5. Training and development

Working in custody brings its own unique challenges as well as medical emergencies.

Detainees arriving in custody come from many different backgrounds needing varying amounts of clinical input. The cross section of society you'll see within a custody suite is largely similar to an Accident and Emergency (A&E) department at any given time.

Induction and assessment

This is a unique role for a healthcare professional and as such requires a significant period of supernumerary work (where new staff aren't counted as part of the workforce when in training).

This is reflected in our dedicated six week induction and assessment process which is protected time where you'll grow an in-depth understanding of the requirements of the role before working independently.

We welcome all healthcare practitioners (HCPs) with advanced skills and qualifications, although this is not a pre-requisite of being a custody HCP.

As a senior management group we provide a 24 hours a day, seven days a week, emergency on-call service with all area managers being qualified independent prescribers.

We are currently supporting HCPs to obtain independent prescriber status at university. The majority of nurses and paramedics we employ are not prescribers upon entry.

Further training

We offer yearly funding to enhance HCPs' knowledge base to attend courses which will improve their clinical abilities after discussion with their line manager. We aim to deliver a highly-skilled workforce and aim to support willing HCPs through their Master’s degrees, advanced clinical practitioner exams and research projects.

The world of forensic nursing is a growing field and it's likely to involve HCPs as expert witnesses in the near future. Therefore, being qualified to a high standard will be of huge importance moving forwards.