RECONNECT Practitioner

Saint Andrews Limited; Long Eaton; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization is seeking a health professional to join their Health and Justice Reconnect Team in Derbyshire. The role involves assessing and supporting individuals with complex needs within the criminal justice system. Applicants should be registered health professionals with criminal justice knowledge and experience in managing vulnerabilities. The position offers flexibility and commitment to professional development.

Benefits

27 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Generous NHS pension scheme

Free confidential employee assistance programme

Qualifications

• Registered/qualified health professional.
• 2 years experience working with vulnerabilities.

Responsibilities

• Work in a Health and Justice Reconnect service.
• Complete assessments within the Derbyshire prisons.
• Deliver a high-quality clinical service to service users.

Skills

Criminal Justice knowledge

Experience working with vulnerabilities

Education

Registered/qualified health professional

Job description

The post holder will be working within a Health and Justice Reconnect Team, with the flexibility of working across the wider Health and Justice service for Derbyshire, dependent on skill and service need. RECONNECT is not itself a treatment service, but it is an identification, assessment and referral service. Staff use national assessment tools to complete a health needs assessment which identifies any unmet health needs. This then aids staff with the information to make appropriate referrals for treatment and support. RECONNECT staff then share specific health requirements and vulnerabilities of an individual with the criminal justice practitioners, which can be taken into account when decisions about charging and sentencing are made.

The role will involve identifying, assessing and implementing a wide and, at times, complex range of services for an ageless, vulnerable group of individuals who are identified with acute or complex unmet needs. The post holder will act as an experienced and largely independent practitioner within the role, assessing, formulating, implementing and agreeing care and support plans with adults and carers. The post holder will also be expected to be available for consultation, support and clinical supervision to other health and social care professionals working within the RECONNECT Team and other areas of the Trust where identified as appropriate.

Key responsibilities

• Work in a Health and Justice Reconnect service in Derbyshire, with flexibility to work across the service as needed.
• Complete assessments within the Derbyshire prisons.
• Deliver a high‑quality clinical service to service users and their families.
• Manage complex assessments in prison.
• Provide clinical and caseload supervision of other team members where identified.
• Responsible for delivering the service process to RECONNECT.
• Divert service users to local and national teams and liaise with multiple services, criminal justice services such as police/probation and other partners.
• Identify, assess and refer people of all ages with a wide range of mental health, learning disability, substance misuse and/or social vulnerabilities when they come into contact with the youth and adult criminal justice systems on suspicion of having committed a crime.
• When a person is assessed as having single or multiple vulnerabilities, refer them to the appropriate treatment or support service and instigate an appropriate package of care and/or support.
• Undergo assessments of service users with complex mental health, physical health and social problems to ensure appropriate treatment support and management.
• Undertake a comprehensive and specialist assessment resulting in an individualised, person‑centred care/intervention plan.
• Facilitate the discharge or transfer of the service user to other services where appropriate.
• Ensure that practice is evidence‑based, paying particular attention to the Trust’s guidelines, policies, protocols and pathways.
• Be available for individual supervision with the agreed clinical supervisor in line with Trust policies.

Qualifications and experience

• Registered/qualified health professional.
• Desirable: Knowledge of prison.
• Essential: Criminal Justice knowledge.
• 2 Years experience working with vulnerabilities (both essential and desirable listed separately for clarity).
• Additional relevant experience and competencies are valued.

Benefits and working conditions

• Commitment to flexible working where possible.
• 27 days annual leave/year plus bank holidays, increasing to 29 days after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years of service.
• Yearly appraisal and commitment to ongoing training.
• Generous NHS pension scheme.
• Good maternity, paternity and adoption benefits.
• Health service discounts and online benefits.
• Incremental pay progression.
• Free confidential employee assistance programme with 24/7 access.
• Support for LGBT+, BAME and Christian networks.
• Health and wellbeing opportunities.
• Structured learning and development opportunities.

Join 'Team Derbyshire Healthcare' and become part of a talented, compassionate and enthusiastic workforce committed to a vision of 'making a positive difference in people's lives.

CQC rated us as 'GOOD' overall, commenting on how our colleagues "treated patients with compassion and kindness" and "felt positive and proud about working for the trust."