Health & Justice Liaison and Diversion Practitioner

CNWL NHS Foundation Trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A health service organization in Greater London is seeking a Liaison & Diversion Practitioner to work in court and police custody settings. The ideal candidate will have excellent communication skills, be able to work autonomously, and handle various assessments related to mental health issues. This challenging role requires flexible working hours and the ability to engage with a diverse range of service users, ensuring appropriate care and timely responses to referrals. Supervision and team support are provided.

Qualifications

• Candidates are required to undergo Metropolitan Police vetting clearance.
• Experience in mental health assessments is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Act as an autonomous practitioner in court and police detention cells.
• Assess individual’s mental state and implement care pathways.
• Maintain presence during shifts to respond to referrals.
• Screen youths in police custody and engage with guardians.
• Prepare accurate written reports following assessments.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Ability to work autonomously

Team collaboration

Flexible work hours

Job description

A Vacancy at Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

The service is funded through the NHS England Liaison and Diversion Programme. Liaison and Diversion (L & D) services aim to identify people who may have mental health issues, a learning disability, substance misuse issues or other vulnerabilities when they first come into contact with the criminal justice system.

Our direct contact with service users may take place at police stations or in the courts. Our work can be very challenging but we continue to aim to ensure that individuals receive the best and most appropriate care for their needs. Through screening, assessment and appropriate referral, we are able to promote better health outcomes, reduce re‑offending and reduce pressure on the police and court services.

The role of Liaison & Diversion Practitioner involves working with a wide range of services such as the police, probation, the court and legal services as well as both inpatient and community health and social care services. Our work includes unsocial hours on weekday evenings, weekends and Bank Holidays. Successful candidates will need to have excellent communication skills as well as the flexibility to work alongside these different groups. Candidates will need to be able to work effectively as part of a team as well as having the skills and confidence to work autonomously in a range of environments. Supervision and consultation are available to the team to support practice.

This post will cover both Willesden Magistrates Court and Wembley Police Custody Suite.

Vetting Requirements

Please note: Candidates will need to submit an application for Metropolitan Police vetting clearance and have it approved before a contract can be agreed. The following is guidance we have from the Metropolitan Police regarding vetting which you should take into consideration before you complete an application for this post:

• Non-declaration of criminal convictions or Police involvement;
• I.E investigations even if no further action, warnings, cautions (No matter how old)
• County court judgments
• Less than 3-year Residency
• Defaults – No debt management plans in place.
• Convictions which resulted in imprisonment or suspended sentence

• Vetting applications will be returned if any of the details are omitted
• ALL family members, partners, co-residents and parents’ partners must be provided
• Address history must run 5 years straight.

Key Responsibilities

• To act as an autonomous practitioner in court and police detention cells.
• The post holder will also be expected to assess an individual’s mental state and risk and within the context of the alleged offence and the criminal justice system, implement a care pathway for each individual.
• The post holder will maintain a presence on the site they are working for the duration of their shift in order to respond to referrals in a timely manner. The post holder’s responsibility is to check regularly for individuals to be seen in custody. If there is a need to leave the police custody suite, the post holder must leave a contact number with the custody staff and respond to calls.
• In the absence of the youth justice liaison and diversion worker, the post holder will be expected to screen any youths in police custody during a shift in police stations. This involves engaging with the young person and, at times, their guardians, and depending on the screening outcomes, may involve making onward referrals including safeguarding, youth offending teams and CAMHS.
• To undertake a full mental state assessment, risk assessment and gather a background history for individuals with a variety of needs. These would include those with a serious mental illness or personality disorder and associated learning, social, personal, dependency and substance misuse issues who are in police custody suites and court detention.
• To prepare accurate written reports following assessment in line with quality standards.
• To make clinical judgements in custody on situations as they arise or change.

This advert closes on Tuesday 30 Dec 2025.