Neurodiversity Practitioner: HMP Lincoln

NHS; England; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider is seeking a Neurodiversity Practitioner for HMP Lincoln. The role involves supporting individuals with Autism, ADHD, and Intellectual Disabilities within a prison setting, advocating for their needs and ensuring quality care. Join a dedicated team focused on improving health outcomes for offenders while working alongside skilled professionals in a supportive environment.

Qualifications

• Clinical experience with Autism, ADHD, and Intellectual Disabilities.
• Experience in multiagency teams and criminal justice settings.

Responsibilities

• Hold a caseload for individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions.
• Advocate for patients within the prison system.

Skills

Communication

IT skills

Presentation skills

Education

First level registered nurse

Registered Occupational Therapist

Speech and Language Therapist

Tools

Word

Excel

Job description

Go back Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Neurodiversity Practitioner: HMP Lincoln

The closing date is 20 May 2025

Please be advised Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has made the difficult decision to serve notice on its offender health contracts. Over the coming months, we will be working with NHS England on the transition of the services to a new provider. We still need to recruit to these valued positions and welcome your application. But, in line with our values, honesty is important, so please note that if you are successful that in time your employment would move from Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to another provider who would then be your new employer.

You will join a highly motivated and skilled team who provide integrated healthcare (physical healthcare, mental health and substance misuse services) based at HMP Lincoln in Lincolnshire.

This exciting post has been created for you to work as part of a wider team of 8 neurodevelopmental disorder practitioners (one practitioner working in each of our prisons), a Specialist clinician (OT) and Clinical Lead (Speech and Language Therapist) providing assessment, treatment and support to men with Autism, ADHD and Intellectual/Learning Disability in prison.

You will assist in the identification and support of people with Neurodevelopmental Conditions, including Autism, Attention deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Learning/Intellectual Disabilities, in your designated prison establishment.

Main duties of the job

You will be working within specialist multi-disciplinary services for Offender Health. You will be based within your base prison mental health team who provide Mental Health assessment and treatment services for adult male prisoners including those with Neurodevelopmental Conditions.

You will advocate for people with neurodevelopmental conditions within the prison system and promote best practice and the safety and wellbeing of these patients. You will work alongside other Neurodiversity practitioners, in similar roles, working in other prisons.

You will be a member of the mental health team and may be required to work flexibly supporting assessment and care of individuals receiving those services, though this will not be your primary duty.

You will be supported by a Clinical Lead for Neurodiversity working across Offender Health and will be part of a wider team of ND practitioners, working together for support and to develop best practice across the prison system.

About us

#TeamNottsHC comprises over 11,000 dedicated colleagues who #MakeADifference every day. We deliver intellectual disability, mental health, community health, forensic, and offender healthcare services across Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and South Yorkshire. Our care is provided from over 200 sites, spanning community locations, acute settings, and secure environments, including prisons.

We are one of the largest mental health and community Trusts in the East Midlands and one of Nottinghamshire's biggest employers. We also host national and regional services, such as the National High Secure Deaf Service and the Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health.

We offer a variety of employee-led staff networks, including Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) groups, the Green Champions network, the Freedom to Speak Up network, the Health and Wellbeing Champions network, and the Menopause Champions network. These networks play a vital role in supporting our diverse workforce and promoting a culture of inclusivity.

The health and wellbeing of our colleagues is a top priority. We invest significantly in this through our in-house occupational health and staff counselling services, supported by a dedicated Health and Wellbeing team.

The Trust is committed to reducing its carbon emissions, with a specialised Energy and Environmental team working to ensure compliance with environmental legislation, enhance our environmental performance, and achieve our net-zero commitment.

Job responsibilities

You will hold a caseload of people who are identified to have needs associated with neurodevelopmental conditions and require reasonable adjustments to be made to their healthcare.

One day a week you will be expected to cover a shift within the Mental Health team.

The Offender Health Care Group is one of the largest and most successful providers of prison healthcare in the UK. The Care Group provides physical, mental health, and substance misuse healthcare services in prisons across the East Midlands, Lincolnshire & Leicestershire.

The Care Group provides healthcare to 7 prisons and a short-term holding facility. You are part of a large peer group of 400+ healthcare professionals with access to peer support, supervision, and excellent opportunities for learning and development. We also offer services within the Personality Disorder Pathway, including Therapeutic Communities (within prisons), Community and Prison Personality Disorder services, and specialist Veteran Services.

We are committed to working in partnership with prison services, national probation service, other healthcare providers, and our criminal justice system partners to improve health and support justice to reduce re-offending behavior. The Offender Health Team truly believes it can make a difference to the lives of offenders by offering consistent, high-quality care in primary, mental health, and substance misuse services that are equivalent to health services delivered outside of prison.

Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £26.40 (standard) or £54.40 (enhanced), and this will be deducted from your salary over the first 2 months of employment.

You are encouraged to enroll in the DBS Update Service. An annual fee of £16 per year applies.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• First level registered nurse, Mental Health / Learning Disability, or Registered Occupational Therapist or Speech and Language Therapist
• Further specialist knowledge, post-registration qualification/significant post-registration experience or other formal training.
• Mentor and Assessor

Experience

• Clinical experience of the assessment, treatment, or support of people who have Autism, ADHD, and/or Intellectual/Learning Disabilities in health or social care settings
• Experience of contributing to the formulation or differential diagnosis of individuals with Autism, ADHD, and/or LD/ID, where mental illness may also be present.
• Experience of developing person-centered care plans, WRAP or safe and well plans, reasonably adjusted to meet individual needs
• Experience of working and contributing to organizations as part of a wider Multiagency Team (e.g., CPA)
• Experience of working in criminal justice settings.

Knowledge

• Awareness of the wider NHS Modernisation Agenda, Transforming Care, and NHSE expectations for Offender Health regarding the identification and support of people with neurodevelopmental disorders.
• Awareness of screening tools and assessments for Autism, ADHD, and LD/ID.
• Experience in the delivery of CBT/DBT informed interventions and how to adapt or adjust to suit the needs of people with neurodevelopmental disorder
• Training in ADOS, ADI-R, DISCO diagnostic assessments

Skills

• Excellent and effective written and verbal communication skills including ability to respond to differing communication styles of individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions
• IT skills including Word, Excel, and electronic patient record systems.
• Enhanced presentation skills - use of technology, creativity for purpose of training, information sharing.

Values and Behaviours

• All staff should be able to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion as identified within the Trust's Equality and Diversity Policy and associated legislation
• All colleagues are expected to demonstrate that they act in line with Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Values: Trust, Honesty, Respect, Compassion, Teamwork

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975, and as such, a submission for Disclosure will be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

£37,338 to £44,962 per annum (pro-rata for part-time)