NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) is one of the largest healthcare systems in the United Kingdom, employing approximately 40,000 staff across a wide range of clinical and non-clinical professions and roles. We deliver acute hospital, primary, community and mental health services to a population of over 1.15 million people, and to a wider population of 2.2 million when regional and national services are included.
The role:
In conjunction with the management team contribute to and deliver a comprehensive Primary Care, Mental Health and Addictions nursing service as part of a multi-disciplinary team within the prison setting. You will operate as part of an extensive multi-disciplinary team, providing the role of the practitioner nurse is to undertake assessments, provide and evaluate a range of interventions, to meet prisoner healthcare needs and contribute to the wider continuous development of prison healthcare services.
You need to have a live NMC UK pin in order to be considered for this post.
Duration, Location, and Working Pattern:
This post is primarily based at HMP Greenock however can be moved between the three prison sites if needed to meet exigencies of the service.
This is a full-time role.
The shift pattern for this post is Monday to Friday 08:00 - 16:00.
Key responsibilities:
* To be responsible for the management of a caseload acting as keyworker / case manager within the team for allocated clients, including those with complex health and social care needs.
* Contribute to the development, organisation, delivery, and evaluation of the mental health clinics and treatments within a prison setting.
* Responsible for liaising directly with all referrers including Procurator Fiscal, prisons, courts, consultant psychiatrist, multi-disciplinary teams, assessing individuals and preparing standardised documentation for appropriate agencies, demonstrating effective partnership working.
* To monitor the effectiveness of clinical interventions and report on any side effects and level of patient compliance. Monitor changes in the client’s health state, ensuring prompt and accurate communication with medical staff and other members of the multidisciplinary team.
* Empowering patients to take responsibility for their health, well being, recovery and future lifestyle.
* Maintain accurate up-to-date clinical records and care plans in accordance with NMC standards for records and record keeping, ensuring compliance with the Data Protection Act and the Freedom of Information Act.
* The post holder will also be responsible for reporting incidents and critically appraising them in order to reduce any recurrences and participate in further investigation as required.
* Co-operate with nurse teaching establishments in ensuring a realistic learning experience for student nurses and be responsible for the quality of the programme and for demonstrating the role of the mental health nurse within prison healthcare service to the multidisciplinary team, medical students and post graduate student nurses.
* Provide clinical input to the multi-disciplinary referral allocation, assessment and post assessment decision making to ensure accurate, effective and sensitive feedback to all referring agencies.
* As a first responder, manage emergency situations where there is a high risk to the wellbeing of prisoners and staff.
* To ensure that care to all patients within the prison setting is provided in a fair, equitable and consistent way free from all forms of discrimination.
Knowledge, training, qualifications and/or experience required to do the job:
* Registered Mental Health nurse
* Educated to degree level or equivalent.
* Post registration experience working within a relevant clinical setting
* Awareness of professional and clinical accountability, legal issues, role limitations and boundaries and balancing duty of care and public safety issues.
* Understanding of the application of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003
* Literate in current IT techniques
* Ability to work on own initiative
* Ability to prioritise workload and meet tight deadlines
* Excellent interpersonal and organisational skills.
* It would be desirable if you have knowledge of prison needs in relation to primary care, mental health and addiction support and an ability to work across these areas.
What we offer:
We offer a wide range of supportive policies designed to enhance your employee journey, including a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme, Cycle to Work Scheme, bursary scheme and extensive learning and development opportunities.
As an NHS Scotland employee, you will be entitled to:
* A minimum of 27 days annual leave, increasing with length of service, plus public holidays
* Membership of the NHS Pension Scheme, including life insurance benefits
* Development opportunities including study bursaries, e-learning and classroom-based courses
* Enhanced pay for working public holidays
* NHS discounts on a wide range of goods and services
* Confidential employee support and assistance, including counselling and psychological therapies
Interested?
If you would like to find out more, we would love to hear from you.
For an informal discussion, please contact:
Nurse Team Lead, Gordon Hannah, gordon.hannah3@nhs.scot, 01475883321
Details on how to contact the Recruitment Service and the Recruitment Process: Information for candidates
This post may close early to the volume of response. Please submit your application form as soon as possible. Due to the volume of applications that we receive, we will not be able to provide shortlisting feedback.
From 1 April 2026, the Agenda for Change full-time working week will reduce from 37 hours to 36 hours. Part-time working hours will be reduced on a pro-rata basis. A corresponding increase in the hourly rate will apply, ensuring that overall pay remains unchanged.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) recognises the importance of work-life balance and is committed to offering a range of flexible working options where service needs allow. For roles where less than full-time hours can be accommodated, and where the tenure is listed as “various”, we encourage applications from individuals seeking flexible working arrangements. Flexible working will be included as a topic for discussion during the recruitment process.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde encourages applications from all sections of the community. We are committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion and are proud of the diverse workforce we employ.
By signing the Armed Forces Covenant, NHSGGC has pledged its commitment to being a Forces Friendly Employer. We welcome applications from across the Armed Forces Community and recognise military skills, experience and qualifications throughout the recruitment and selection process.
Candidates must provide original and authentic responses to all questions within the application form. The use of artificial intelligence (AI), automated tools or other third-party assistance to generate, draft or significantly modify responses is strongly discouraged. By submitting your application, you confirm that all answers are your own work, reflect your personal knowledge, skills and experience, and have not been solely produced or altered by AI or similar technologies. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in your application being withdrawn from the recruitment process.
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