Specialist Screening Healthcare Assistant in Shaftesbury

Band 4

Main area Offender Healthcare Grade Band 4 Contract Permanent Hours Part time - 22.5 hours per week (Flexibility on working pattern) Job ref 277-8325575-GUYS

Site HMP Guys Marsh Town Shaftsbury Salary £28,392 - £31,157 pro rata p.a. Salary period Yearly Closing 19/10/2026 23:59

Job overview

Are you ready to unlock your potential within a challenging, creative and fast paced work environment? Do you want to work with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past?

We are currently recruiting for acompassionate, knowledgeable and motivated Specialist Screening Healthcare Assistantto join our friendly team at HMP Guys Marsh. Screening within prisons plays a vital role in safeguarding the health of individuals in custody and the wider community. Early identification of infectious diseases, mental health conditions, and chronic illnesses enables timely intervention, reduces transmission risk, and supports rehabilitation.

Our healthcare team have a real impact on promoting health and well-being to those in prison and we pride ourselves on using skills and strategies that instil hope for patients future resettlement back into the community. We directly deliver Mental Health, Physical Health, Pharmacy and Clinical Substance Misuse in an integrated healthcare delivery model to provide effective and responsive care to improve wellbeing and support better outcomes in the future.

Important Sponsorship Information for this post: We are currently unable to offer a certificate of sponsorship for this post.

**Previous applicants need not apply**

Main duties of the job

Healthcare assistants in specialist screening roles are essential in ensuring vulnerable populations receive equitable access to care. Their work helps bridge gaps in health inequalities, promotes public health, and contributes to safer prison environments. Effective screening not only improves individual outcomes but also supports continuity of care upon release, reinforcing the importance of integrated healthcare within the criminal justice system.

• Ensuring the delivery of high quality primary care which will include physically screening for the following pathways; NHS Health Checks, BBV & Sexual Health
• Undertaking risk assessments for the people in your care, seeing them holistically, being sensitive to their needs and escalating that risk to senior prison staff where necessary
• To lead on and have oversight of all screening programmes within the prison estate
• To support qualified staff in all activities relating to the delivery of high-quality patient centred care
• Work and act as a key member of the team, supporting each patient in achievement of their planned outcomes
• Setting up and supporting clinics
• Running reports on SystmOne
• Attending performance meetings, showcasing improvements and challenges
• Work around the prison establishment to improve attendance and uptake of screening programmes

Working for our organisation

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children’s centres, schools and people’s homes.
We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

• We Listen
• We Care

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To work as directed by a registered nurse.
• To provide care physical care to patients in accordance with their care plan
• Provide health education and promotion support to the prison population
• Be an advocate for the national screening and vaccination programmes within the NHS.
• To support the delivery of national screening programmes.
• Maintain oversight and links with: Bowel screenings, AAA and Diabetic eye screening teams.
• To support and deliver clinics as instructed within the establishments clinic timetable
• Participate in planning and liaison activities for patients.
• Inform a registered nurse as soon as possible when any change in a patient’s condition is noticed.
• Support patients in change due to admission, discharge, death or personal loss and in adapting to their new environment.
• Report any complaints or requests for information from patients immediately to the senior nurse on duty to enable prompt response.
• Report all risks to the senior nursing staff.
• Assist in the general running of the department by undertaking housekeeping and clerical duties as appropriate.
• Participate in appraisal and training of self to develop a personal development plan and strive to achieve the set objectives,
• Undertake any other duties commensurate to the grade and as requested by the line manager.
• Attend staff meetings, updates and attend mandatory training as required.
• Work closely with Management to ensure that the Prison Health Agenda is supported at all levels in the Practice.
• Actively engaging with offenders in the provision of holistic, needs-led care which takes into account the physical, psychological, emotional, social and spiritual needs of individuals and groups.
• Demonstrates a commitment to equal opportunities for all people. Responding to the needs of people sensitively with regard for age, culture, race, gender, ethnicity, religion and disability, especially regarding privacy and dignity
• Demonstrates a knowledge of the term ‘professional boundaries’ and how to apply this to working with patients, offenders and others.
• Understanding the need for promoting health & well-being and the delivery of health promotion activities and programmes (including self-help programmes) in support of a registered nurse.
• Contributing appropriately to risk assessment and individualised care planning

Communication

• Communicate effectively with patients and the multi-disciplinary team.
• Develop and maintain effective communications with all interested parties.
• Provides and receives sensitive information with potentially barriers to understanding

Custodial Responsibilities

• Assume personal responsibility for the security of issued keys.
• Understand and comply with prison orders, procedures and instructions in your area of work.
• Comply with all security requirements.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION, PLEASE READ:

All applicants must be willing to undertake National Security Vetting in order to work in a Prison Setting. This will be completed as part of the pre-employment checks through Oxleas and the prison vetting team.

You will need to provide:

• Proof of right to work documentation
• Proof of ID, needs to include 1 photographicID
• Proof of address documentation
• Non-UK passport holders will need to have correct documentation (right to work in the UK) and a Home office Share code.

Address History:

• 5 years address history will be needed.
• Applicants that are not UK Passport holders who provide less than 5 years UK address history will need to provide a Police Certificate which must be in English from where they resided previously.
• Applicants who are UK Passport holders who have lived abroad for a period of more than six months during the last three years will need to provide a certificate of good conduct or an overseas police check in English from the countries resided in or visited

If the country you have resided in is not listed here, you can obtain the necessary information by contacting the relevant Embassy or High Commission for that Country. Their contact details can be found on the Foreign & Commonwealth Office website ( http://www.fco.gov.uk/en ).

Experience

• Experience of facilitating /planning /supporting groups in a healthcare setting i.e., health improvement / smoking cessation / activities
• Physical skills to support working in a prison setting i.e., providing patient care, carrying out tests/observations
• Experience of being able to work within policy frameworks in a regulated patient care setting

Skills

• Ability to risk assess and plan care effectively

Other

• Demonstratable passion for screening/health promotion

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that welcomes and supports individuals of all abilities. Remember, if you meet the minimum criteria for this role and you have a disability, you can be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme - Please ensure you select this on your application form. We would encourage you to be open about your needs so we can work with you to design a comfortable and accessible interview experience. Any information you provide regarding a disability or a need for adjustments will be treated in confidence and will only be shared with colleagues who are supporting this request.

If you require any adjustments to participate fully in the interview process, please let us know by adding the relevant details when scheduling your preferred interview date and time. Please feel free to contact the appointing manager to discuss your needs.

We encourage applicants to contact the hiring manager before their interview, if they have any questions about the role or the process. This is a great way to get clarity and prepare effectively for the interview.

If you have declared you are part of the armed forces community, you may be asked to provide evidence during the recruitment process. If you misrepresent this information, your offer may be withdrawn. For Armed Forces specific support, see our webpage: https://oxleas.nhs.uk/armed-forces-community/

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

If you choose to use AI or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting information section. While AI can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you’re applying for. There is also a risk that it can generate false or misleading information. AI-generated job applications can often be generic, impersonal and may not accurately reflect your qualifications, knowledge, skills, and experiences. It is crucial that you personalise your supporting statement by articulating these in your unique voice. Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting information section is not advocated by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust and could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process.

We monitor applications for any behaviour that could create an unfair advantage, and we check all references carefully. You are likely to be tested on your experience at interview, so be honest and make sure all the information in your application is correct.Please note that the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is prohibited during the interview process.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.

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