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There’s a place for you at CNWL. We’re passionate about delivering first-class patient-centred, safe and effective care, whether it is in a hospital setting, in a community clinic or in the patient’s own home. Patients are at the heart of everything we do.
Providing top quality care depends on our ability to employ the best people. We’re always looking to recruit outstanding people who will go the extra mile to support our patients, colleagues, teams and the Trust. With every new employee we’re hoping to find our future leaders and we’ll support our staff by providing opportunities to develop your career.
With a diverse culture and equally diverse range of opportunities across mental health, community services, addictions, eating disorders, learning disabilities and more – whatever stage of your career you're at, there's always a place for you at CNWL.
NHS AfC: Band 5
Main area Health & Justice Services Grade NHS AfC: Band 5 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Health & Justice work to a 7 day working week) Job ref 333-D-HJ-1916
Site HMP/YOI Bronzefield Town Ashford, Middlesex Salary £35,763 - £43,466 per annum inc. Outer HCAS (pro rata if P/T) Salary period Yearly Closing 04/11/2025 23:59
CNWL (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust) has almost 8,000 staff providing integrated healthcare to a third of London's population, Milton Keynes and areas beyond. We involve service users, carers, the public, staff and partner organisations in the way that we are run.
Our catchment area spans diverse communities, with over 100 first languages spoken. It contains areas of great affluence as well as areas of much deprivation. We are committed to providing services that meet the needs of the people who use them, and we actively encourage involvement from local people who can help make a difference. We’re proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME and people with disabilities to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.
We are recognised locally, nationally and internationally for providing high quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ only the best people, and our experts are frequently called upon to contribute to national health strategy and policy, and many models of our care have been adapted for use in other countries.
We offer a generous relocation package (subject to eligibility assessment) and flexible working options, including bank assignments for most roles. For more information on these and other benefits of working for us, see our Benefits, Reward and Wellbeing page
CNWL NHS Foundation Trust are committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow safe recruitment practices to protect children and vulnerable adults.
Job overview
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust is a Top Employer Award Winner and works in partnership to provide responsive and dependable primary care, mental health, intellectual disability and substance misuse services to the diverse and culturally rich communities we serve.
In our quest to deliver patient-focused quality care we are looking to recruit a highly motivated, innovative and enthusiastic Pharmacy Technician to join our forward thinking, friendly and expanding Health & Justice team at HMP/YOI Bronzefield.
By joining our Prisons Health Care Team, you will not only look after the healthcare needs of our patients residing in secure environments, but who also can have a real impact on promoting health and well-being.
Our motto is “Caring NOT Judging” so by working in partnership with the criminal justice system and other agencies, we provide responsive, dependable and high-quality primary care and mental health services to those who may have offended and those at risk of offending in the communities we serve, to improve their health status and to encourage social inclusion.
Main duties of the job
To provide a dispensing service, medicines optimisation and medicines administration service for prisoners residing in our care:
* Work as an active member of the Pharmacy team to assist in ensuring the delivery of a legal, safe, high quality specialist prison pharmaceutical service which reflects National and local policy and priorities, taking into account the high level of security that must be maintained at all times
* Assist in providing a timely and efficient pharmacy service
* Contribute to the development of and support implementation of medicine management strategy and associated services and projects across the Prisons
Working for our organisation
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust offers its staff ongoing career progression through:
Monthly supervision
Access to exciting internal and external training opportunities.
Excellent progression through various career pathway opportunities such as but not limited to:
Preceptorship Programme
Support and guidance with Revalidation
Hidden Gem and annual award ceremonies
Excellent staff benefits, our benefit packages are amongst the best in London and include:
Health and wellbeing services
Season ticket loans
Cycle to work scheme
Relocation package
The trust also values its staff, and you are entitled to become a member of MyTrustBenefits. MyTrustBenefits is an online portal for all CNWL staff, as well as their family and friends. It offers over 1400 discounts at hundreds of retailers nationwide. Save money on your weekly food shops, toiletries, cosmetics, cinema, meals out, holidays, travel and entertainment. You can also access free online courses on a variety of topics, professional and personal, ranging from business management, languages, law and teaching.
All our sites in Surrey offer free use of the onsite leisure facilities and free parking for staff.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Management and Organisation:
* Participate in the efficient day to day running of the dispensary
* To provide a high quality medicine optimisation service to patients/inmates
* To maintain excellent medicines management standards in all areas that store and issue medicines
* Assist in maintaining correct Controlled Drug records in accordance with the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
* Maintain an up to date knowledge of developments in local/national guidance in order to maintain/deliver high quality services to the Prison.
* Under the supervision of a senior pharmacy technician, to provide a timely and efficient stock top up service to the prison wings to ensure stock levels are appropriately maintained in accordance with an agreed stock list
* Responsible for ensuring medicines are supplied and replenished to the emergency cupboards, giving medicine related advice, where necessary, to other healthcare professionals
* Check emergency bags and maintain records for audit.
* To identify and report incidents and/or near-misses as per trust policy
Dispensary responsibilities:
* Work with the pharmacy technician team to provide an accurate and efficient dispensing service.
* Ensure that all dispensed medicines are processed in accordance with agreed dispensing standards
* Maintain a clean and tidy working environment for the dispensing process
* Assist in the development, implementation and review of dispensary Standard Operating Procedures
* Maintain digital records of prisoner information and dispensary information
* Maintain high levels of safety and security and be constantly vigilant for breaches in security
* Ensure that pharmaceuticals are transported to the prison gate and around the prison in a manner which maintains the integrity and security of the medicines whilst adhering to necessary safety precautions
* The post holder has a responsibility to themselves and others in relation to managing risk and health and safety and will be required to work within the prison service and CNWL Service Policies and Procedures and the Health and Safety at Work Act 197
Clinical:
* To maintain confidentiality at all times, adhering to Caldicott principles when sharing information
* To maintain accurate electronic patient records, using information from prescriptions prepared by the medical staff ensuring that drug histories are up to date and complete
* To competently complete medicine reconciliation and patient medication counselling when required
* Provide regular medicines management service to each Wing to:
1. Check all prescriptions and remove those out of date for filing in the prisoners’ medical notes
2. Check all medication including stocks, removing unwanted items for return to pharmacy in line with departmental policies and procedures
Research & Audit:
* To participate in all pharmacy audits relevant to the workplace, as per the pharmacy audit schedule
* To collaboratively form actions plans when non-compliances with audit standards are identified
* Help to identify areas where the pharmacy technician service can be developed.
Education and Training:
· Participate in the development and delivery of training events for CNWL employed staff in the prison Healthcare to support:
1. The implementation of medicine related policies and procedures
2. An appropriate level of knowledge for healthcare professionals using homely remedies
3. The implementation of clinical guidelines and the preferred prescribing list
· To be responsible for your own personal and professional development
· To maintain an up to date statutory/mandatory training record
· To maintain your own CPD records in line with the GPhC standards
· To support the development and training of pharmacy trainees and junior members of staff as directed by your line manager
Communication:
· Deal appropriately with requests from GPs, courts, police and substance misuse clinics regarding patient medication, weighing up the need for information against patient confidentiality and seeking advice from more senior staff on complex and contentious issues
· Advise selected patients regarding their medication and other relevant pharmaceutical issues adjusting the level of advice as appropriate to overcome barriers to understanding (e.g. hard of hearing, conveying complex information in an easily understandable form)
* Support the Pharmacy Manager in providing the pharmacy service within the budgets relating to prescribing and provision of pharmaceutical services to ensure that budgets are not exceeded.
* Support the Pharmacy Manager to identify potential savings from the medicine budget for future financial years if so required.
Responsibilities specific to the prison environment:
* To be familiar with Prison Standards, Standing Orders, Circular Instructions, Notices to Staff, Prison Rules, Health and Safety, and any other relevant material within the prison setting.
* To ensure that the Healthcare Centre meets the security requirements.
* The post holder will be in contact with prisoners on a daily basis; this client group can be challenging due to the high proportion that have mental health illness and substance misuse problems.
This job description is not exhaustive and may be amended from time to time with agreement from the employee and employer.
Person specification
Qualifications
* Completion of a GPhC approved combined Pharmacy Technician qualification (QCF level 3 or above)
* Current registration with the GPhC as a Pharmacy Technician (Those in the process of registering with the GPhC can apply. However, registration with the GPhC must be complete for employment)
* (if qualified prior to 2020) Completion of a recognised Medicines Optimisation training course
* (if qualified prior to 2020) Completion of a recognised Final accuracy checking course
* Completion of entry-level managerial and leadership training courses
* Completion of short courses relevant to practice (i.e. any post graduate training to enhance clinical or technical skills)
Experience & Knowledge
* Knowledge of legislation and good practice in relation to medicines
* Experience of stock control
* Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team
* Experience with using Pharmacy dispensing and electronic prescribing systems
* Understanding the principles of clinical governance
* Experience of working in a secondary/tertiary care pharmacy setting
* Previous experience of working in a ‘secure environment’ and/or prison setting
* Experience of training and supporting junior members of staff/pharmacy trainees
* Demonstrate initiative
* Good interpersonal skills and ability to communicate with clinicians, health care professionals and patients
* Ability to manage own workload and meet objectives and targets
* Ability to work in a team
* Ability to motivate self and others
* Ability to perform in a challenging environment and cope with potentially aggressive behaviour
* Ability to respond in a calm manner in a crisis
* Able to receive and provide constructive feedback
The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.
* Due to the high response levels we receive for some vacancies, we may expire any of them prior to the advertised closing date and advise you to submit your application as soon as possible.
* Applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. Before submitting your application and to avoid disappointment please check that you are eligible under the UKVI points based system
* Our Agenda for Change employment contracts are subject to a contractual 13 week probationary period.
* If you are offered a job, information will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Name Setareh Esfandiari Job title Lead Pharmacist Email address setareh.esfandiari@nhs.net Additional information
We are a friendly team and encourage any prospective candidate to contact us with any questions and/or to book an informal visit.
You can also find more information on our services and the work we do within the Health & Justice Directorate please do take a look at our new website https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/health-and-justice
Our healthcare services work to a 7-day week working model, to ensure our patient's healthcare is managed and maintained to the highest of standards at all times.
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