Job summary
The post holder will work on the 22 bedded Healthcare Ward in HMP Pentonville which provides mental and physical healthcare to Prisoners transferred to the unit from elsewhere in the Prison due to their healthcare needs. The post holder will be a key member of the Prison Healthcare Team acting as primary/associate nurse for a designated group of patients and will be responsible for the assessment of their needs and for the planning, implementing and evaluation of the care provided to meet those needs. The post holder will be an integral part of the multi-disciplinary team and will liaise closely with other agencies both within and outside the ward/unit.

The post holder will be required to work a rota that includes both night and weekend working. The post holder will be expected to work in other areas of prison healthcare if required and as appropriate to meet the needs of the service and to provide experience to staff in working in more than one area of prison healthcare.

The post holder will provide support, consultation, and formal and informal training to colleagues and other staff. Excellent communication and relationship management skills are essential to this post.

Main duties of the job
The role will mostly involve working in a multi-disciplinary team of RMN, RGN, healthcare assistants and prison officer support workers in both mental and physical health. The Inpatients Unit is a 22 bedded healthcare ward that is divided into two. The two wards provide both mental and physical healthcare to offenders who cannot be appropriately cared for in the prison's ordinary wings. The unit usually works with an average of 18 patients with mental health needs and 4 with primary physical care problems (this varies with presenting needs).

About us
North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT) is committed to improving mental health care across North London to deliver excellent services to our local people.

Our Five-Year Strategy:

• We will provide consistently high-quality care closer to home.
• With our partners in North London and each borough we will ensure equity of outcome for all
• We will offer great places to work, providing staff with supportive environment to deliver outstanding care.
• We will be more effective as an organisation by pioneering research, quality improvement and technology.

Why NLFT?

• We develop and retain our staff through leadership behaviours and managers programme and many more opportunities.
• We promote flexible working and support staff with a range of health and wellbeing initiatives.
• NHS Discounts, generous annual leave and NHS pension scheme
• Excellent internal staff network

In order to meet the needs of the Trust you may be required from time to time to work at different locations to your normal place of work. This may mean that you are required to work at any location that fall under Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey or Islington. The Trust reserves the right to require staff to work at such other places or locations as it considers reasonable and necessary on a temporary or permanent basis.

Details
Date posted: 14 October 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 5
Salary: £38,488 to £46,852 a year per annum including inner London HCAS rate
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 455-NLFT-8084965
Job locations: HMP Pentonville prison, Caledonian Road, London, N7 8TT, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
Clinical Responsibilities

• Act as primary nurse for a defined group of patients and liaises with the associate nurses to ensure a consistent approach to delivering care.
• Assess plan, implement and evaluate the care provided especially with regard to identifying and managing risk.
• Accept responsibility for the implementation of the Care Programme Approach with their primary patients.
• Encourage patients to accept an optimum level of responsibility for their individual programmes.
• Enter and maintain records using electronic and paper based systems.
• Works in partnership with Healthcare Officers & other healthcare Depts to ensure that patients needs are addressed, and to maximise the time out of cell and range of activities available for patients.
• Treat prisoners and patients with fairness and respect, maintaining confidentiality appropriately.
• Develop strategies for dealing with disturbed behaviour especially the ability to recognise and respond to signs of imminent disturbance.
• Assist the inpatients manager and charge nurses in maintaining standards of care and participate in evaluation studies and projects as required.
• To keep up to date with developments and research in mental health nursing and applies relevant to practice.
• Participates in the running of therapeutic patients groups and provide a recovery focus approach to deliver care.
• To be fully involved in presentations in ward rounds, handovers and other meetings where patient care is discussed and reviewed.
• To expedite and participate in the assessment, admission, transfer and discharge of patients according to local guidelines and standards.
• Ensure that as a nurse they understand the confidential nature of their work and their responsibilities as identified in the NMC Code of Professional Conduct.
• To ensure the safe custody of drugs and that they are ordered and administered accordingly to Trust policies and the Misuse of Drugs Act.
• To maintain an effective working knowledge of the administrative requirements and needs of patients detained under the Mental Health Act (1983).
• To demonstrate specialist knowledge of the Mental Health Act 1983 (as amended by MHA 2007).

Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential

• Registered Mental Health Nurse (Part 3 or Part 13 of NMC register) and evidence of post-basic study
• 12 months post qualification experience or suit newly qualified

Skills and Abilities
Desirable

• Ability to plan and organise a range of complex clinical activities which require judgments to be made on competing factors
• Ability to formulate care plans and packages of care
• Ability to engage in group work and supportive therapy
• Ability to work independently and autonomously

Post Qualification Study
Essential

• Preceptorship/ Mentorship or working towards it

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer details
Employer name: North London NHS Foundation Trust
Employer's website: https://www.northlondonmentalhealth.nhs.uk/

For questions about the job, contact:
Team manager for Inpatient Unit, Karen Telfer, karen.telfer@nhs.net, 02070237385

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