Main area Offender Healthcare Grade Band 3 Contract Fixed term: 12 months (n/a) Hours Full time – 37.5 hours per week (Expected to work nights and weekends) Job ref 277-8052806-WANDS
Site HMP Wandsworth Town London Salary £31,554 – £33,270 pa inc Salary period Yearly Closing 20/07/2026 23:59
Job overview
The Addison Unit is a 12 bedded Unit located at Health care wing at HMP Wandsworth. The Addison team is a multidisciplinary team (MDT) that provides an assessment and treatment service to patients who present to the acute hospital with mental health difficulties. Referrals are received from various departments within the prison and triaged by the in-reach team MDT and placed on a waiting list pending vacancy at Addison Unit. The main responsibilities of the HCA is to support the qualified staff in any way required, to deliver this service.
Main duties of the job
- Carry out delegated tasks for patients in mental health crisis or admitted to Addison Ward under the direction of qualified nursing staff.
- Support admissions by recording clinical information and completing physical observations (vital signs), including within the first 72 hours of admission.
- Undertake routine physical monitoring and report any abnormalities promptly.
- Conduct and document daily mental state observations, escalating any deterioration or risk concerns without delay.
- Deliver and support prescribed observation levels, ensuring accurate documentation.
- Engage therapeutically with patients, offering emotional support and promoting recovery-focused care.
- Support patients with activities of daily living, maintaining dignity, respect, and independence.
- Assist patients to identify triggers for crisis and develop coping strategies under supervision.
- Accompany and support patients during transfers to psychiatric units or other services as required.
- Identify, monitor and escape clinical and environmental risks, including self-harm and suicide risk.
- Initiate and support ACCT processes as required in line with safer custody procedures.
- Complete incident reports (Datix) and ensure timely reporting of incidents, complaints and near misses.
- Work in accordance with Trust policies, procedures and relevant legislation.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- Provide constant (1:1) observation to patients within the custodial healthcare setting.
- Support the safety and wellbeing of patients at risk of self-harm or suicide.
- Observe and report on patients’ mental state, behaviour, presentation and risk indicators, promptly escalating any concerns.
- Maintain dynamic risk awareness within a prison environment.
- Deliver basic therapeutic engagement, providing reassurance, active listening and encouraging coping techniques.
- Work collaboratively with healthcare staff and prison officers.
- Maintain a safe clinical environment and report any environmental or security risks.
- Accurately complete observation records and entries in ACCT documentation.
- Undertake and record physical observations (vital signs) and report any abnormalities.
- Support patients with activities of daily living (ADLs).
- Maintain professional boundaries at all times.
- Participate in handover processes, ensuring clear communication of risk, care needs and incidents.
- Respond appropriately to emergency situations, including self-harm and behavioural incidents.
- Adhere to Oxleas policies and HMPPS security procedures.
- Participate in mandatory and prison-specific training.
Qualifications
- NVQ Level 3 in Care.
Experience
- Prison or forensic experience.
- PICU experience.
IT skills and communication skills
- Able to use Sys1.
- Experience in writing clinical notes.
Physical health skills
- Familiar with taking vital signs.
- Experience in escalating when patient deteriorates.
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