Band 7 Criminal Justice Senior Practitioner-Swindon

Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust; Swindon; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust is seeking a compassionate Senior Practitioner to provide clinical leadership within the Integrated Non-Custodial Service. You will oversee liaison and diversion across police custody, courts and community settings, guiding a multidisciplinary team with a clinical caseload.

The role requires RMN or registered social worker status, with experience in complex assessments, risk management and safeguarding, plus strong communication and leadership

Qualifications

• Registered RMN or Registered Social Worker with current registration.
• Experience in complex assessment, care planning and safeguarding.
• Strong leadership, communication and analytical skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day clinical leadership and oversight of the liaison and diversion pathway.
• Offer clinical and managerial supervision to the MDT.
• Develop and disseminate care packages with evidence-based interventions.
• Maintain a clinical caseload and ensure supervision.
• Provide first-line support for staff on clinical risk and safeguarding.
• Collaborate with Team Managers to triage, assess and allocate referrals.
• Promote inclusive leadership and staff development across the team.
• Support recruitment, onboarding and staff retention.

Skills

Clinical leadership

Team supervision

Multi-agency working

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Education

RMN or Registered Social Worker

Job description

Job overview

AWP is seeking a compassionate Senior Practitioner to provide clinical leadership within our Integrated Non-Custodial Service.

Working across police custody, courts and community settings, you will lead the Liaison and Diversion pathway, identifying and supporting people with mental health needs, neurodivergence, learning disabilities, substance misuse issues and other vulnerabilities at their first contact with the criminal justice system. You will provide day-to-day clinical leadership and supervision to a multidisciplinary team while maintaining a clinical caseload. You will oversee trauma-informed screening, assessment, risk management, safeguarding and onward referral, ensuring safe, evidence-based and person-centred practice. Working with police, courts, probation, health, social care and voluntary-sector partners, you will strengthen pathways and continuity of care.

You will be a Registered Mental Health Nurse or registered Social Worker with current professional registration, relevant post-registration experience and knowledge of legislation. You will have experience of complex assessment, care planning, clinical supervision and multi-agency working, supported by strong communication, leadership and analytical skills. Flexibility and frequent travel are required. If you share our PRIDE values and are committed to outstanding care for vulnerable people, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

2.1Provide day-to-day clinical leadership and oversight of the liaison and diversion pathway. This will include ensuring we have the right processes in place that adhere to safe governance principles and policy.

2.2Offer clinical supervision and managerial supervision to the Intensive team and other members of the MDT as required

2.3Develop and disseminate packages of care which may include a variety of evidenced based interventions that work with women

2.4Hold a clinical caseload as appropriate, with adherence to professional registration as well as attending your own clinical supervision.

2.5Provide first line support for staff in managing clinical risk and safeguarding concerns ensuring appropriate escalation and multi -agency collaboration.

2.6Work closely with Team Managers to support effective triage, assessment and allocation of referrals.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1.1Provide inclusive, compassionate and effective leadership for your team by setting clear vision and direction.

1.2Develop a culture and environment in which members of staff are encouraged and supported to deliver high- quality services and are supported to innovate and improve services where appropriate.

1.3Encourage your team to feel able to raise concerns openly and safely.

1.4Promote equality of opportunity in service delivery and employment, ensuring that no person receives less favourable treatment than another on the grounds of gender, marital status, race, religion, creed, colour nationality ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation or disability.

1.5Support prompt recruitment by identifying vacancies to the AWP Recruitment Team as soon as they arise, and participate in the selection and effective induction and onboarding of new joiners to the team.

1.6Ensure that all team members have a very positive introduction to the team and a well-supported first year.

1.7Take responsibility for encouraging people to stay with AWP, ensuring that you are aware whenever a member of your team is considering leaving, seeking to understand their reasons and encouraging them to stay.

1.8Ensure that key messages are cascaded in your team and that your team are encouraged to put forward suggestions.

1.9Show appreciation to your team when they do good work and support them when they are struggling.

1.10Consider the individual needs of team members for a healthy work-life balance and think about how their needs can be supported by providing flexible ways of working.

1.11Support all team members to keep their mandatory and statutory training up-to-date and identify the learning and development needs of all team members of the team ensuring that everyone has an up-to-date personal development plan (PDP).

1.12Ensure that every team member as at least an hour of supervision (one-to-one meeting) each month, this may include both managerial and clinical supervision.

1.13Ensure all team members receive a constructive assessment of their performance each year and set SMART objectives for the coming year.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• 1. Registered MENTAL Health Nurse (RMN) OR Registered Social worker (CQSW or DipSW)
• 2. Current relevant Registration ie NMC Social Work England.
• 3. Significant evidence of post registration professional development

Desirable criteria

• 1. Leadership or management qualification

Experience

Essential criteria

• 1. Substantial post registration experience gained working in front line services
• 3. Experience of providing clinical supervision to colleagues
• 4. Experience of mentoring and assessing students
• 9. Significant experience of complex assessment, risk management and care planning in complex need

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• 2. Detailed and advanced knowledge of relevant legislation/ legal frameworks including Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and safeguarding
• 7. Demonstrates a highly developed understanding of the principles of recovery and the role of secondary mental health services in the delivery of care and able to show how this has been delivered in practice

Desirable criteria

• 7. Demonstrates a highly developed understanding of the principles of recovery and the role of secondary mental health services in the delivery of care and able to show how this has been delivered in practice

Skills

Essential criteria

• 1. Teaching and training Skills
• 2. Highly developed communication skills both verbal and written with the ability to engage effectively with people at all levels even when a more assertive approach is needed.

Desirable criteria

• 1. Research Skills