Staff Nurse - Mental Health Prison Health Care

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) is one of the largest healthcare systems in the United Kingdom, employing approximately 40,000 staff across a wide range of clinical and non clinical professions and roles. We deliver acute hospital, primary, community and mental health services to a population of over 1.15 million people, and to a wider population of 2.2 million when regional and national services are included.

The role

In conjunction with the management team, contribute to and deliver a comprehensive Primary Care nursing service in partnership with Mental Health and Addictions as part of a multi disciplinary team within the prison setting. As part of an extensive multidisciplinary team, the primary care staff nurse role involves conducting assessments, providing and evaluating a range of interventions, meeting patients' healthcare needs, and contributing to the ongoing development of prison healthcare services.

To maintain a high standard of written, verbal and electronic records in accordance with NHS GG&C standards on confidentiality and within professional and legal requirements, providing reports as required and patient reports for legal purposes.

Duration and Location

Permanent, Full time

Base location - HMP Greenock

(However, it can be moved between the three prison sites if needed to meet exigencies of the service)

Key responsibilities Core Responsibilities

• Case management and key working for individuals with complex mental health and social care needs, including full risk assessment and coordination under the Care Programme Approach.

• Assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of evidence based mental health care and throughcare for prisoners.

• Monitoring clinical interventions, including side effects, compliance, and changes in health status, with timely communication to medical and multidisciplinary colleagues.

• Maintaining accurate clinical records in line with NMC standards, Data Protection Act and Freedom of Information Act requirements.

Partnership and Communication

• Liaison with referrers such as Procurator Fiscal, courts, prisons, psychiatrists, and multidisciplinary teams, preparing standardised documentation and ensuring effective partnership working.

• Building strong relationships with service users, carers, SPS staff, and health and social care professionals.

• Providing clinical input to referral allocation, assessment processes, and feedback to agencies.

Professional Standards and Development

• Adherence to NMC codes of conduct, ensuring patient safety, dignity, and ethical practice.

• Supervision and support for nursing staff, including caseload supervision, practice support systems, and personal development planning.

• Commitment to personal professional development and supporting the development of the wider nursing team.

• Participation in teaching, offering high quality learning experiences for student nurses and other learners.

Risk, Safety and Governance

• Use of clinical and environmental risk assessment tools to identify and manage actual or potential risks.

• Incident reporting and critical appraisal to reduce recurrence and support investigations.

• First responder duties, managing emergencies that pose a high risk to prisoners or staff.

• Ensuring equitable, non discriminatory care for all patients.

Service Development and Collaboration

• Contributing to the organisation and evaluation of mental health clinics and treatments within the prison.

• Supporting quality improvement, research and new initiatives to enhance patient care.

• Working collaboratively with the Scottish Prison Service to maintain security and stability within the prison regime.

• Empowering patients.

Knowledge, training, qualifications and/or experience required to do the job Essential

• First Level Registered Mental Health Nurse.

• Educated to degree level or equivalent.

• Post registration experience working within a relevant clinical setting.

• Awareness of professional and clinical accountability, legal issues, role limitations and boundaries and balancing duty of care and public safety issues.

• Understanding of the application of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003.

• Literate in current IT techniques.

• Ability to work on own initiative.

• Ability to prioritise workload and meet tight deadlines.

• Excellent interpersonal and organisational skills.

Desirable

• Knowledge of prison needs in relation to primary care, mental health and addiction support and an ability to work across these areas.

What we offer

We offer a wide range of supportive policies designed to enhance your employee journey, including a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme, Cycle to Work Scheme, bursary scheme and extensive learning and development opportunities.

As an NHS Scotland employee, you will be entitled to:

• A minimum of 27 days annual leave, increasing with length of service, plus public holidays.

• Membership of the NHS Pension Scheme, including life insurance benefits.

• Salary Sacrifice Car Benefit Scheme.

• Development opportunities including study bursaries, e learning and classroom based courses.

• Enhanced pay for working public holidays.

• NHS discounts on a wide range of goods and services.

• Confidential employee support and assistance, including counselling and psychological therapies.

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, we would love to hear from you.

For an informal discussion, please contact:

Gordon Hannah, Senior charge nurse

Details on how to contact the Recruitment Service and the Recruitment Process: Information for candidates

This post may close early due to the volume of response. Please submit your application form as soon as possible. Due to the volume of applications that we receive, we will not be able to provide shortlisting feedback.

AI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot can be great for planning and preparing your application, but your answers must be your own.

• Show us the real you: Your application should reflect your skills, experience and motivations authentically.

• Use AI wisely: It's fine to use AI for ideas or to check spelling and grammar, but don't let it write your answers.

• Why this matters: Applications that rely on AI generated content may be withdrawn. By applying, you confirm your responses are based on your own knowledge and achievements.

Tip: Think of AI as a helper, not a substitute. We want to understand you, not an AI tool.

From 1 April 2026, the Agenda for Change full time working week will reduce from 37 hours to 36 hours. Part time working hours will be reduced on a pro rata basis. A corresponding increase in the hourly rate will apply, ensuring that overall pay remains unchanged.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde recognises the importance of work life balance and is committed to offering a range of flexible working options where service needs allow. For roles where less than full time hours can be accommodated, and where the tenure is listed as "various", we encourage applications from individuals seeking flexible working arrangements. Flexible working will be included as a topic for discussion during the recruitment process.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde encourages applications from all sections of the community. We are committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion and are proud of the diverse workforce we employ.

By signing the Armed Forces Covenant, NHSGGC has pledged its commitment to being a Forces Friendly Employer. We welcome applications from across the Armed Forces Community and recognise military skills, experience and qualifications throughout the recruitment and selection process.

For application portal or log in issues, please contact the Jobtrain Support Hub in the first instance.