Healthcare Support Worker - HMP Send

Job overview

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust is a recognised Top Employer and delivers primary care, mental health, intellectual disability, and substance misuse services in partnership with the communities it serves. The trust is recruiting an enthusiastic and motivated Healthcare Support Worker to join its growing Health & Justice team at HMP Send.

In this role, you will support healthcare for patients in a secure setting and help improve health and wellbeing. The service runs across a 7-day week to ensure patients receive consistent care of the highest standard.

The team works to a “Caring NOT Judging” approach, partnering with the criminal justice system and other agencies to provide responsive, dependable, and high-quality care to people who may have offended, as well as those at risk of offending, with the aim of improving health outcomes and encouraging social inclusion.

Main purpose of the role

Healthcare Support Workers play a key part in shaping how patients experience care. The role calls for a kind, responsive, professional, and well-informed approach, while staying within the limits of the post and working closely with registered professionals.

You will support safe care, contribute to positive clinical outcomes, and help ensure patients are treated with dignity, respect, and partnership. The post also involves direct and indirect care tasks under minimal supervision, as directed by the nurse in charge, while supporting the wider clinical team.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Support nursing staff in delivering a high standard of care to a designated group of patients.
• Provide direct physical care and help with care planning, implementation, and review under supervision.
• Work under the direction of registered professionals and within the Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England.
• Carry out allocated nursing tasks, observe patients, and record observations in nursing notes where required.
• Treat every patient as an individual and promote dignity, self-esteem, and respectful care at all times.
• Recognise safeguarding concerns, stay within role boundaries, and escalate risks or concerns promptly.
• Support patient choice and informed decision-making through honest and open communication.
• Assist with patient assessment and the delivery of individual care plans.
• Develop competence in venepuncture, smoking cessation, and health promotion.
• Help facilitate group sessions and run clinics.
• Support complex case management activity.
• Record accurate and complete information, including physical observations such as weight, temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure, and escalate significant findings to the nurse in charge.
• Escort patients when needed, following safety and security requirements.
• Take part in patient observation procedures in line with trust policy and after appropriate training.
• Contribute to supervision, appraisal, reflection, and personal development.
• Work transparently, identify opportunities to improve safety and quality, and collaborate with colleagues to improve services.
• Keep mandatory training up to date.
• Support junior staff and help the team achieve safe, effective care.

Working style and team environment

The trust believes that high-quality care depends on strong multidisciplinary teamwork. You will work closely with registered professionals and other teams and services to help deliver seamless care.

Development and support

CNWL offers ongoing progression through monthly supervision, annual development plans and appraisals, and access to internal and external training. Career opportunities may include support through a preceptorship programme, guidance with revalidation, and recognition through staff awards.

Benefits

Staff benefits include health and wellbeing services, season ticket loans, and cycle-to-work support. Staff can also join MyTrustBenefits, an online portal offering more than 1,400 discounts across retailers, food, travel, entertainment, and holidays, plus access to free online courses in topics such as business management, languages, law, and teaching. Surrey sites also offer free use of onsite leisure facilities and free parking for staff.

Visa and right-to-work information

This vacancy does not meet the requirements for Skilled Worker sponsorship unless the applicant qualifies under the temporary exemption linked to the immigration rule changes introduced on 22/07/2025. Separate provisions apply to workers who have held a Skilled Worker visa continuously since before 04/04/2024.

If you do not meet the transitional provision, your application can only be considered if you can provide documentary evidence of your right to work in the United Kingdom. Applicants who believe they are eligible for sponsorship, or who already have a valid right to work, must include full immigration details in the Pre-Screening Immigration section of the application form.

Role eligibility also depends on whether the post meets the salary threshold for the relevant SOC code. Further guidance is available on GOV.UK.

Person specification

Essential personal requirements: willingness to complete the Care Certificate and undertake further training as needed; ability to understand and apply the Equal Opportunities Policy appropriately; commitment to anti-discriminatory and anti-racist practice; and readiness to work within a 7-day service model.

Essential skills and knowledge: effective communication with the multidisciplinary team, clear handovers, accurate and timely record keeping, electronic patient record management, Microsoft Word use for letters and reports, adherence to the code of conduct, support for care plan implementation, ability to work independently while following care plans and direction from senior staff, understanding of consent, the Mental Capacity Act, and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, and a collaborative, reliable, kind, and enthusiastic approach.

Desirable knowledge: basic awareness of the Mental Health Act 1983.

Previous experience expected: working with a multidisciplinary team, communicating with the public and a range of people, operating in a fast-paced environment, and working in a customer-focused setting. Desirable experience includes healthcare or NHS work, community or hospital settings, volunteering, caring roles, offender or secure care, mental health settings, secondary care or ward settings.

Education and qualifications: numeracy and literacy skills sufficient for accurate records and medicine administration where appropriate, and spoken and written English at an appropriate standard. A relevant Level 3 qualification such as an advanced apprenticeship, A-levels, T-levels, or NVQ is desirable. The Care Certificate, venepuncture, patient assessments and observations, and smoking cessation level 1 or 2 are also desirable; the Care Certificate can be supported within 3 months of start if not already achieved.

Additional information

The trust notes that this role is based in a secure environment and supports people whose healthcare needs must be managed safely and consistently. The service operates every day of the week, and the post requires a professional approach that balances care, security, safeguarding, and teamwork.