, high‑quality nursing care.
• Oversee the specialist prescribing service, including substitute prescribing and controlled drugs management.
• Lead and develop the nursing team, supporting recruitment, appraisals and continuing professional development.
• Deputise for the SMS Manager when required and contribute to governance, audits and reporting.
• Collaborate with MDT and partner agencies to coordinate patient care and outcomes.

Skills

Nurse leadership

Clinical governance

Substance misuse treatment

Risk management

Communication skills

Autonomous working

Education

NMC registered RMN or RGN

Job description

The successful candidate will be working in HMP Highdown and HMP Downview and must have the ability to travel to support other Surrey prisons during periods of increased operational need if required.

Please note: We are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this role. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK without requiring sponsorship to be considered for this position.

About the Role

Forward Trust is looking for an experienced and motivated Band 7 Nurse Manager to lead the nursing team within our specialist substance misuse service in a prison setting.

This is a senior clinical and management role, responsible for ensuring the delivery of safe, effective and high-quality nursing care to patients with substance misuse needs. You will provide clinical leadership across the service, supporting the assessment, treatment and ongoing care of patients in line with current evidence, clinical guidance and Forward Trust policies.

A key part of the role will be managing the specialist substance misuse prescribing service. You will provide expert nursing advice on substance misuse treatment, including substitute prescribing, detoxification, titration and the safe dispensing and management of controlled drugs. You will oversee clinical safety and ensure that prescribing and medication processes are delivered to a high standard within the custodial environment.

You will lead and support the nursing team, providing clinical and management supervision, supporting staff development, contributing to recruitment and ensuring that appraisals, personal development plans, training and NMC revalidation requirements are maintained.

Working collaboratively with the wider multidisciplinary team is central to the role. You will build effective relationships with prison and probation colleagues, GPs, psychosocial teams, psychology, chaplaincy, education and other partner agencies to ensure patients receive coordinated and effective care.

You will also contribute to service targets, clinical governance, audits, reporting and continuous service improvement. There will be occasions when you will deputise for the SMS Manager, providing additional leadership and management support to the service.

This is an opportunity to use your clinical expertise and leadership skills to make a meaningful difference to people experiencing substance misuse issues within a complex custodial environment, supporting recovery, improving health outcomes and promoting continuity of care into the community.

About You

We are looking for a Registered Mental Health Nurse (RMN) or Registered General Nurse (RGN) with current UK registration, relevant post-registration experience and a strong understanding of substance misuse treatment and recovery.

You will have experience of working with people affected by substance misuse and will bring sound clinical knowledge, strong assessment and risk management skills, and an understanding of evidence-based approaches including recovery and relapse prevention.

As a senior nurse, you will be confident leading and developing a team, providing clinical and management supervision and supporting colleagues to deliver consistently high standards of care. You will be able to work autonomously while also contributing effectively within a multidisciplinary environment.

You will be able to demonstrate:

• Current UK registration as an RMN or RGN, at degree level or equivalent.
• Evidence of continuing professional development, revalidation and relevant post-registration training in the assessment and treatment of people experiencing substance misuse.
• Experience or evidence of health service management.
• Strong clinical knowledge and the ability to make sound, risk-informed decisions.
• Experience of leading, developing and supporting nursing teams.
• The ability to provide and coordinate clinical and management supervision.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to prioritise a demanding workload.
• Experience of assessment and risk assessment.
• An understanding of the recovery model and relapse prevention.
• The ability to work effectively in partnership with other agencies and professionals.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• A respectful, dignified and culturally sensitive approach that considers the needs of the whole person.
• The ability to build constructive relationships with warmth, empathy and professionalism.
• The confidence to work with minimal supervision while contributing positively to a wider multidisciplinary team.
• Flexibility to travel to other sites when required.

You will also need to understand the importance of working safely and professionally within a custodial environment, including security, confidentiality, clinical governance and risk management requirements.

About Us

We are The Forward Trust, the social enterprise with charitable status that empowers people to break the often interlinked cycles of crime and addiction to move forward with their lives. For more than 25 years we have been working with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past. We believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. Our services have supported thousands of people to make positive changes and build productive lives with a job, family, friends and a sense of community.

We are committed to our cause and the work we carry out as a charity. Equally the wellbeing and the employees who work for us are also important. Joining us an employee, we will offer you the following benefits -

• Support for Families – We support our employees through every stage of family life by offering enhanced maternity and paternity pay for eligible employees who have completed 26 weeks' continuous service, alongside family-friendly policies and a supportive, inclusive workplace. If you'd like more information about our family-friendly benefits, please contact our Recruitment Team at [e-mail] .
• Training and development opportunities
• Simply Health Cashback Scheme (optional)
  
• Season Ticket Loan Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Crisis Loan Scheme
• Electric Car Scheme
• 3 x Wellbeing Days (pro rata'd for part time employees)
• Access to Blue Light Card
• 25 days (rising to 30 with length of service) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays
• Contributory Pension Scheme – Employer matched contributions of up to 6% in the first two years’ service and up to 9% thereafter
• Death in Service Payment (2x annual salary)
• Critical Illness Insurance (subject to qualifying criteria)

Please note that remote roles may require occasional travel for site visits, training and meetings.

Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Diversity at Forward Trust

The Forward Trust commits to providing opportunities to everyone. We want to ensure we have a diverse team with a range of lived and professional experiences. This includes those with 'Lived Experience' of addiction, offending, or homelessness. Some of our roles may require a minimum period of sustained recovery (normally around years). This is assessed on a case-by-case basis, and exceptions may be considered depending on the role and individual circumstances.
When we recruit, we welcome applications from everyone. This is inclusive of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion and/or belief, marriage and civil partnerships, pregnancy and maternity and socio-economic background. Where operationally possible, we will consider flexible working requests and make reasonable adjustments for all roles.

To find out more about Forward’s commitment to being an inclusive employer and our current EDI strategy click here .

We want our recruitment process to be accessible to everyone. If you require any reasonable adjustments at any stage, please let us know.

Employee Screening and Eligibility to Work

Dependent on role you may be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service Check, details of which will be shared with you at interview.
If successful in your application, you will be required to provide eligibility to work evidence in line with the ‘Eligibility to Work in the UK’ requirements.

Our Commitment to Safeguarding

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and adults at risk. Forward Trust follow safer recruitment practices and support a culture of openness and accountability.