Health & Justice Liaison and Diversion Practitioner

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust; London; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

An established health service provider is seeking a Health & Justice Liaison and Diversion Practitioner to join their dedicated team. This role is crucial in providing assessments and support to individuals in police custody and courts, ensuring that those with mental health issues receive the necessary care. You will work collaboratively with various agencies to enhance the quality of service delivery. The position requires flexibility with unsocial hours and offers an opportunity to make a significant impact in the lives of vulnerable individuals. If you are passionate about mental health and justice, this role is perfect for you.

Qualifications

• Registered Mental Nurse or equivalent with current professional registration.
• Experience in community or forensic psychiatric settings.

Responsibilities

• Conduct mental state assessments and risk assessments for individuals in custody.
• Prepare reports and communicate findings to relevant parties.
• Engage with vulnerable clients and ensure appropriate referrals.

Skills

Mental Health Assessment

Crisis Intervention

Report Writing

Communication Skills

Risk Assessment

Multi-Agency Collaboration

Education

Registered Mental Nurse

Mental Health Social Worker

Occupational Therapist

Job description

Health & Justice Liaison and Diversion Practitioner

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Health & Justice Liaison and Diversion Practitioner

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Join to apply for the Health & Justice Liaison and Diversion Practitioner role at Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Job Overview

The post holder will work under the remit of the Health & Justice Liaison and Diversion Services providing a proactive assessment, liaison and diversion service in all Police Custody Suites and Magistrates’ Courts in the area.

Job Overview

The post holder will work under the remit of the Health & Justice Liaison and Diversion Services providing a proactive assessment, liaison and diversion service in all Police Custody Suites and Magistrates’ Courts in the area.

The service will cover all ages and vulnerabilities, including youths in police custody. The post holder will be part of an established liaison and diversion service and work in partnership with health, social services and the criminal justice system, to ensure that individuals presenting with mental health problems or other vulnerabilities can have their needs addressed and be diverted into appropriate health care services as necessary. Enhancing and developing relationships within Criminal Justice Services and building strong links between Health, Social Services and the Criminal Justice System itself is an essential role of the post holder. You will work in a collaborative way with local community Mental Health Services, and other statutory/non-statutory agencies ensuring a high quality liaison and diversion service is provided to individuals. Unsocial working hours will be required for this post. Shifts will be based on a 7 day rota which all practitioners are expected to participate in.

Main duties of the job

• 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 be able to respond to referrals in a timely manner. It is the post holder’s responsibility to check regularly if there is anyone 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 their shift in police stations. This will involve 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.
  
  

Working for our organisation

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.

This post will cover both Uxbridge Magistrates Court and Heathrow Police Custody Suite.

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:

Common failures

• Non-declaration of criminal convictions or Police involvement;
  
  

I.E investigations even if no further action, warnings, cautions (No matter how old)

• County court judgements
• 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.
  
  

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

• 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 accept referrals from Custody Sergeants in the police custody suites, and in court, from Court cell area, the Bench, Council, Probation, DIP Team workers, solicitors, family or the defendant or any other Court user, who become aware of or have clients with a dual diagnosis or are presenting with a possible mental disorder. This is in addition to accepting referrals from in-patient services and CMHTs.
• Undertake Court work with same day assessments on identified vulnerable clients, who appear over night from the custody suites and who have not been previously seen at the Police Station. To ensure that information is passed to the defence team and the Court Clerk in a manner in keeping with the information sharing protocol. Following the hearing to ensure that information concerning proceedings and the assessment is passed to the GP and other services involved with the client. Where remanded to prison to ensure that information is passed to the mental health in reach team or the reception at the Prison.
  
  

Person specification

Education And Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Qualified Registered Mental Nurse, Mental Health Social Worker or Occupational Therapist with current registration with the relevant professional body
• Substantial evidence of continuing professional development and post registration training
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Post registration qualification in forensic mental health.
  
  

Previous Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary/multi-agency team.
• Post-registration experience, at least 12 months of which is experience of working in a community or forensic psychiatric setting at Band 6 or equivalent or above.
• Experience of crisis work and risk assessment
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Experience of working in forensic psychiatry.
• Experience of the assessment of clients with drug/alcohol related problems and clients with a history of transience or homelessness.
• Experience in Liaison and Diversion.
  
  

Skills and knowledge

Essential criteria

• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• The ability to make comprehensive psycho-social assessments and good report writing skills.
• Ability to make sound and safe risk assessments
• Evidence of effective time management and organisational skills
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and to work as a member of a multi-disciplinary/multi-agency team.
• Evidence of effective networking and liaison experience
• Ability to treat service users with respect and dignity at all times, adopting a culturally sensitive approach that considers the needs of the whole person.
• Able to build constructive relationships with warmth and empathy, using good communication skills.
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Skills in assessing people with forensic history or need.
• Knowledge of current legislation relating to community mental health provision and forensic psychiatry
• Knowledge of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1884 and PACE Codes of Practice 2004.
• Ability to promote users' involvement.
• Experience of working with vulnerable children and young persons.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Health Care Provider

• Industries

  Hospitals and Health Care

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