16 April 2020

A Sexual Health Nurse from CNWL’s Surrey service who was redeployed to work in one of its Offender Care services in the county overcame her fears at the prospect of working in offender care.

Emily Stephenson, who is normally based at Buryfields Clinic, Guildford, was among seven staff asked to cover for shortages due to Coronavirus.

All feared the worst, but Emily, 44, said: “I really couldn’t have wished for a better transition. It’s been a really interesting experience and hasn’t been anything like I was expecting.

“Now my manager is maybe worried I won’t want to come back and I definitely would like to join the Bank and do some shifts here when all this is over because I’m enjoying my time here.”

She sees some similarities between what she did in sexual health and what she is doing now. “I’m interested in rehabilitation and in building self-esteem and in sexual health I tended to be empowering people,” she says.

Among her duties in the prison are medication rounds and health and wellbeing checks of prisoners.

The redeployment took place at the same time as the Offender Care Service in Surrey was launching a new service at YOI Feltham and was taking over the mobilisation of a new GP service at HMP Send and HMP Downview.

Regional Operational Manager Lloyd Kristian added: “Trying to mobilise a new GP service in the midst of all this was no mean feat but we achieved it.

“Understandably the team from Sexual Health Services had their concerns, but we have helped to allay these fears and concerns. What they’ve found has been a very welcoming and supportive atmosphere.

“I’ve been hugely impressed with the adaptability and flexibility of the staff who’ve come over to us to help us out.

“Their willingness to join us – albeit temporarily – shows that the NHS is one large family.

“Working in Offender Care does bring its own challenges and is not for everyone, so I’m pleased the team has settled in so well and so quickly.”

Emily added: “What’s been really beneficial for me and is a message I want other nurses to hear as well is not to write off working in Offender Care, spend some time with them to try to lose some preconceived notions that even I held at one time. I can say I feel perfectly safe working here. I really like the caring and non-judgmental philosophy I’ve found here.”

Managing Director of CNWL’s Offender Care Service, Patrick Gillespie added: “It’s brilliant they’ve come out of their own speciality and want to come into a role that’s completely new to them.

“It’s very courageous of them to do that and it also says a lot about their commitment to want to work with patients in a completely different setting.

“I’m also personally very grateful to them that they are putting themselves out of their comfort zone to come into a challenging environment.

“It’s wonderful to hear that they are enjoying the challenge and are finding it interesting.”

Deputy Service Director for HIV and Sexual Health Services in Surrey, Alasdair Tudhope said: “We’re really proud of our Sexual Health staff who have stepped up to the challenge of coronavirus, moving to help other services in very different roles and settings to their normal job at extremely short notice.

“It’s fantastic to see services able to respond and help each other at this time of need. We’re very grateful for the supportive welcome they’ve been given and really pleased to hear how our staff have been getting on working in Offender Care.”