Mental Health Practitioner​/Care Co-Ordinator - HMP Coldingley

Overview

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust is a Top Employer Award Winner and works in partnership to provide responsive and dependable primary care, mental health, intellectual disability and substance misuse services to the diverse communities we serve. The Trust recruits a motivated Mental Health Practitioner/Care Co-Ordinator to join the Health & Justice team at HMP Coldingley, offering opportunities to influence health and well-being within secure environments.

The service operates to a 7 day week model to maintain high standards of patient care.

Our motto is Caring NOT Judging. By partnering with the criminal justice system and other agencies, we provide responsive, dependable and high-quality primary care and mental health services to those who may have offended or are at risk of offending, with the aim of improving health status and promoting social inclusion.

The role involves functioning within the Mental Health In-reach Team, assessing and treating patients as they move through their prison journey, accepting referrals, triaging cases, and undertaking Early Days In Custody (EDIC) assessments. It includes comprehensive assessments, case management, pre-release care planning and collaboration with the MDT, prison departments and external health, social care and probation services.

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust offers ongoing career progression, supervision, personal development plans, training opportunities and attractive staff benefits, including health and wellbeing services, cycle to work schemes and relocation packages (subject to criteria).

All CNWL sites offer free on-site leisure facilities and parking for staff. The Trust supports vaccination as part of its commitment to staff and patient safety. Please see attached JD&PS for full details of duties and responsibilities.

• Work within the Mental Health In-reach Team to assess and treat patients in the prison setting.
• Accept referrals, triage patients with the team, and undertake Early Days In Custody (EDIC) assessments, referring on to GP, SMS, chaplaincy, psychology, etc., and arranging further assessments as indicated.
• Participate in Care and Separation (Segregation) Unit rounds with a GP and primary care nurse.
• Undertake comprehensive assessments alone or with colleagues and feed back to the Multi-disciplinary Team to develop individualised care plans.
• Provide effective case management for a defined caseload in line with the Care Programme Approach (CPA), collaborating with prison departments and external health, social care and probation services.
• Ensure effective pre-release care planning and contribute to risk assessment, safeguarding, and management of suicide and self-harm (ACCT) within the Prison safety framework.
• Deliver a service sensitive to age, culture, ethnicity, gender, sexuality and disability; work with the MDT to facilitate therapeutic interventions for the client group.
• Carry out comprehensive assessments of individuals across health and social care needs and coordinate with internal and external agencies for planning and discharge.
• Provide written reports, discharge summaries and coordinate CPA review meetings with care plans circulated to relevant people and agencies.
• Plan safe patient transfer back into the community or to other prison establishments, ensuring continuity of care.
• Maintain knowledge of the MHA 1983 (Amendment 2007) as used in criminal justice settings and respond to urgent referrals as appropriate.
• Deliver evidence-based interventions, risk management, psycho-education on mental health conditions, and work with other disciplines to address comorbidity with substance use/misuse.
• Promote safeguarding procedures, monitor treatment, support concordance and provide information about care to patients.
• Collaborate with the MDT to identify and facilitate therapeutic interventions for this client group.

• Role title:
  Mental Health Practitioner/Care Co-Ordinator within the Health & Justice team.
• Experience in mental health settings and working within secure environments is implied by the role context.
• Knowledge of CPA processes, MHA in prison settings, safeguarding, risk assessment and continuity of care planning is referenced in the duties listed.
• The description does not specify formal qualifications; it describes responsibilities and expectations for a practitioner operating in a prison health environment.

• Monthly supervision and annual personal development plans/appraisals.
• Internal and external training opportunities and career progression pathways (e.g., Preceptorship, Revalidation support).
• Staff benefits including health and wellbeing services, season ticket loans, cycle to work scheme and relocation package (subject to criteria).
• Access to My Trust Benefits  online portal with discounts and courses for staff and family.
• On-site leisure facilities and free parking at CNWL sites where available.
• Vaccination support as part of the Trust’s…