Liaison and Diversion Practitioner - Police Custody

NHS; Bury St Edmunds; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading health service provider is seeking a Liaison and Diversion Practitioner for a full-time role in Bury St Edmunds. You will conduct triage assessments for detainees, collaborating closely with police to support individuals through the criminal justice system. Candidates should have a relevant professional registration and experience in mental health settings. The role offers a fixed-term contract with training provided.

Benefits

Comprehensive training programs

Annual leave increasing with service

NHS discounts

Qualifications

• Significant post-registration experience working in a mental health setting.
• Experience dealing with clients with personality disorders.
• Familiarity with risk assessments.

Responsibilities

• Complete triage and screening of service users within custody.
• Plan next steps with service users including referrals to relevant agencies.
• Collaborate with police for safe consultations.

Skills

Clinical assessment skills

Interpersonal skills

Knowledge of Mental Health Act

Ability to work independently

Education

Registered RMN, RLDN, OT or Social Worker

Job description

Liaison and Diversion Practitioner - Police Custody

We are looking for registered health or social care professionals to work in a team in a fast-paced criminal justice environment. You will need to be a registered RMN, RLDN, OT or Social Worker. You should be able demonstrate significant post-registration experience working in a mental health setting or relevant experience with service users with mental health issues.

For this post, you will work in police custody and complete triage assessments with people whilst they are detained there (from the age of ten). You will work closely with the police, your assessment and information gathering will support that person across the offender pathway. Depending on a person's criminal justice journey this may include Courts and Probation and the wider health and social care systems in the community.

Whilst the team all perform the Liaison and Diversion Practitioner role, your colleagues come from a range of professional backgrounds including social workers, paramedics, midwives, health visitors, approved mental health professionals, physical health nurses and a learning disability nurse.

In this role your criminal justice knowledge will greatly expand, so we welcome applicants who have not worked in this area as we can provide training and your knowledge will develop as you work across the team.

Main duties of the job

We are looking for a full time team member to join our team in Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre for a 12 month fixed term contract. Your primary role will be to complete holistic triage assessments for people who have been arrested and brought to police custody. You will possess excellent interpersonal skills that will enable you to challenge, motivate, influence, and inspire at all levels. As part of a small team, you will work various shift patterns comprising of mostly 9-hour shifts, to enable the service to cover extended hours, seven days per week, 365 days a year.

The working criminal justice locations include Police Investigation Centres (PIC's), Courts and other supporting criminal justice/health environments in line with service need. However, this role will primarily work inside the PIC (custody). The service covers both Norfolk and Suffolk and may require some cross county working. It is essential that you can travel independently.

Travel to other PICs could occur, mostly at Martlesham. You will also be required to complete remote telephone assessments depending on service needs at other PICs located further away.

About us

Benefits included with this role are: -

• Comprehensive in house & external training programmes
• Starting annual leave of 27 days per annum increasing to 33 days Per annum based on length of service (plus paid bank holidays)
• NHS discounts and many more

Here at NSFT we pride ourselves on being a welcoming, talented, friendly, and supportive team who like nothing better than sharing their experiences and learning from each other.

NSFT is committed to lifelong learning and continuous professional development (CPD) for its entire staff. There are a variety of definitions of CPD across the professions, but it is usually taken to mean learning activities which update existing skills.

CPD is determined through appraisal with a personal development plan agreed between an individual and their manager, with the commitment of the necessary time and resources.

Job responsibilities

• Complete triage and screening of service users within custody to assess their needs and create plans with them for support post custody by making onward referrals and signposting. This will include speaking to detainees in consultation rooms or when required via the cell hatch. This is in consultation with police to plan the safest way forward.
• Co-production with service users in creating their next steps plan/safety plan including referrals to a wide range of agencies - such as Turning Point, Wellbeing, Secondary Mental Health services, Crisis and Home Treatment Teams, Survivors in Transition, CRUSE, Domestic Abuse support services. This may include referrals for Mental Health Act assessments in consultation with colleagues, managers, and care teams of those detained.It is essential that you are skilled in mental health assessments.
• Work collaboratively with police colleagues, promoting partnership working across the criminal justice system.
• Able to work independently on own initiative to meet the needs of service users.
• Ensure service users needs are accurately reflected in health record documentation.
• Assist service users and carers to access information and support

Please find attached our Job Description and Person Specification for more detail on your Key Accountabilities, then if you feel you have what it takes to make a difference in your local communities, click APPLY!

Health Education England commissioned Skills for Health to develop a career and competence framework for Liaison and Diversion with the aim of developing a flexible workforce able to respond to people with vulnerabilities who are either in or at risk of becoming involved with the Criminal Justice System. The framework helps support the development and growth of the workforce in this area, within mental health services and supports the movement of staff between the different roles across the non-custodial criminal justice services, such as Reconnect, Court Health services, Court Wellbeing/MHRT teams and L and D services. The link to the Competency framework can be found below. Any new recruits will work through the framework with their mentor and line Manager during their induction period.

Candidates may only be given a minimum of 3 days notice regarding interviews. You will be contacted via email and invited to book a time. These emails may go to your SPAM, so please keep checking all your emails if applying.

Please visit our Facebook and Twitter page @SouthgateNSFT and @NSFTjobs

Person Specification

Qualifications

Experience

• Familiar with undertaking clinical assessments including risk assessments.
• Experience of working with challenging clients particularly those with personality disorders services.
• Experience of working with clients with severe learning disabilities or those in a secure environment.
• Previous experience of working in the community.

Knowledge

• Understanding of the policies and legislation that underpin the development of Liaison and Diversion
• Working knowledge of the application of the Mental Health Act 1983

Other

• Ability to travel independently.

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.

Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre

£38,682 to £46,580 a yeargross per annum

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Reference number

246-GYW7516690-A

Job locations

Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre