Newly Qualified Liaison & Diversion Practitioner

Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 25,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare foundation in England seeks a newly qualified Liaison & Diversion Practitioner. The role entails supporting service users through police custody, court, and prison. Candidates should have a relevant degree and a passion for mental health support. This fulltime position offers flexible working and opportunities for career development. Excellent benefits include annual leave and wellbeing programs.

Benefits

Flexible working options

27 days' annual leave

Excellent career development opportunities

Cycle to Work scheme

Access to wellbeing services

Discounts at retailers

Generous parental leave

Qualifications

• Professional qualification or those expecting to qualify within 4 months.
• Current registration or pending registration with relevant body.
• Knowledge of the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act.

Responsibilities

• Support senior practitioners in police custody and courts.
• Triage and assess individual needs in the community settings.
• Provide timely written and verbal information to police and court.

Skills

Interest in Liaison and Diversion services

Ability to work as part of a team

Ability to think creatively

Education

Degree in Mental Health Nursing, Learning Disabilities Nursing, Occupational Therapy, or Social Work

Job description

Newly Qualified Liaison & Diversion Practitioner

Liaison & Diversion Newly Qualified Practitioner - Thames Valley - Band 5

We're looking for a recently/newly qualified (or those who expect to qualify within the next 4 months) Mental Health Nurse, Learning Disabilities nurse, Occupational Therapist or Social Worker to join our Thames Valley Liaison and Diversion team. You will have a keen interest in Liaison and Diversion and a passion about supporting our service users as they make their way through police custody, court and up to prison.

Post will be rotational over an 18-month period. Initially started in police custody then moving across to court for then our Prison Reconnect Team. Each section of the service will have set competencies to be completed. Following this 18-month period of working 9-5 Monday to Friday the role will transition into a police custody role working shifts.

You will be offered access to the trusts Preceptorship Programme or AYSE support.

Berkshire Healthcare has been awarded the 2023 National Preceptorship for Nursing Quality Mark.

Recognised with a number of awards, including a Thames Valley/Hampshire Constabulary Police Commendation, Berkshire Healthcare 'Team of the Year' and runner-up for the Howard League for Penal Reform 'Liaison and Diversion Service of the Year'.

Main duties of the job

You will work with and support the senior practitioner within police custody, court or prison.

Triage, screen and assess needs with support from senior practitioners within the following settings: police stations, prisons, custody suites, community settings and magistrates' courts and provide assessments, advice and identify robust care pathways, for individuals where a potential vulnerability has been identified.

Provide the police and court with written and verbal information pertaining to the individual in a timely fashion to inform disposal.

Work closely and build links with all referring agencies within the custody suite, court, and community

Working pattern + Service operating hours: Our service operates in police custody from 7am-8pm, 7 days a week currently using early/late/long days to fulfil this. Our service operates in court from 9am-5pm, 5 days a week. Our service operates across the Thames Valley area so travel across our sites will be expected, some of these sites are not accessible via public transport. Any request for specific working pattens can be considered In line with our flexible working policy.

This role will operate Monday - Friday, 9am to 5pm on a rotational basis across police custody, court and reconnect.

Work base: You will work from within police custody suites, court and prison on a rotational basis across Thames Valley.

About us

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we're committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.

Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:

• Caring for and about you is our top priority
• Committed to providing good quality, safe services
• Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions

Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:

• Flexible working options to support work-life balance
• 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
• Excellent learning and career development opportunities
• 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
• Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
• Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
• Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
• Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
• Free parking across Trust sites

FOR SECONDMENT ROLES ONLY - If the secondment role becomes permanent, the successful candidate may be offered the permanent position.

Job responsibilities

The must haves for this role:

• A professional qualification at degree level or equivalent in either Mental Health Nursing, Learning Disabilities Nursing, Occupational Therapy, or Social Work along with relevant registration or pending registration
• A keen interest in Liaison and Diversion services.
• Driving license with access to your own vehicle who is prepared to travel to multiple sites across Thames Valley as required.

For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.

We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.

Were committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.

We are happy to answer any questions that you may have. Please dont hesitate to call: Service Manager Steph Gray on 0300 365 5555 (TV) or [e-mail] wholl be delighted to help. You can find out more about the service on our website.

Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications/Training

• A professional qualification at degree level or equivalent in either Mental Health nursing, Learning Disability nursing, Occupational Therapy or Social Work, or those expecting to qualify within the next 4 months.
• Hold current registration with pertinent body (RMN/Learning Disability/Dual, Social worker, OT, Health Visitor) or have a pending registration application.

Previous Experience

• Knowledge of the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act
• Ability to think creatively and problem solve
• Ability to work as part a team
• Ability to teach junior staff and students
• Able to demonstrate motivation and interest to work within this field.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Ability to be flexible and adapt to changing situations
• Ability to work effectively with service users and carers in a collaborative manner
• Understanding of the theories underpinning the concept of recovery and the wider determinants of health
• Knowledge of the criminal justice system

Additional Requirements

• Demonstrable skills in written and spoken English, adequate to enable the post holder to carry out the role effectively
• Car owner / driver
• In addition to DBS there is additional requirement to secure police vetting for this role.

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.