Senior Support Worker Mental Health: HMP Nottingham

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider is looking for a Senior Support Worker to join their team at HMP Nottingham. The role involves providing support to patients facing mental health challenges, both during their time in custody and upon release. Candidates should have an NVQ Level 3 in a healthcare-related field and experience in direct patient care. The position requires flexibility, as well as excellent interpersonal skills. This role offers valuable opportunities for professional development.

Benefits

In-house occupational health services

Access to peer support and supervision

Opportunities for learning and development

Qualifications

• Experience of direct patient care.
• Experience of working with patients with mental health issues.
• Awareness of possible challenges of working clinically in a prison environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide emotional and practical support to patients.
• Assess client needs and promote self-management of healthcare needs.
• Maintain accurate written information in line with policies.

Skills

Excellent interpersonal/influencing skills

Ability to communicate with clinicians, healthcare professionals and patients

Ability to work on own initiative

Ability to use Medical Equipment

Education

NVQ Level 3 in Healthcare related field or equivalent

GCSE English and Maths or equivalent

Tools

Computerised patient information systems

Job description

Go back Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Senior Support Worker Mental Health: HMP Nottingham

The closing date is 30 October 2025

Work as part of the Prison Health Team at HMP Nottingham, providing support to patients with health difficulties, during the time they spend in prison and when they are first released back into the community.

Work is guided by standard operating procedures, protocols or systems of work but the post holder will make judgements and plan activities, which contributes to service development and demonstrates self-development within their scope of competency.

May have responsibility for supervision of some staff and participate in the mentorship of learners.

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), this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first 2 months of employment.

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

Main duties of the job

The post holder will work with the support and supervision of the Clinical Matron.

The role involves working working as part of the Integrated Healthcare team within a custodial setting and at times in the community as required.

Work as part of the Prison Health Team, providing support to patients with mental health difficulties, duringthe time they spend in prison and when they are first released back into the community.

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 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

The Offender Health Care Group is one of the largest and most successful providers of prison healthcare in the UK. Care Group provide 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, support justice to reduce re-offending behaviour. 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.

To manage a caseload, under supervision, offering patients emotional and practical support, reporting deterioration in mental state or changes in presentation of patients identified during interaction and clinics to the registered nurse on duty and ensure accurate records are maintained.

To assess client needs, showing empathy and re-assurance to patients, and respond accordingly

To promote the independent self-management of patient healthcare needs.

To maintain accurate written information in line with current policies and procedures.

Be personally responsible for maintaining skills, knowledge and competence in the use of SystmOne.

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.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• NVQ Level 3 in Healthcare related field or equivalent
• GCSE English and Maths or equivalent

Experience

• Experience of direct patient care
• Experience of working with patient with mental health issues.
• Evidence of actively participating in Health Promotion activities
• An awareness of working in a secure/criminal justice setting

Knowledge

• Ability to assess patients problems or conditions and plan best course of action
• Knowledge of computerised patient information systems
• Good understanding of data protection and confidentiality issues
• Experience of participating in clinical audit
• Awareness of possible challenges of working clinically in a prison environment

Skills

• Excellent interpersonal/influencing skills and ability to communicate with clinicians, healthcare professionals and patients
• Ability to work on own initiative and work as part of a team
• Ability to use Medical Equipment

Contractual Requirements

• Flexibility around working hours in line with service and operational need

Values and Behaviours

• All colleagues are expected to demonstrate at interview that they act in line with Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Values: Trust Honesty Respect Compassion Teamwork
• All colleagues are expected to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and how it applies to their role. The Trust's expectations are highlighted within our EDI Policy, and associated EDI and Human Rights legislation

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.

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust