Job summary

Thank you for taking an interest in our Healthcare Assistant. We hope that you find this overview useful and look forward to receiving your application.

Our healthcare departments operate across seven prisons each of which require a bespoke service responding to the prisoner and prison needs:

Prison

Location

Category

Population

Healthcare

HMP Elmley

Isle of Sheppey

'B' Remand

1,200 (male)

24/7

Inc. Inpatient Unit

HMP Swaleside

'B' High Security

1,200 (male)

HMP Standford Hill

'D' Open

500 (male)

Standard

HMP Rochester/ Cookham Wood

Rochester

'C'

650 (male)

24/7

HMP Maidstone

Maidstone

'C'

500 (male)

24/7

HMP E Sutton Park

'D' Open

100 (female)

Standard

The seven prisons are located across three estates, Isle of Sheppey, Rochester and Maidstone, with the Isle of Sheppey prisons being with a few minutes' walk from each other and East Sutton Park approximately 7 miles from Maidstone.

This advert is to apply for a bank position to cover any of the above locations specifically. Please note the Isle of Sheppey is not easily accessed by public transport so access to a vehicle is needed.

Main duties of the job

Our Healthcare Assistants work collaboratively with our Registered Healthcare professionals to deliver high-quality nursing care to patients in prison.

As a HCA you will be providing physical care to patients according to their written care plans which will include taking observations, ECG's and carrying out basic wound care.

Lone working is required, and you will also be involved in responding to emergency situations. You will also have the opportunity to undertake an extended role such as running patient focused health promotion activities and programmes.

Details

• Date posted: 02 November 2026
• Closing date: 16 November 2026
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 3
• Salary: £32,346 a year Per annum pro rata incl HCAS
• Contract: Bank
• Working pattern: Flexible working
• Reference number: 277-BankHCA-Kent Prisons3
• Job locations: Kent Prisons, 1 Fort Road, Kent, ME1 3QS, United Kingdom

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Task and Responsibilities

Responding to the needs of patients in an honest, non-judgemental, and open manner, which respects the rights of individuals and groups

Actively engaging with patients in the provision of holistic, needs-led care

Delivery of health promotion activities and programmes (including patient self-help programmes) in support of a registered healthcare professional

Contributing appropriately to risk assessment and individualised care planning.

Clinical

To work as directed by a registered nurse, providing physical care to patients according to a written care plan.

Adhering to all organisational and prison policies, procedures, and guidelines

Ensuring good working relationships with patients, carers, relatives, other professionals and prison and healthcare staff

Developing an understanding of and demonstrating use of clinical supervision to reflect upon and modify practice

Custodial Responsibilities

Assume personal responsibility for the security of issued keys

Understand and comply with prison orders, procedures, and instructions in your area of work.

Comply with all security requirements.

Respond to any situation or circumstance that might indicate a threat to security of the establishment or to the safety of an individual, completing Incident, Security, Injury, or other reports as appropriate.

Report breaches of order and discipline including reporting and recording untoward incidents according to local protocol.

Contribute to effective risk assessment and management procedures.

Communication

Routinely communicate effectively with patients and working to overcome barriers to understanding (ie patients with physical or mental health conditions or learning disabilities)

Develop and maintain close working partnerships with HMPS, Prison Governors and Heads of Prison Services, Forensic Services, Probation Services, Crown Prosecution Service, Police, and all other non-statutory agencies that are integral to prisoner/patient care and offender management.

Undertake other duties agreed in conjunction with registered staff, Integrated Primary Healthcare Services

Person Specification

Education Qualifications

Essential

• NVQ level 3 or equivalent experience

Experience

Essential

• Previous experience as a Healthcare Assistant in a clinical setting (hospital, secure, or GP practice)
• Experience and knowledge of providing care i.e., providing patient care, carrying out tests/observations.
• Experience of facilitating /planning /supporting groups in a healthcare setting i.e., health improvement/smoking cessation/ activities.
• Experience of being able to work within policy frameworks in a regulated patient care setting.

Skills/Abilities/Knowledge

Essential

• Able to effectively communicate both verbally and in writing
• Ability to assess risk and care plan effectively, whilst understanding the needs and rights of people.
• Participate in any audits, research projects.
• To take responsibility for clinical equipment/resources with which you are allocated as well as patient property and valuables.
• Good communication and an ability to form positive relationships with patients, carers, and other professionals.
• Ability to relate to patients who may be experiencing high levels of distress and emotional disturbance.
• Strong interpersonal skills and able to work under pressure.
• To act on own initiative when delivering patient care seeking support as required.
• Ability to identify poor practice and standards of care when you see it and ensure that your Manager /Modern matron is aware.
• Able to demonstrate a flexible approach to client intervention.

Effort and Environment

Essential

• Physical Effort - Day to day contact with offenders. Ability to manage complex & challenging behaviour. Manual handling Use approved breakaway techniques. Standard IT skills
• Emotional effort - Ability to manage complex & challenging behaviour. Ability to work in a challenging and changing environment. Occasional exposure to verbal aggression
• Mental effort - An understanding of the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, Care Programme Approach, and other relevant legislation and guidance. The ability to support and safely manage patients who are presenting with challenging and physically aggressive behaviour. Demanding and pressurised working environment
• Working conditions - Ability to work in a challenging secure environment and adhere to all security requirements of the prison. May be required to navigate a large number of stairs and cover long distances in a single shift.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

About us

Oxleas - About Us

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our 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 multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes.

We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

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're Kind
• We're Fair
• We Listen
• We Care

Employer details

• Employer name: Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
• Address: Kent Prisons, 1 Fort Road, Kent, ME1 3QS, United Kingdom
• Employer's website: http://oxleas.nhs.uk/