Please note that this role is for a DART Healthcare Support Worker not Primary Care.
Break into prison healthcare!
Are you looking for a new challenge in an environment where no two days are the same? This is a full time role, working 37.5 hours a week.
Patient care is at the centre of what we do and we are looking for an enthusiastic, hardworking and committed health care professional who wants to make a difference to our patient’s lives.
We provide primary care, GP surgery provision alongside access to mental health and substance misuse services.
Prisons are challenging yet rewarding places for healthcare professionals to work. If you want a role where you can develop your existing skills and learn something new every day in an environment that never stands still, then this is it!
As a DART health care assistant, you will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team, whilst being a support and resource to other staff.
You will be working as part of a larger multi-disciplinary team, alongside the substance misuse team and mental health teams. There are great opportunities for training and development and the opportunity to work with interesting patients and learn new skills.
If you are self-motivated and able to work autonomously as well as showing plenty of initiative when it comes to handling a wide range of situations, then this could be the right role for you!
As a DART Healthcare Support Worker your main duties will include:
- Complete relevant DART assessments as directed by nursing staff, including COWS (Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale), CIWA-A, and CIWA-B.
- Carry out urine drug screening tests, ensuring correct procedures for sample collection, testing, and documentation are followed.
- Support DART nursing staff in the facilitation and smooth running of the Buvidal injection clinic, including preparation of equipment and assisting with patient flow.
- Maintain accurate, clear, and defensible clinical documentation following all patient contacts in line with service policies and professional standards.
- Assist in carrying out Blood Borne Virus (BBV) screening
- Undertake phlebotomy and ECG recordings
- Complete opioid toxicity checks following initiation or dose increases of Opioid Substitution Therapy
- Support patients who are actively using illicit substances, assisting nursing staff in monitoring their wellbeing, encouraging engagement with treatment pathways, and promoting safer choices.
- Provide harm reduction advice
- Assist with health promotion interventions, including substance misuse education and general wellbeing support.
- Maintain patient confidentiality, dignity, and respect at all times while delivering care within a secure environment.
BE THE DIFFERENCE IN HEALTHCARE
Join our team
We’re looking for passionate individuals to join our diverse and innovative team.
We are seeking an experienced healthcare professional looking for a new challenge
Access to NHS Pension
Time for you day (additional day off)
Welcome payment for some posts
Refer a friend scheme
Training and Development opportunities
Flexible Working
Access to Employee Assistance and Health and Wellbeing programmes
Up to 33 days annual leave
We have an ambition to become a truly lived experience inclusive employer, changing how we approach staff experience and value personal stories our colleagues bring with them.
We welcome applications from everyone, including applicants with lived experience, those who belong to LGBTQIA+ Community and are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (or questioning), Intersex and Asexual, people with a disability, neurodivergent applicants and people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds.
Spectrum Community Health CIC provides a range of award-winning healthcare services on behalf of the NHS, Local Authority Public Health services, and other partners across substance misuse, sexual health, and health and justice settings. As a not-for-profit social enterprise and Community Interest Company our focus is centred on people – our patients, service users, staff and partners.
The DART (Drug and Alcohol Recovery Team) Clinical Healthcare Assistant supports the delivery of safe and effective care to patients with substance misuse needs within a custodial healthcare setting. Working alongside nursing staff, the role involves assisting with patient monitoring and assessments, including physical health observations (NEWS2), withdrawal assessments (COWS, CIWA-A, CIWA-B), opioid toxicity checks, urine drug screening, phlebotomy, and ECG recordings. The HCA supports the delivery of DART clinics, including Buvidal injection clinics, BBV and sexual health screening, and assists with annual health reviews for patients prescribed Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST). The role involves working with complex and often vulnerable patients, including those with co-occurring mental health needs, providing support in a compassionate and recovery-focused manner. The post holder will provide harm reduction advice and health education, support patients who use illicit substances, and encourage engagement with treatment, recovery pathways, and positive health and lifestyle choices.
