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
The Prison Healthcare Service provides a full range of Health Care to meet the needs of patients within the prison population. Care provided is both clinically effective and cost efficient providing a variety of interventions to meet prisoner healthcare needs. This service works with SPS other services and agencies within the establishment to improve the physical and mental health and wellbeing of prisoners.
Duration, Location, and Working Pattern:
Permanent, Full time
Shift Pattern - Monday- Thursday, Friday Weekend every second weekend on.
Base location - HMP Low Moss
Key Responsibilities
Manage a caseload as keyworker/case manager, including clients with complex health and social care needs.
Conduct risk assessments and coordinate care under the Care Programme Approach.
Contribute to developing, organising, delivering and evaluating mental health clinics and treatments in a prison setting.
Liaise with referrers such as Procurator Fiscal, prisons, courts, psychiatrists and multidisciplinary teams, preparing standardised documentation.
Monitor effectiveness of clinical interventions, side effects and patient compliance, and communicate changes promptly to medical staff.
Build and maintain effective relationships with service users, carers, relatives and internal/external professionals.
Empower patients to take responsibility for their health, wellbeing, recovery and lifestyle choices.
Adhere to NMC professional codes of conduct to safeguard patient wellbeing.
Participate in practice support systems, caseload supervision and personal development planning for the nursing team.
Maintain accurate, up‑to‑date clinical records and care plans in line with NMC standards and legal requirements.
Use clinical and environmental risk assessment tools to identify and manage risks.
Report and critically review incidents, contributing to investigations and recurrence prevention.
Take responsibility for own professional development and support development of the nursing team.
Be accountable for professional decisions based on nursing assessment of patient, family/carer and environment.
Understand and work within own scope of practice and that of team members.
Support student nurse learning and demonstrate the role of mental health nursing within prison healthcare.
Participate in internal and external education initiatives.
Contribute to service improvement through professional development, standard setting, research and quality initiatives.
Assess, plan, implement and evaluate evidence‑based care and throughcare for prisoners with complex health needs.
Provide clinical input to multidisciplinary referral allocation, assessment and decision‑making.
Act as first responder in emergencies involving high risk to prisoners or staff.
Work collaboratively with Scottish Prison Service staff to maintain security and stability.
Knowledge, training, qualifications and/or experience required to do the job:
Essential
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)Actct 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.
Desirable
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
Salary Sacrifice Car Benefit Scheme
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
Brenda Bissett, Nurse team leader
Details on how to contact the Recruitment Service and the Recruitment Process: Information for candidates
This post may close early due 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.
AI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot can be great for planning and preparing your application, but your answers must be your own.
Show us the real you: Your application should reflect your skills, experience, and motivations authentically.
Use AI wisely: It's fine to use AI for ideas or to check spelling and grammar, but don't let it write your answers.
Why this matters: Applications that rely on AI-generated content may be withdrawn. By applying, you confirm your responses are based on your own knowledge and achievements.
Tip: Think of AI as a helper, not a substitute. We want to understand you, not an AI tool.
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.
For application portal or log-in issues, please contact the Jobtrain Support Hub in the first instance.