Liaison & Diversion Practitioner – Court Pathway

NHS; Kidderminster; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

An exciting opportunity to join the Liaison & Diversion Team as a Practitioner, working within the criminal justice system to support individuals with mental health, substance misuse, and other vulnerabilities. This role involves assessing needs, providing recommendations to courts, and ensuring holistic care across agencies in community settings.

Benefits

Career development and progression support

Generous annual leave balance

Options for flexible working

Health and Wellbeing support

Salary sacrifice car and bike options

Free flu vaccinations

Advice support linked to a Hardship Fund

Qualifications

• Registered Mental Health Nurse or Social Worker required.
• Degree or equivalent experience in healthcare.
• Knowledge of assessing clients in community settings.

Responsibilities

• Conduct holistic health assessments for service users.
• Provide written reports for courts and attend hearings.
• Develop and follow risk management plans.

Skills

Knowledge of mental health issues

Knowledge of Criminal Justice System

Assessing and mitigating risk

Knowledge of safeguarding

Specialist knowledge in substance misuse

Communication skills

Education

Professional Mental Health Nursing or equivalent

Degree qualification in relevant subject

Documented equivalent experience

Job description

Go back Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Liaison & Diversion Practitioner – Court Pathway

The closing date is 30 June 2025

An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Liaison & Diversion Team for the role of Liaison & Diversion Practitioner based in Magistrates Court

Liaison & Diversion (L&D) services identify people who have substance misuse, mental health, learning disability or other vulnerabilities when they first come onto contact with the criminal justice system. We look to identify unmet need and vulnerabilities that often lead to or exacerbate offending behaviour, offer onward referral and signposting as appropriate. We liaise across agencies to support onward planning and intervention to address identified needs and where appropriate support the diversion of individuals away from the criminal justice process into a more appropriate setting.

We work in Police Custody Suites, Courts and Community throughout West Mercia and offer assessments to individuals within the Criminal Justice system including Voluntary Attendees. We help to inform decision makers with relevant and timely information to support sentencing and disposal outcomes.

We offer brief community based intervention to maximise service user access and engagement with appropriate services.

This is an 'all age' service and so you will be required to work with people from the age of 10 years upwards.

The post holder will be expected to travel across the MPFT footprint*

Main duties of the job

**Please refer to the attached Job Description in summary:**

Take responsibility for holistic health assessment (within service specification) in Liaison and Diversion in conjunction with service user and carer (If necessary), helping to promote self-determination, choice and autonomy.

To provide a written report for Crown or Magistrates Courts or to attend and give verbal evidence as required. To offer considered recommendations to these bodies.

Assess service users individual needs, agree and refer on to appropriate agency.

Complete and contribute, where appropriate to robust risk assessments and risk management plans. Deliver and promote positive risk taking, where appropriate, to improve quality of life and maximise occupational performance/independence.

Maintain an effective reporting system by observing and reporting verbally and electronically in health records.

Utilise agreed outcome measures to review the effectiveness of process, as part of Liaison and Diversion Service.

To use both Silvercloud and Justice Star tools in supporting service users.

To provide feedback to youth justice panels and Youth Offending services.

About us

By joining Team MPFT, you will be helping your communities and in return for this, we will support you by;

• Supporting your career development and progression
• Generous maternity, paternity and adoption leave
• Options for flexible working
• Up to 27 days annual leave (increasing with service up to 33 days) and the opportunity to purchase additional leave
• Extensive Health and Wellbeing support and resources
• If you work in our community teams, we pay for your time travelling between patients
• Lease car if you complete more than 500 business miles per annum, fully insured and maintained (including tyres), mileage paid at lease car rate
• Salary sacrifice car - fully insured and maintained (including tyres), your gross pay is reduced by the cost of the vehicle before tax, NI and pension deductions are calculated, mileage paid at business rates
• Salary sacrifice bikes up to £2k
• Free car parking at all trust sites
• Free flu vaccinations every year
• Citizens Advice support linked with a Hardship Fund for one off additional support up to £250 (if the criteria is met)

And more. We are proud to be a diverse and inclusive organisation and there is a choice of staff networks that help you meet like-minded people.

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification for more information.

Registered Mental Health Nurse/ Learning Disability Nurse/Registered General Nurse on NMC Register.

or

Professional Social Work qualification, DipSW, CQSW, CSS, BA, MA or Foreign qualification where certified by the Professional Social Work regulatory body. Ensuring current registration with the Professional Social Work regulatory body at all times.

or

Occupational Therapist/Speech and Language therapist registered with HCPC - health and Care Professions Council.

Person Specification

QUALIFICATIONS & TRAINING

• Professional recognised qualification such as RMN, RGN, Learning Disability Nurse, Social Worker, Occupational Therapist, AHP.
• Knowledge of mental health issues and/or learning disability. Knowledge of Criminal Justice System, including roles and responsibilities of staff working in it. Knowledge of use and interpretation of health screening tools. Knowledge of assessing and mitigating risk - including risk of harm to self and others. Knowledge of a wide range of vulnerabilities including the needs of children and young people. Knowledge and understanding of capacity and consent. Knowledge of theoretical approaches to working with vulnerable people. Knowledge of appropriate health and social care interventions. Knowledge of relevant law, as a minimum; Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, Children Act, Social Care Act and PACE code C. Knowledge of human growth and development. Knowledge of Safeguarding Adults and Children Knowledge of Information Governance, Data Protection and GDPR
• Degree qualification in relevant subject or demonstrable evidence or equivalent experience relevant to field of practice.
• Specialist knowledge in substance misuse. Specialist knowledge in Autism and ADHD. Specialist knowledge in Personality Disorder Specialist knowledge Domestic Violence. Knowledge of Psychosocial and Psychological Approach.

EXPERIENCE

• Evidence of extensive post registration experience with working with Clients experiencing mental health related difficulties
• Experience of working with Clients who have difficulty in engaging with services and have complex health & social needs
• Experience of assessing, planning, co-ordinating and managing people with vulnerabilities in a community setting.
• Experience of leading/contributing to CPA/SAP process

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.

Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust