Neurodiversity Practitioner: HMP Lincoln

Please be advised Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has made the difficult decision to serve notice on its offender health contracts. Over the coming months, we will be working with NHS England on the transition of the services to a new provider. We still need to recruit to these valued positions and welcome your application. But, in line with our values, honesty is important, so please note that if you are successful that in time your employment would move from Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to another provider who would then be your new employer.

You will join a highly motivated and skilled team who provide integrated healthcare (physical healthcare, mental health and substance misuse services) based at HMP Lincoln in Lincolnshire. This exciting post has been created for you to work as part of a wider team of 8 neurodevelopmental disorder practitioners (one practitioner working in each prison), a Specialist clinician (OT) and Clinical Lead (Speech and Language Therapist) providing assessment, treatment and support to men with Autism, ADHD and Intellectual/Learning Disability in prison.

About Us: #TeamNottsHC comprises over 11,000 dedicated colleagues who #MakeADifference every day. We deliver intellectual disability, mental health, community health, forensic, and offender healthcare services across Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and South Yorkshire. Our care is provided from over 200 sites, spanning community locations, acute settings, and secure environments, including prisons. We are one of the largest mental health and community Trusts in the East Midlands and one of Nottinghamshire’s biggest employers. We also host national and regional services, such as the National High Secure Deaf Service and the Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health.

We offer a variety of employee‑led staff networks, including Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) groups, the Green Champions network, the Freedom to Speak Up network, the Health and Wellbeing Champions network, and the Menopause Champions network. These networks play a vital role in supporting our diverse workforce and promoting a culture of inclusivity. The health and wellbeing of our colleagues is a top priority. We invest significantly in occupational health and staff counselling services, supported by a dedicated Health and Wellbeing team. We are committed to reducing our carbon emissions, with a specialised Energy and Environmental team working to ensure compliance with environmental legislation, enhance our environmental performance, and achieve our net‑zero commitment.

Job Responsibilities:

• Hold a caseload of people identified to have neurodevelopmental conditions and provide reasonable adjustments in their healthcare.
• Cover a shift within the Mental Health team once a week.
• Advocate for people with neurodevelopmental conditions within the prison system and promote best practice, ensuring safety and wellbeing.
• Collaborate with other neurodiversity practitioners across prisons.
• Work within the multidisciplinary prison health team to provide assessment, treatment, and support.
• Support assessment and care of individuals as required, flexibly covering shifts.
• Contribute to best practice development across the prison system under a Clinical Lead for Neurodiversity.

Qualifications:

• First level registered nurse, mental health/learning disability or registered occupational therapist or speech and language therapist.
• Further specialist knowledge, post‑registration qualification/significant post‑registration experience or other formal training.

Experience:

• Clinical experience of assessment, treatment or support of people with Autism, ADHD and/or Intellectual/ Learning Disabilities in health or social care settings.
• Experience contributing to differential diagnosis of individuals with autism, ADHD and LD/ID, including when mental illness is present.
• Experience developing person‑centred care plans, WRAP or safe and well plans that are reasonably adjusted.
• Experience working and contributing to organisations as part of a wider multi‑agency team (e.g. CPA).

Knowledge:

• Awareness of the wider NHS Modernisation Agenda, Transforming Care and NHSE expectations for Offender Health regarding neurodevelopmental disorders.
• Awareness of screening tools and assessments for autism, ADHD and LD/ID.
• Experience delivering CBT/DBT informed interventions and adapting them to people with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Skills:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, adapt to communication styles of people with neurodevelopmental conditions.
• IT skills including work, Excel, and electronic patient record systems.

Values and Behaviours:

• Demonstrate commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion as per Trust policy.
• Act in line with Trust values: Trust, Honesty, Respect, Compassion, Teamwork.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check: This post requires a DBS check (cost deducted from salary). Applicants must also possess a criminal record certificate under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975.

Visa Sponsorship: Applications from applicants requiring skilled worker sponsorship are welcome. Further information can be found on the UK Visas and Immigration website. Skilled worker applicants must have the required UK professional registration.