Job overview
We are pleased to announce an exciting opportunity for a Mental Health Practitioner to join our team at HMP Rochester and HMP Cookham Wood. This role provides a unique chance to gain valuable experience working in a prison environment.
As a Mental Health Practitioner you will provide specialist mental healthcare to offenders and work as part of the Mental Health In-Reach Team, plus wider mental health services. You will be required to work in a psychologically minded way with offenders in achieving their agreed goals and quality health outcomes.
Our Mental Health Team provide specialist interventions at primary and secondary care level including referral management, screening assessment, triage, evidence-based interventions, care planning and risk assessing, plus one-to-one and group-work facilitation.
Our Mental Health Practitioners manage a mixed and challenging caseload and are required to perform robust assessment, screening and interventions to offenders with learning disabilities and mental health conditions. You will contribute to alternatives to inpatient admission and assist with early discharge through the implementation of high intensity interventions and complex case management arrangements.
Important Sponsorship Information for this post: We are currently unable to offer a certificate of sponsorship for this post.
Main duties of the job
- Provide specialist mental healthcare to service users and work as part of the Mental Health In-Reach Team and wider MDT.
- Deliver a range of specialist interventions at primary and secondary care level; to include
- Referral management, screening assessment, triage, and evidence-based interventions
- Care planning and risk assessing
- One-to-one and group-work facilitation
- Managing a mixed and challenging caseload
This position is located at both HMP Rochester and HMP Cookham Wood, and the post holder will be expected to work at both locations depending on service requirements. The post holder will also need to collaborate closely with colleagues at nearby Kent prisons, including HMP Maidstone and HMP East Sutton Park, and may occasionally provide cross-cover between sites.
Working for our organisation
Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Kent, South London, Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.
Our healthcare departments operate across six prisons in the Kent cluster, each requiring a bespoke service responding to prisoner and prison needs:
- HMP Standford Hill – Cat D – Population 450
- HMP Maidstone – Cat C – Population 600
- HMP East Sutton Park – Cat D – Population 90
Our wider 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 4,300 staff work in many settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children’s centres, schools and people’s homes. We have over 125 sites in the South of England.
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 and We Care.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- Perform robust assessment, screening and interventions for service users with mental health, neurodevelopmental and trauma needs.
- Ensure waiting times, assessments and interventions are delivered in a timely manner and contribute to service performance targets.
- Ensure integrated and collaborative working with other specialist services, including continuity of care and gatekeeping arrangements and liaison.
- Work closely with community mental health teams to ensure appropriate sharing of information, continuity of care and CPA where necessary.
- Provide comprehensive and timely reports and mental health expertise to MAPPA, police, probation services, solicitors and court liaison teams as directed.
- Deliver clinical leadership and supervision within the team, including line management and clinical supervision as directed.
- Participate in resource centre services, delivering psychological therapy and specialist activities under the direction of the clinical lead.
- Work in a psychologically minded way with service users to achieve agreed goals and health outcomes.
- Maintain close working relationships with prison staff, including involvement in sentence planning, resettlement, safer custody and ACCT processes.
- Develop and take on a specialist lead role as appropriate and provide peer support and training.
- Contribute to support, advice, consultation and training for prison staff.
- Be part of a multidisciplinary team (MDT) comprising all healthcare staff and manage a single referral pathway.
- Undertake training to maximise uptake of screening, health promotion and prevention activity, including vaccinations.
- Hold a caseload and coordinate care across secondary mental health and complex needs using a stepped care approach.
- Develop and maintain a single, integrated care plan with service users, including risk assessment, crisis plans, and advance statements with involvement of other agencies as appropriate.
- Attend/contribute to weekly MDT meetings for service users with secondary care needs.
- Engage in training in evidence-based CBT approaches to enhance care delivery.
- Support patients to manage health across all areas, including oral health and long-term conditions.
- Embed health promotion across service delivery.
Important 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 pre-employment checks through Oxleas and the prison vetting team.
Person specification
Education/Qualifications
- Diploma level/Degree in relevant health/social care profession (e.g., RMN, RLDN, OT, Social Worker).
- Current registration with the NMC or HCPC
- Desirable post-registration training in one of: Learning disability, Personality disorder, Substance misuse/dual diagnosis, Psychological therapies
Experience
- Two years substantive post-registration experience in frontline adult mental health services, including assessment and interventions.
- Experience across a range of settings
Skills/Abilities/Knowledge
- Commitment to CPD and ability to deliver CBT, psychosocial interventions, family interventions, DBT approaches.
- Understanding of recovery principles and the role of secondary mental health services in care delivery.
- Experience undertaking carers' assessments.
We are committed to an inclusive workplace and support individuals of all abilities. If you meet minimum criteria and have a disability, you can be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme. Please indicate this on your application.
If you require adjustments to participate fully in the interview process, please let us know when scheduling your interview. Contact the appointing manager if you need to discuss needs.
If you have declared you are part of the armed forces community, you may be asked to provide evidence during recruitment. For Armed Forces specific support, see our page: https://oxleas.nhs.uk/armed-forces-community/
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
If you use AI tools to assist in writing your application, personalise the information to reflect your qualifications, knowledge, skills and experiences. AI-generated applications can be generic and may not reflect your qualifications. AI use is not advocated for the application process.
We monitor applications and check references carefully. You may be tested on your experience at interview, so ensure all information is correct.
Please note that the use of AI is prohibited during the interview process.
Employer certification / accreditation
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and will require Disclosure to be made to the DBS.
Name Clare Denny, Recruitment & Retention Resourcing Officer
Email claredenny@nhs.net
Telephone 07504877653
#J-18808-Ljbffr”, “datePosted”: “2026-05-17”, “hiringOrganization”: { “@type”: “Organization”, “name”: “Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust”, “sameAs”: “https://uk.whatjobs.com/pub_api__cpl__435494219__4861?utm_campaign=publisher&utm_medium=api&utm_source=4861&geoID=535” }, “jobLocation”: { “@type”: “Place”, “address”: { “@type”: “PostalAddress”, “addressLocality”: “Rochester” } } }Job overview
We are pleased to announce an exciting opportunity for a Mental Health Practitioner to join our team at HMP Rochester and HMP Cookham Wood. This role provides a unique chance to gain valuable experience working in a prison environment.
As a Mental Health Practitioner you will provide specialist mental healthcare to offenders and work as part of the Mental Health In-Reach Team, plus wider mental health services. You will be required to work in a psychologically minded way with offenders in achieving their agreed goals and quality health outcomes.
Our Mental Health Team provide specialist interventions at primary and secondary care level including referral management, screening assessment, triage, evidence-based interventions, care planning and risk assessing, plus one-to-one and group-work facilitation.
Our Mental Health Practitioners manage a mixed and challenging caseload and are required to perform robust assessment, screening and interventions to offenders with learning disabilities and mental health conditions. You will contribute to alternatives to inpatient admission and assist with early discharge through the implementation of high intensity interventions and complex case management arrangements.
Important Sponsorship Information for this post: We are currently unable to offer a certificate of sponsorship for this post.
Main duties of the job
- Provide specialist mental healthcare to service users and work as part of the Mental Health In-Reach Team and wider MDT.
- Deliver a range of specialist interventions at primary and secondary care level; to include
- Referral management, screening assessment, triage, and evidence-based interventions
- Care planning and risk assessing
- One-to-one and group-work facilitation
- Managing a mixed and challenging caseload
This position is located at both HMP Rochester and HMP Cookham Wood, and the post holder will be expected to work at both locations depending on service requirements. The post holder will also need to collaborate closely with colleagues at nearby Kent prisons, including HMP Maidstone and HMP East Sutton Park, and may occasionally provide cross-cover between sites.
Working for our organisation
Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Kent, South London, Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.
Our healthcare departments operate across six prisons in the Kent cluster, each requiring a bespoke service responding to prisoner and prison needs:
- HMP Standford Hill – Cat D – Population 450
- HMP Maidstone – Cat C – Population 600
- HMP East Sutton Park – Cat D – Population 90
Our wider 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 4,300 staff work in many settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children’s centres, schools and people’s homes. We have over 125 sites in the South of England.
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 and We Care.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- Perform robust assessment, screening and interventions for service users with mental health, neurodevelopmental and trauma needs.
- Ensure waiting times, assessments and interventions are delivered in a timely manner and contribute to service performance targets.
- Ensure integrated and collaborative working with other specialist services, including continuity of care and gatekeeping arrangements and liaison.
- Work closely with community mental health teams to ensure appropriate sharing of information, continuity of care and CPA where necessary.
- Provide comprehensive and timely reports and mental health expertise to MAPPA, police, probation services, solicitors and court liaison teams as directed.
- Deliver clinical leadership and supervision within the team, including line management and clinical supervision as directed.
- Participate in resource centre services, delivering psychological therapy and specialist activities under the direction of the clinical lead.
- Work in a psychologically minded way with service users to achieve agreed goals and health outcomes.
- Maintain close working relationships with prison staff, including involvement in sentence planning, resettlement, safer custody and ACCT processes.
- Develop and take on a specialist lead role as appropriate and provide peer support and training.
- Contribute to support, advice, consultation and training for prison staff.
- Be part of a multidisciplinary team (MDT) comprising all healthcare staff and manage a single referral pathway.
- Undertake training to maximise uptake of screening, health promotion and prevention activity, including vaccinations.
- Hold a caseload and coordinate care across secondary mental health and complex needs using a stepped care approach.
- Develop and maintain a single, integrated care plan with service users, including risk assessment, crisis plans, and advance statements with involvement of other agencies as appropriate.
- Attend/contribute to weekly MDT meetings for service users with secondary care needs.
- Engage in training in evidence-based CBT approaches to enhance care delivery.
- Support patients to manage health across all areas, including oral health and long-term conditions.
- Embed health promotion across service delivery.
Important 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 pre-employment checks through Oxleas and the prison vetting team.
Person specification
Education/Qualifications
- Diploma level/Degree in relevant health/social care profession (e.g., RMN, RLDN, OT, Social Worker).
- Current registration with the NMC or HCPC
- Desirable post-registration training in one of: Learning disability, Personality disorder, Substance misuse/dual diagnosis, Psychological therapies
Experience
- Two years substantive post-registration experience in frontline adult mental health services, including assessment and interventions.
- Experience across a range of settings
Skills/Abilities/Knowledge
- Commitment to CPD and ability to deliver CBT, psychosocial interventions, family interventions, DBT approaches.
- Understanding of recovery principles and the role of secondary mental health services in care delivery.
- Experience undertaking carers’ assessments.
We are committed to an inclusive workplace and support individuals of all abilities. If you meet minimum criteria and have a disability, you can be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme. Please indicate this on your application.
If you require adjustments to participate fully in the interview process, please let us know when scheduling your interview. Contact the appointing manager if you need to discuss needs.
If you have declared you are part of the armed forces community, you may be asked to provide evidence during recruitment. For Armed Forces specific support, see our page: https://oxleas.nhs.uk/armed-forces-community/
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
If you use AI tools to assist in writing your application, personalise the information to reflect your qualifications, knowledge, skills and experiences. AI-generated applications can be generic and may not reflect your qualifications. AI use is not advocated for the application process.
We monitor applications and check references carefully. You may be tested on your experience at interview, so ensure all information is correct.
Please note that the use of AI is prohibited during the interview process.
Employer certification / accreditation
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and will require Disclosure to be made to the DBS.
Name Clare Denny, Recruitment & Retention Resourcing Officer
Email claredenny@nhs.net
Telephone 07504877653
#J-18808-Ljbffr…