Closing date: 11 November 2026

Job summary
As part of the Kent Prison Healthcare contract awarded to Oxleas NHS trust, we are able to expand recruitment and are looking for compassionate, knowledgeable and motivated Staff Nurse to join our friendly teams working across our Kent prisons on Bank.

Our healthcare team have a real impact on promoting health and well-being to those in prison and we pride ourselves on using skills and strategies that instil hope for patients future resettlement back into the community. We directly deliver Mental Health, Physical Health, Pharmacy and Clinical Substance Misuse in an integrated healthcare delivery model to provide effective and responsive care to improve wellbeing and support better outcomes in the future.

As part of the role you will be required to work at least two days in a 6-week period to have supervision, talks with colleagues, attended team meetings etc. In order to work as a bank only worker you will need to have completed preceptorship training or obtained 6 months post qualification experience.

Main duties of the job
We have 7 prisons in Kent: HMP Elmley, HMP Swaleside and HMP Standford Hill are all located on the Isle of Sheppey.

HMP Rochester, HMP Cookham Wood, HMP Maidstone and HMP East Sutton Park are located in West Kent.

We are looking for bank staff who will be able to pick up regular shifts at any of the sites above.

As a Staff Nurse you will provide a quality primary care service and a range of specialist interventions for offenders.

To support junior colleagues such as healthcare assistants.

About us
Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes.

We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

• We're Kind
• We're Fair
• We Listen
• We Care

Job responsibilities
This position is located at HMP Elmley in the inpatient unit. The post holder will also need to collaborate closely with colleagues at nearby Kent prisons, including HMP Swaleside and HMP Standford Hill, and may occasionally provide cross-cover between sites.

The Staff Nurse will deliver high quality, personalised, compassionate care to service users, providing a range of specialist interventions.

Band 5 Nursing roles are only open to staff with a Nursing registration, obtained as a result of completing a qualification recognised by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

Key Task and Responsibilities

• Ensure consistently high standards of practice and clinical excellence, which comply with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) code of professional conduct.
• Lead the delivery of comprehensive service user assessment, planning, implementing and evaluating programmes of patient-centred care in a range of settings.
• Provide clinical supervision and support to junior colleagues, including students.
• Assist and support the manager, as directed, to deliver a nurse-led integrated care service and develop a specialist practice-based clinical model of care.
• Maintain a safe and therapeutic working environment, working collaboratively with the Multi-Disciplinary Team and maintaining accurate records.
• Demonstrate a practical understanding and application of the Mental Health Act (1983) and other relevant legislation.
• Administer and monitor the side-effects of medication, monitoring service user compliance.
• Be able to give intravenous injections, immunisations and syringe pumps and infusions as necessary for the role.
• Escorting service users, as required, in line with Trust policies.

Person Specification
Qualifications (Essential)

• Professional NMC Qualification (Registered Mental Health Nurse)
• Professional, clinical knowledge acquired through training to degree level or equivalent.

Experience (Essential)

• Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Experience of providing and receiving complex, sensitive information
• Working knowledge of current issues/agendas facing healthcare in chosen area of specialism
• Experience of setting, monitoring and evaluating standards of care.
• Experience of research-based/reflective practice

Skills (Essential)

• Ability to present ideas with clarity in a persuasive and influential style.
• Ability to work effectively and autonomously.
• Ability to lead and empower people to make decisions and plan ahead.
• Awareness of safeguarding procedures.
• Ability to work sensitively and supportively with families, including at times of stress.
• Ability to change practice in response to national guidance and local priorities.

Other Requirements (Essential)

• Valid driving licence and the use of a vehicle, if required for the role.
• Flexibility to work 24hr Shifts, 7 days a week and across all clinical areas as required unless otherwise specified.
• Standard IT skills.

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.

Contact: Clare Denny, Recruitment & Retention Resourcing Officer, claredenny@nhs.net

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice is available on the Trust website.