Substance Misuse Nurse

DrPA Secure; Oxford; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension salary scheme

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

Perks at work

Job summary

DrPA Secure is seeking a Substance Misuse Nurse to deliver specialist clinical care and recovery-focused interventions for individuals in the criminal justice system across CANOL services.

You will work within an integrated MDT to address substance misuse, support detoxification where appropriate, and contribute to reducing reoffending while promoting health and wellbeing.

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse with current NMC registration required.
• Experience in substance misuse or addictions.
• Experience working with vulnerable or complex populations.
• Care planning and clinical assessment experience.

Responsibilities

• Undertake comprehensive physical and psychosocial assessments.
• Assess drug and alcohol dependence, withdrawal risks and health concerns.
• Develop and implement individualised care and recovery plans with the MDT.
• Deliver evidence-based substance misuse interventions and harm-reduction education.
• Coordinate referrals to mental health and community services.

Skills

NMC registration

Clinical assessment

Risk assessment

Trauma-informed practice

MDT collaboration

Communication skills

Autonomous working

Education

Registered Nurse (General or Mental Health)

Current NMC Registration

Job description

DrPA Secure has been operating in secure environments since 2014, providing high-quality healthcare services across the UK. We deliver our services based on our ethos of CARE:

• Compassionate care that is trauma informed and supportive
• Assurance that care is evidence-based and demonstrates high-quality outcomes for our patients
• Respectful of people’s cultural and religious beliefs
• Empowerment - we centre each resident by co-creating holistic care plans that treat individual needs and support long-term wellbeing

Job Summary

The Substance Misuse Nurse provides specialist clinical care and recovery-focused interventions to individuals engaged with the criminal justice system who experience drug and/or alcohol misuse.

Working within the CANOL Offender Intervention Service, the post holder supports the delivery of integrated interventions and dispensing medication aimed at addressing substance misuse as a driver of offending behaviour, improving health outcomes, and reducing reoffending across South Wales custodial and community pathways.

The role contributes to a holistic programme offering therapeutic interventions and health and wellbeing support. The service works with people who have entered the criminal justice system due to substance misuse and aims to break cycles of harmful use and offending through coordinated multi-agency support

Key Responsibilities

Clinical Duties

• Undertake comprehensive physical and psychosocial assessments of individuals presenting with substance misuse issues.
• Assess drug and alcohol dependence, withdrawal risks, and associated health concerns.
• Work with the CANOL Multidisciplinary team to develop, implement individualised care and recovery plans.
• Deliver evidence-based substance misuse interventions.
• Monitor service users’ physical health and wellbeing.
• Support safe detoxification and stabilisation programmes (where applicable).
• Provide harm-reduction interventions including overdose prevention education.

Substance Misuse Interventions

• Work collaboratively within probation, courts, prison and criminal justice settings.
• Support individuals who have been sentenced by the courts to a Drug Rehabilitation Requirement (DRR) and those who are transitioning from custody and community services.
• Contribute to reducing substance-related offending behaviour.
• Participate in risk assessments relating to harm, safeguarding, and vulnerability.
• Liaise with probation, prison staff, healthcare providers, and third-sector partners.

CANOL operates as an integrated partnership service across prisons and justice services to reduce reoffending linked to substance misuse

Health Promotion & Education

• Deliver health promotion interventions addressing:
• Physical health improvement
• Encourage engagement in wellbeing, education, and recovery opportunities offered by the service.

Care Coordination

Work with CANOL partners to:

• Maintain accurate clinical documentation.
• Coordinate referrals to:
• Mental health services
• Community drug and alcohol teams
• Primary healthcare
• Social and recovery support services
• Support continuity of care on release from custody.

Safeguarding Responsibilities

• Identify safeguarding concerns for adults.
• Follow organisational safeguarding procedures.
• Participate in multi-agency risk management processes.

Multidisciplinary Team Working

• Work as part of an integrated team including:
• Recovery practitioners
• Criminal justice professionals
• Attend case reviews and MDT meetings.
• Provide clinical advice to non-clinical colleagues.

Clinical Governance

• Adhere to NMC Code of Practice.
• Maintain professional registration and CPD.
• Participate in supervision, audit, and service evaluation.
• Follow prison security procedures and organisational policies.

Person Specification

Essential Qualifications

• Registered Nurse (General or Mental Health)
• Current NMC Registration
• Evidence of continuous professional development
• Experience working with substance misuse or addictions.
• Experience supporting vulnerable or complex populations.
• Clinical assessment and care planning experience.
• Prison or criminal justice healthcare.
• Community drug and alcohol services.
• Dual diagnosis experience.
• Strong clinical assessment skills
• Risk assessment and safeguarding awareness
• Trauma-informed practice
• Excellent communication and engagement skills
• Ability to work autonomously and within MDT environments
• Understanding of recovery-focused approaches

Personal Attributes

• Structured and methodical
• Commercially aware and risk-focused
• Confident leading people and making decisions
• Comfortable escalating risks and raising concerns where necessary
• Able to work autonomously within an operational environment

General Information

The post holder may be required to perform other relevant and appropriate duties as reasonably needed. This list of duties and responsibilities is not exhaustive. This job description is subject to regular review and appropriate modification.

• Pension salary scheme available
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP): confidential 24/7 support
• Access to perks at work

Please note, in order to apply, all applicants need to have been living in the United Kingdom (with residency in the UK, such as UK/Irish/EU Passport, or an Indefinite Leave to Remain Visa) for the last 5 years with no more than a 28-day break being outside of the UK and no gaps in employment during this time.

Shortlisted candidates will be asked for RTW, DBS/CTC consent and references.