Staff Nurse - Low Secure in Northampton

An opportunity is available to apply for the post of staff nurse on Wheatfield low secure ward at Berrywood Hospital. Consideration will be given to either experienced or newly qualified nurses. The closing date is 18 February 2026.

Main duties of the job

• Working as part of the Multi-professional team to provide high quality nursing care on our 12 bedded low secure ward.
• Opportunities exist to learn more about forensic mental health care in the truists only forensic in-patient service.

About us

NHFT is an NHS Community and Mental Health Foundation Trust, providing physical, mental health and specialty services in hospital settings and in the community. We provide over 200 services across the county - as well as some specialist services in bordering and nearby counties. We work together with our partners to ensure that everyone who comes through our doors receives compassionate, person-centred care, regardless of their background or circumstances. NHFT promotes a culture of learning, to improve the care and safety of our patients and colleagues. We have achieved our 'outstanding' rating by encouraging opportunity, innovation, development and growth across our workforce.

Job responsibilities

• Clinical Care & Risk Management
  • Conduct comprehensive, ongoing risk assessments for violence, self-harm, suicide, absconding, and vulnerability, using structured professional judgement tools.
  • Develop, implement, and evaluate individualised care plans that address both mental health needs and risk factors, often under the Care Programme Approach (CPA).
  • Administer and monitor psychiatric medication, managing complex treatment regimens and monitoring for side-effects, often with a focus on depot injections and rapid tranquillisation protocols.
  • Provide therapeutic engagement and interventions on a one-to-one and group basis, using skills in de-escalation, psychoeducation, and specific modalities like CBT principles or anger management.
  • Perform physical health assessments and care, as patients often have complex co-morbid physical health conditions, requiring monitoring, health promotion, and liaison with physical health teams.
  • Respond to and manage incidents of aggression or distress using Physical Intervention (PMVA) techniques as a last resort, and leading on post-incident debriefs.
• Security, Legal & Multi-Disciplinary Working
  • Understand and apply complex legal frameworks, primarily the Mental Health Act (1983, amended 2007) regarding detention, consent to treatment, and leave.
  • Knowledge of Ministry of Justice restrictions for restricted (Part III) patients is critical.
  • Maintain dynamic security through vigilant observation, procedural adherence (e.g., searching, contraband control), and building therapeutic relationships to gather information.
  • Contribute to multi-disciplinary team (MDT) meetings, tribunals (Mental Health Review Tribunals), Hospital Managers' Hearings, and CPA reviews, providing detailed nursing reports and recommendations.
  • Escort patients on authorised leave (both within the hospital grounds and in the community), managing associated risks.
  • Maintain meticulous and legally defensible documentation in patient records, ensuring notes are accurate, timely, and reflect risk assessment and decision-making.
• Professional & Supervisory Responsibilities
  • Supervise and mentor nursing students, newly qualified nurses (e.g., those on Preceptorship), and Healthcare Assistants (HCAs).
  • Act as Named Nurse or Key Worker for a caseload of patients, coordinating all aspects of their care and being the main point of contact.
  • Uphold the highest standards of professional conduct in line with the NMC Code, particularly regarding confidentiality, proportionality, and advocacy within a secure setting.
  • Participate in clinical supervision and reflective practice to manage the emotional impact of the work and maintain therapeutic effectiveness.
  • Undertake mandatory and specialist training in areas such as legal frameworks, risk assessment, physical intervention, and managing personality disorders.
• Therapeutic Environment & Safeguarding
  • Create and maintain a therapeutic, safe, and trauma-informed environment despite the restrictive setting.
  • Lead or co-facilitate structured therapeutic groups (e.g., social skills, recovery-focused groups).
  • Act as a safeguard for patient rights and dignity, advocating for patients within the limits of the secure environment and legal framework.
  • Identify and act upon safeguarding concerns (adult and child safeguarding) as per local and national policies.

Person Specification

• Registered mental health Nurse
• Forensic Experience
• Good Standard of Written and Spoken English
• This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.