Neurodiversity Practitioner
The closing date is 29 May 2026
You’ll work within specialist multi-disciplinary services for NHFT prison healthcare. You will be based within the prison mental health team which provides assessment and treatment services for adult male prisoners, including those with Neurodevelopmental Conditions.
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. You will be supported by a Clinical Lead for the Neurodiversity Pathway, Offender Health, and will be part of a wider team of ND practitioners, working together to develop best practice across the prison system. You will have the opportunity to work in a multidisciplinary team, supported by Psychiatry, Psychology, Occupational Therapy, and Speech and Language Therapy.
Please note this post is subject to security vetting. To be considered, you will need to have continuously resided in the UK for a minimum of three years prior to this application and be able to evidence your years of residency.
Main duties of the job
Assist in the identification and support of people with Neurodevelopmental Conditions, including Autism, Attention‑Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities within your designated prison establishment.
Directly provide, and support others to offer, adapted psychosocial interventions for people whose communication, thinking style and coping strategies are impacted by a Neurodevelopmental Condition.
Hold a caseload of people identified as having needs associated with neurodevelopmental conditions and require reasonable adjustments to be made to their healthcare and prison life.
Advocate for people with neurodevelopmental conditions within the prison system and promote best practice to safeguard the safety and well‑being of patients on the Neurodiversity Pathway.
Work independently but with the support of a Neurodiversity Clinical Lead and Specialist Clinician, as well as seven neuro‑diversity practitioner colleagues who provide the pathway in other East Midlands prisons.
Be supported by your clinical lead to improve the outcomes of people with ND across all the prisons served by Notts Health Care, delivering against the national specifications for primary and mental healthcare for people with neurodevelopmental conditions.
About us
NHFT is an integrated primary care and mental health Trust, providing physical, mental health, and specialty services in both hospital settings and the community. We focus on delivering care that is as easy to access as possible, with many services available at home, work or in schools. We also provide health services to various prisons and detention centres in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.
Person Specification
* First‑level NMC Registered nurse at degree level or equivalent / Registered Mental Health or Learning Disability Nurse, Qualified and HCPC‑registered OT or Speech and Language Therapist.
* Further specialist knowledge, post‑registration qualification, significant post‑registration experience or other formal training.
* Significant experience working with adults who have autism, ADHD and/or intellectual developmental disorders in mental health, community or forensic settings.
* Ability to quickly identify issues/situations/information and formulate solutions with recommendations for the best course of action.
* Assessment of clinical conditions contributing to differential diagnosis and formulation.
* Judgement involving complex facts and situations requiring the analysis, interpretation and comparison of a range of options.
* Fulfils the functions of a care coordinator under the Care Programme Approach.
* Ability to work on own initiative to plan, manage and prioritise one’s own caseload.
* Works within project plans and timelines.
Experience
* Experience of being competent and responsible for the management and clinical care of a caseload of prisoners with neurodevelopmental disorders, comorbid mental illness, including personality disorder and offending behaviours in custodial settings.
* Ability to assess and evaluate risk in relation to risk of harm to self and others.
Skills
* Clinical risk assessment skills and the ability to base outcomes of this assessment into a programme of care which minimises and manages risk.
* Knowledge of ACCT in custody.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and will require a submission for disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
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