At a Glance
- Tasks: Provide specialist healthcare in police custody, supporting detainees with various health needs.
- Company: Join Mountain Healthcare, a leading provider of forensic custody healthcare in the UK.
- Benefits: Enjoy a joining bonus, flexible hours, and opportunities for professional development.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in a unique role that challenges your clinical skills every day.
- Qualifications: Must be a Registered Nurse or Paramedic with three years' acute experience.
- Other info: Full training provided; no prior forensic experience needed.
About the Role
Are you looking for a career move that offers real variety, autonomy and professional challenge beyond traditional clinical settings? Mountain Healthcare is one of the UK's leading providers of forensic custody healthcare. Working in partnership with the police and wider criminal justice agencies, we deliver high quality care to some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. We are proud to be guided by our core values of Being Kind and Doing the Right Thing.
We are now recruiting Forensic Custody Healthcare Professionals (RGNs and Paramedics) to deliver specialist healthcare within police custody. This is a rare opportunity to step into a respected forensic role where no two shifts are the same, no custody experience is required as full accredited training is provided. Your clinical decisions will directly support detainee welfare, safeguarding, and the wider criminal justice process. If you're an experienced clinician with at least three years' experience in an acute setting who enjoys independent decision making, fast paced assessments, and meaningful work that genuinely makes a difference, this could be the ideal next step in your career.
Job Opportunity
As a Forensic Custody Healthcare Professional, you will provide autonomous clinical care within police custody suites, supporting detainees with a wide range of physical and mental health needs. You will assess fitness for detention and interview, respond to acute medical episodes, manage drug and alcohol related presentations, and support safeguarding decisions in a complex and highly rewarding environment. This is not ward based nursing or ambulance work. It is a specialist role where you will apply your clinical expertise in a completely different setting, working closely with custody staff, police officers and partner agencies to ensure detainees are safely managed and receive appropriate care throughout the criminal justice process. You will also be trained to undertake forensic and evidential duties, including the collection and preservation of forensic samples, injury documentation, and maintaining robust clinical records that support legal and professional standards.
Key responsibilities include:
- Conducting comprehensive clinical assessments to determine fitness for detention, interview, charge, and release, including capacity assessments.
- Managing medical emergencies, treating injuries, and providing healthcare advice in a fast-paced environment.
- Supporting detainees with mental health needs, substance misuse, alcohol dependency, and complex vulnerabilities.
- Collecting and documenting forensic samples in line with evidential and legal standards.
- Producing accurate clinical and evidential records, including injury documentation.
- Liaising with police, custody teams, NHS and other healthcare services to ensure appropriate onward care.
- Attending hospital blood procedures under the Road Traffic Act.
- Preparing professional statements and attending court as an impartial healthcare witness.
No prior forensic experience is required, full training and an externally accredited Introduction are provided. Flexible full-time and part-time opportunities are available within a supportive, values-driven clinical team. Full time employees are contracted to 42hrs a week and usually work a fixed shift working pattern of two days, two nights, four rest days. Shifts are 12-hours. 06:45-19:00 and 18:45-07:00. Annualised hours contracts and part-time opportunities are also available, comprising a mix of day and night shifts. Weekend working is included within all contractual arrangements.
Why Join Mountain Healthcare
This is a rare opportunity to move into a specialist forensic healthcare career while continuing to use your clinical skills every day. You will be trusted to work autonomously, make high quality clinical decisions, and develop into a confident forensic practitioner.
What we offer:
- A joining bonus of up to £1500 FTE pro Rata (for example - £750 paid after probation period and £750 paid after a year in the role)
- Recommend a friend £500
- NMC HCPC registration paid
- Access to company pension scheme
- Overtime at enhanced rates
- A supportive, values driven culture where professionalism and compassion are genuinely recognised
- A unique clinical environment where no two shifts are the same
- Exposure to specialist forensic skills including evidential documentation and forensic sampling
- Opportunities to progress within one of the UK's most respected forensic healthcare providers
- Accredited forensic training and structured development.
Essential Skills
To be successful in this role, you will need:
- To be a Registered General Nurse (RGN) or Paramedic with current NMC or HCPC registration
- A minimum of three years post qualification experience in an acute setting (e.g. frontline paramedic, A&E, Prison, Custody, Urgent Care)
- A full UK driving licence with less than 6 penalty points
- The ability to successfully complete enhanced DBS clearance and police vetting
- Full Right to work in the UK and have lived in the UK for a minimum of three years prior to application
- Strong assessment, communication and decision making skills, with confidence working autonomously
- A calm, professional and compassionate approach when working with vulnerable individuals, including those who may be distressed, intoxicated or experiencing acute mental health symptoms
- Willingness to complete accredited forensic training within the first year of employment
About Company
Founded by passionate clinicians on a mission to provide expert patient-centred services, Mountain Healthcare leads the clinical forensic healthcare provisions sector in the UK. A premier partner of NHS England and the police, our unique provisions include Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs), Police Custodial Healthcare, Secure Estate Healthcare and clinical telephone advice.
Registered Nurse/Paramedic-Police Custody - Oxfordshire -FT/PT employer: Mountain Healthcare Limited
Contact Detail:
Mountain Healthcare Limited Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Registered Nurse/Paramedic-Police Custody - Oxfordshire -FT/PT
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the healthcare and criminal justice sectors. Attend local events or online webinars where you can meet people who work in forensic healthcare. You never know who might have a lead on a job or can give you insider tips!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by brushing up on your clinical skills and knowledge about forensic healthcare. Think about real-life scenarios you might face in police custody and how you'd handle them. This will show you're ready for the unique challenges of the role!
✨Tip Number 3
Don’t forget to showcase your soft skills! Being calm, compassionate, and professional is key when working with vulnerable individuals. Be ready to share examples of how you've demonstrated these qualities in past roles during your interviews.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you're genuinely interested in joining Mountain Healthcare and being part of our values-driven team.
We think you need these skills to ace Registered Nurse/Paramedic-Police Custody - Oxfordshire -FT/PT
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the role. Highlight your relevant experience, especially in acute settings, and show how your skills align with the unique demands of forensic custody healthcare.
Showcase Your Clinical Skills: In your application, emphasise your clinical decision-making abilities and experience in fast-paced environments. We want to see how you can apply your expertise to support detainee welfare and manage medical emergencies.
Be Authentic: Let your personality shine through! We value kindness and doing the right thing, so share your passion for helping vulnerable individuals and your commitment to compassionate care in your written application.
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way to ensure it gets to us directly and allows you to explore more about what we offer at Mountain Healthcare.
How to prepare for a job interview at Mountain Healthcare Limited
✨Know Your Role Inside Out
Before the interview, make sure you thoroughly understand the responsibilities of a Forensic Custody Healthcare Professional. Familiarise yourself with the key tasks like conducting clinical assessments and managing medical emergencies. This will help you demonstrate your knowledge and show that you're genuinely interested in the role.
✨Showcase Your Clinical Experience
Highlight your three years of experience in an acute setting during the interview. Be ready to discuss specific situations where you've made independent decisions or handled fast-paced assessments. Use examples that reflect your ability to work autonomously and manage complex cases, as this is crucial for the role.
✨Emphasise Your Communication Skills
Since you'll be liaising with police, custody teams, and other healthcare services, strong communication skills are essential. Prepare to share examples of how you've effectively communicated in challenging situations, especially when dealing with vulnerable individuals. This will show that you can maintain professionalism and compassion under pressure.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect scenario-based questions that assess your decision-making and problem-solving abilities. Think about potential situations you might face in police custody and how you would handle them. Practising these scenarios will help you articulate your thought process clearly and demonstrate your readiness for the unique challenges of this role.