Meet the team
Ann Norman RGN. PG DipN. Specialist Practitioner (General practice nursing).
Current role: RCN Professional Nurse Adviser for Learning Disability and Nursing in Criminal Justice Services.
My career in nursing within the NHS and the Prison Service has been varied. My background was that of a community nurse. I joined the Prison Service in 1992 and received a Nursing Standard award in 1998 for recognition of developing services to female prisoners . Later in 1999 I was awarded a further Prison Service award for my work at HMP Winchester. I have been a long standing RCN activist and was keenly involved in the development of forum status within the RCN. I was chair of the Prison nurses Forum between 1998- 2000.
I have been active in the past in writing for publication around the nursing roles in prisons and vulnerable people within our society. I co-edited a book in 2002 on 'Prison Nursing' (Blackwell publishing)
In 1999 I was seconded to the Department of Health (Prison Health Task Force) and in 2000 my role was that of Assistant Director of Nursing in a national cross government department.
In 2004 I was seconded to RCN in my current role where I assist in the development of policy, support members locally and nationally across the 4 UK countries.
I support two very active and enthusiastic forums and aim to continue that support in the interests of both prisoners, prison nursing staff, individuals who have a learning disability and the nurses who provide care to them
Liz Walsh -
Forum Chair
Senior Lecturer in Offender Health, School of Health Care, University of Leeds
I had positive experiences in prison health care during nurse training and I've been working in and around offender health care ever since qualifying in 1995. Since I left clinical nursing in prisons in 2000, I've worked in nurse education, research and practice development, supporting both nurses and students (both pre- and post-registration) who work with offenders.
As a practice developer and researcher, I've undertaken key projects to support nurses in developing practice, such as developing and implementing clinical supervision and reflection across the prison estate, and addressing the emotional labour of caring for offenders. My current work focuses on the need for a truly multidisciplinary approach to practice in prison, recognising the importance of work with discipline colleagues.
Having nursed in prisons and now working with practitioners who care for offenders, I understand current challenges in providing care in a custodial setting, where care and custody are competing priorities. I'm keen to see these nurses afforded the support they need to ensure continued delivery of high quality care, and for wider policy and strategy to be influenced by nurses with relevant experience and enthusiasm in this challenging area.
James Mullins
Integrated Clinical Lead for Forensic mental health services, Bedfordshire
James began his nursing career as a health care assistant at the age of 16. Working at local elderly nursing homes, he gained essential experience before embarking on his registered nurse training at Edinburgh’s Napier University in 2000.
On completion of a Diploma in Adult Nursing, James, worked as a staff nurse at the department of Clinical Neurosciences at Edinburgh’s Western General Hospital. In 2004, he began a Bachelor of mental health nursing degree, again studying at Napier University. At this time he also took a role as a senior staff nurse at one of Europe’s leading private addictions clinics, Castle Craig Hospital near Edinburgh. James worked at Castle Craig for two years, an experience that involved caring for individuals from such diverse backgrounds as members of the royal family and MP’s to those affected by homelessness.
Following this, he was appointed to the post of substance misuse clinical nurse specialist at HMP Bedford in November 2006. He was later appointed to the post of Head of the Mental Health Inreach Service at HMP Bedford in February 2008.
Employed in this role by South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, James oversaw the development of mental health services to prisoners at HMP Bedford and tailored the practice to suit the needs of a busy remand population. He was appointed as integrated clinical lead for forensic mental health services in Bedfordshire in August 2011 giving him a countywide remit which includes HMP Bedford, Robin Pinto Low secure unit and Community forensic mental health teams.
James also has a position of visiting lecturer to the University of Bedfordshire and teaches on the ‘Care of mentally disordered offenders’ whilst also providing training to various criminal justice agencies.
James has been published in both the Care programme approach journal, ‘The Approach’ and the ‘Mental health practice’ nursing journal. He was also Highly Commended by the Care programme approach association awards in 2010 in the category of ‘Excellence in CPA policy and practice standards’.
James hobbies include following Heart of Midlothian Football Club, fishing, rugby, running, cinema, listening to music, reading and walking.
Emma Helen Bradley
Head of Medical Services G4S
Effective health services in secure environments are key to reducing re-offending and improving the physical and mental wellbeing of prisoners and detainees. Nurse-led services are clearly the way forward if offender health is to be an extension of health care delivery in the wider NHS.
Nurses have a large part to play in developing appropriate, effective and practical policies, and should be supported at local and national levels to engage and contribute to policymaking.
The challenges of nursing in secure environments should not be underestimated and this forum is an ideal platform to highlight the valued work we do. I actively promote those working in prison/police/immigration settings to raise public awareness and build on the forum's good work in breaking down the myths of caring for individuals "behind the walls".
I've worked in offender health for 12 years in a range of establishments and at various levels. Working with offenders plays an important part in society to reduce social and health inequalities, and I welcome the opportunity to support the RCN in its work and, importantly, our members in their day-to-day work and the challenges they face.
Donna Louise Goddard - Newsletter Editor
Clinical Service Manager for Immigration and Offender Health, Solent NHS.
In prison nursing, a specialism in its own right, we are passionate about improving health outcomes for patients and we play a vital advocacy role on behalf of this vulnerable group. Access to continuous professional development, both general and prison-specific, is pivotal to empowering us as clinicians, prescribers, leaders, advocates and catalysts for change.
Prison nurses are ideally placed to inform government and NHS bodies of what needs to be done to improve offender health and impact positively on their families and the wider community. We can be key advisers on research to effect change and deliver offender-specific, evidence-based health and social care.
Nevertheless, we often face isolation and challenging working environments on a 24 hour basis. Building stronger links with nurses across the whole spectrum of the criminal justice system and the community would improve morale and provide an energised forum to share experience and build peer supervision.
As a committee member, I will work with you to improve general and prison-specific professional development, forge links with nurses across the CJS and community, and enable more nurses to become involved in the Offender Health Research Network, including research.
Calum Charles Meiklejohn
Service Manager, AWP Criminal Justice Liaison Services
I have been an RMN since 1985, and I have worked as a clinician and manager in secure mental health services for most of my continuous career in the NHS.
Since 1998 I have been actively working in prison mental health. I completed my original MSc research in a remand prison, looking at the attitudes and beliefs of prison staff towards mentally ill prisoners. Starting in 2005 I have been involved in developing mental health services in the prisons and courts in the south west of England.
Consequently I feel confident in representing the area of mental health on the forum committee. As an experienced clinician and manager in the delivery of mental health to the Criminal Justice Liaison Services, I believe that I can represent RCN members on the national level.
The delivery of health to the criminal justice services is developing and nurses working in criminal justice services require a forum to represent them. That's why our forum should be proactive in representing issues raised by members and advocating nursing issues to wider stakeholders involved in policy and practice issues on behalf of our members.
Karen Swinson
Custody Care Consultant, Metropolitan Police
My career in forensic health care commenced in 1999 when I was appointed to lead an inaugural Home Office pilot at Kent Police to introduce nurses into police custody suites. This created a unique service provision of health care within police custody and received a Home Office Beacon Award in 2000. I was then appointed to manage the Forensic Medical Services Department including the Forensic Medical Examiners.
I currently work in the Metropolitan Police Service to establish the ultimate health care service provision for London, as part of the Emerald Custody Directorate Team.
Nationally my experience includes:
• Home Office - Police and Criminal Evidence Act, Codes of Practice amendments, Code C, 2000-2003
• Medicines and Health care products Regulatory Agency - Sale, supply and administration of medicines under Patient Group Directions, 2002
• Skills for Health - National occupational standards for health care professionals working in police custody settings, 2006-2007
• Independent Police Complaints Commission - research for Near misses report, 2006-2007.
As Nursing Standard's Nurse of the Year 2008 in Innovations in Criminal Justice, I was able to highlight this work to Prime Minister Gordon Brown at 10 Downing Street.
Bryan Keith Williamson
Senior Staff Nurse, HMP Wealstun
I am an RMN, working in HM prisons since 1996, and an active member of the RCN Leeds Branch, representing members at HMP Leeds, HMYOI Wetherby and HMP Wealstun since 2005. I'm also involved with the Nursing in Criminal Justice Services Network and am a frequent contributor to the RCN Discussion Zone.
On several occasions I've spoken passionately to Congress on prison health care issues and primary mental health care deficiencies, and will continue pursuing service improvement and development of inter-professional care pathways.
I will also continue striving to make sure that health care in a custodial setting is at least equal to patients' expectations and will not compromise on quality to achieve targets.
Nurses working in a custodial setting are a highly skilled, professional group of dedicated individuals who expose themselves to unprecedented risks day after day, under constant threat of litigation.
As both a trade union and a professional body, the RCN is uniquely placed to address the concerns of its members, but needs effective advocates. I will never tire of challenging unmanageable systems of working or of speaking out when I am aware of members' concerns.