Crown Court Mental Health Lead

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 47,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional health organization in Cambridge seeks a Crown Court Mental Health Lead to deliver crucial liaison services and provide clinical leadership in court systems. This role involves working independently across multiple sites, requiring a full UK driver's license. Ideal candidates will possess relevant qualifications and experience in mental health within criminal justice environments.

Qualifications

• Qualified band 7 practitioner with professional registration.
• Experience delivering care in health or criminal justice settings.
• Skills in liaising with various stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Deliver and manage the Liaison and Diversion service.
• Provide consultation and support to the courts.
• Develop, implement, and evaluate care programmes.

Skills

Clinical leadership

Communication skills

Risk management

Multi-agency teamwork

Clinical report writing

Education

Relevant core professional Qualification e.g. RMN, RNLD, SW

Post graduate qualification or equivalent experience

Job description

Crown Court Mental Health Lead

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 20 November 2025

An exciting opportunity is available for new roles within the Cambridgeshire Liaison and Diversion Service.

We are looking for two qualified band 7 practitioners to work within the Crown Courts in Peterborough and Cambridge. They are dynamic, have excellent communication skills and can work independently within probation and the judiciary service.

Please note for this role you will be required to travel independently around the county meeting strict time deadlines. You will need to hold a full UK driving licence and have use of a vehicle. You cannot use public transport for this role as this is not a reliable form of transport and will not allow you to meet service needs. Please confirm in your application that you meet the specified criteria.

Main duties of the job

The Crown Court Liaison and Diversion Practitioner will have responsibility for delivering the Liaison and Diversion service across the two Cambridgeshire Crown Courts and will also be expected to provide clinical leadership to colleagues in the screening, assessment, treatment and management of vulnerable children and adults accessing the wider Liaison and Diversion Service.

The post holder will provide consultation, advice and support to the courts and wider team as well as providing formulations, assessments and clinically proven brief interventions to individuals presenting with vulnerabilities in the criminal justice system.

It is expected that the post holder will spend 80% of their time in the delivery of direct/indirect clinical care. The post holder will be expected to support the leadership and will be responsible for the day to day running of the service if required.

The post holder will be expected to be flexible in terms of delivering care within the Cambridge Crown Court, Peterborough Crown Court and expected to provide clinical cover and input in Magistrates courts across Cambridgeshire including Huntingdon Law Courts.

The post-holder will carry continuing responsibility for the assessment of care needs, the development, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care, and the setting of standards of care within the team.

They will need to be able to write robust clear and concise reports on outcome and recommendations to share with stakeholders.

About us

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high-quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting and empowering them to lead a fulfilling life.

Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services, not only via inpatient and primary care settings, but also within the community. These services include children's, adult and older people's mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, research and development.

To achieve our goal, we look to recruit high-calibre candidates who share our vision and values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including people with long term conditions and members of our ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities.

Please be advised we reserve the right to close adverts earlier than the closing date should we receive sufficient applications.

Regrettably, we cannot offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you apply for a role that we cannot offer sponsorship for, unfortunately, your application form will be rejected from the process.

For further information on CPFT, please visit our website at www.cpft.nhs.uk.

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities

• The post holder will have extensive knowledge of the principles underpinning liaison and diversion, demonstrated by specific experience and academic knowledge.
• To contribute directly and indirectly to improving the understanding of liaison and diversion to the benefit of all users of the service, across all settings and agencies serving the user group.
• To undertake screening, assessment of people in the Crown court, on remand and wider community.
• Provide immediate advice in relation to access to mental health services/referral pathways to Court users and individuals.
• Provide oral and written evidence in the court arena when required.
• To provide specialist mental health advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to identification, formulation and intervention plans in line with health, social care and criminal justice pathways.
• Participate in regular clinical supervision as per Trust policy.
• Undertake a practitioner role as required to maintain direct assessment and care skills.
• Oversee smooth operational pathways of magistrates courts, i.e. Cambridge, Peterborough and Huntingdon, and cover those clinical areas as and when required.
• Development and implementation of integrated care pathways, including appropriate service user assessments/referrals and models of care.
• Provide information, education and support for family members, carers and other relevant professionals.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

• Relevant core professional Qualification e.g. RMN, RNLD, SW with current professional registration.
• Post graduate qualification or equivalent level of experience and proven ability to perform at this level.
• Evidence of continuing professional development in relevant area
• Evidence of management development

Experience

• Experienced practitioner at Band 6 level with a good working knowledge of how health and social care services are delivered in a community setting.
• Ability to identify and support the management of risk to others in a proportionate and defensible manner.
• Demonstrable understanding and experience of the interface between Health Services and the Criminal Justice System.
• Ability to identify need, assess, plan and deliver care with compassion in an often-pressured environment.
• Effective team working within a multi-agency framework
• Reflective approach to supervision of others.
• Management and supervision of staff
• Effective change management
• Demonstrate experience of problem-solving approaches
• Audit and research practices relevant to clinical area

Knowledge and Skills

• Awareness and understanding of Health & Social Care Assessment
• Good understanding of the political landscape and challenges in which Healthcare Services operate.
• Experience of delivering effective clinical and management supervision.
• Good working knowledge of how health and social care services are delivered in a community setting.
• Ability to identify and support the management of risk to others in a proportionate and defensible manner.
• Understanding of, or experience of the interface between Health Services and the Criminal Justice System and Recovery Safeguarding, Mental Health Act 1983 and other Relevant national policies and guidance
• Up to date clinical knowledge relevant to the care environment.
• Ability to produce high quality clinical reports to reflect identified vulnerabilities and concerns as well as provide the Judiciary with appropriate recommendations on diversion/disposal options.
• Ability to communicate in a variety of settings and establish productive relationships with judiciary, probation and legal representatives in court settings.
• Ability to delegate and coordinate tasks
• Ability to prioritise and work to deadlines
• Flexible approach/ creative thinking IT skills
• Wider range of statutory and non-statutory services available for individuals who offend.

Personal Qualities

• Demonstrate a commitment to always respecting and displaying the Trust Values
• Can use constructive feedback and openly seeks to review and reflect on own style and presentation
• Resilient and self-motivated with drive and vision, a can-do attitude and can work on own initiative
• Empathy towards the needs of people using mental health related services and a vision of how services can make step changes

Other

• Access to own transport to travel across clinical sites

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

£47,810 to £54,710 a year pro rata