Job summary
The Norfolk & Suffolk Liaison and Diversion service provides a quality vulnerability screening and advice service to agencies and individuals who are going through the criminal justice system. Individuals may present in police custody or at the court stage. An exciting opportunity has arisen within our service to recruit a full time court based band 6 Liaison and Diversion practitioner- servicing the Magistrates and Crown courts sites in Ipswich.
Main duties of the job
Your primary role will be to establish strong working relationships with agencies and services working within Crown Court settings. You will possess excellent interpersonal skills that will enable you to challenge, motivate, influence and inspire your colleagues at all levels. As part of a small team you will work within the courts and with the probation service. You will also be part of the wider Liaison and Diversion service which operates across both Norfolk and Suffolk in the police investigation centres.
Practitioners will work out of these courts, screening individuals, providing information and advice to a range of agencies (judiciary, probation, & defence solicitors etc), including completion of court reports giving consideration for reasonable adjustments and special measures, the role of Mental Health Treatment Requirements, understanding when to request a psychiatric and/or psychology report, etc. The practitioner will also have an understanding of Part III of the Mental Health Act.
Please note that if you do not have court experience, you will be supported by a very knowledgeable court lead and training can be provided to improve your knowledge. We want to develop your existing skills and strengths in order for you to feel confident when executing the main duties of the job. We would be happy to speak with you about the role if you have any question before applying.
About us
Benefits
Benefits included with this role are:-
- NHS pension
- A comprehensive in house & external training programmes
- Career progression
- Starting annual leave of 27 days per annum increasing to 33 days pa based on length of service (plus paid bank holidays)
- Staff physio service
- Gym membership
- 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 description
Job responsibilities
Main duties of the job
Your primary role will be to establish strong working relationships with agencies and services working within Court settings. You will possess excellent interpersonal skills that will enable you to challenge, motivate, influence and inspire your colleagues at all levels.
The remit of a Crown Court Liaison and Diversion practitioner will be:
- To advise on the MHA 1983 (amended 2007), especially Part III. (Part III of the 1983 Mental Health Act (amended 2007) covers patients concerned with criminal proceedings). With mental health law arising comparatively rarely in barristers experience, they may value assistance from the Liaison and Diversion Service navigating mental health pathways.
- A good working knowledge of the Criminal Procedures and Insanity legislation governing unfitness to plead, insanity, and alternative disposals.
- A good working knowledge of risk analysis, to advise the Court whether pre-sentence psychiatric reports should explicitly address risk.
- Knowledge of potential special experts in forensic psychology and forensic psychiatry, to understand whether experts are available at short notice or have additional areas of expertise e.g. neuro-psychiatry and neuro-psychology etc.
- An understanding of responsibility for assessments and reports on defendants aged below 18. A need to be aware of referral mechanisms, who may act as special experts and under what conditions.
- Knowledge of the role and function of court appointed intermediaries.
- An understanding of referral pathways into local Secure Units, and relevant High Secure Services (names, mobile and landline numbers and email addresses). These are to facilitate, liaison and develop formal relationships and partnerships. It is important to know how long units take to conduct assessments and achieve transfers from prison.
- A good working knowledge of available General Adult Mental Health Services, Substance Misuse Services, Learning Disability Services, Children and Adolescent Services (CAMHS) and Old Age Psychiatry. An understanding of the role of the National Offender Management Service Public Protection & Mental Health Group.
- Where the Crown Court has a catchment area wider than that of the provider of the L&D service, the ability to establish formal links with all L&D services whose police stations and magistrates courts feed into that Crown Court.
- An understanding of what services the prison mental health services and primary care services provide.
- The ability to establish strong working relationships with agencies and services working within Crown Court settings.
- An understanding of the data collected in the minimum data set and how it can be used to inform service delivery and development
You will be primarily based in Ipswich Crown court but could be asked to work in other judiciary areas as the service develops. It is essential that you are able to travel independently.
Please also take a look at our video which explains our service in more detail
Liaison and Diversion - Inside police custody - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeljpsYFTVM
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!
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.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Main duties of the job
Your primary role will be to establish strong working relationships with agencies and services working within Court settings. You will possess excellent interpersonal skills that will enable you to challenge, motivate, influence and inspire your colleagues at all levels.
The remit of a Crown Court Liaison and Diversion practitioner will be:
- To advise on the MHA 1983 (amended 2007), especially Part III. (Part III of the 1983 Mental Health Act (amended 2007) covers patients concerned with criminal proceedings). With mental health law arising comparatively rarely in barristers experience, they may value assistance from the Liaison and Diversion Service navigating mental health pathways.
- A good working knowledge of the Criminal Procedures and Insanity legislation governing unfitness to plead, insanity, and alternative disposals.
- A good working knowledge of risk analysis, to advise the Court whether pre-sentence psychiatric reports should explicitly address risk.
- Knowledge of potential special experts in forensic psychology and forensic psychiatry, to understand whether experts are available at short notice or have additional areas of expertise e.g. neuro-psychiatry and neuro-psychology etc.
- An understanding of responsibility for assessments and reports on defendants aged below 18. A need to be aware of referral mechanisms, who may act as special experts and under what conditions.
- Knowledge of the role and function of court appointed intermediaries.
- An understanding of referral pathways into local Secure Units, and relevant High Secure Services (names, mobile and landline numbers and email addresses). These are to facilitate, liaison and develop formal relationships and partnerships. It is important to know how long units take to conduct assessments and achieve transfers from prison.
- A good working knowledge of available General Adult Mental Health Services, Substance Misuse Services, Learning Disability Services, Children and Adolescent Services (CAMHS) and Old Age Psychiatry. An understanding of the role of the National Offender Management Service Public Protection & Mental Health Group.
- Where the Crown Court has a catchment area wider than that of the provider of the L&D service, the ability to establish formal links with all L&D services whose police stations and magistrates courts feed into that Crown Court.
- An understanding of what services the prison mental health services and primary care services provide.
- The ability to establish strong working relationships with agencies and services working within Crown Court settings.
- An understanding of the data collected in the minimum data set and how it can be used to inform service delivery and development
You will be primarily based in Ipswich Crown court but could be asked to work in other judiciary areas as the service develops. It is essential that you are able to travel independently.
Please also take a look at our video which explains our service in more detail
Liaison and Diversion - Inside police custody - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeljpsYFTVM
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!
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.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working within a multi-disciplinary team
- Experience of working with challenging clients particularly those with personality disorders services.
- Familiar with undertaking clinical assessments including risk assessments.
Desirable
- Experience of working with challenging clients particularly those with personality disorders services.
- Previous experience of working in the community.
Qualification
Essential
- Nursing degree or equivalent degree level qualification NMC registration
Desirable
- Management qualification, Mentorship qualification.
Skills
Essential
- Able to use Word, PowerPoint, clinical systems, email.
- Excellent negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
- Ability to work with resistance at times, to manage own reactions to difficult situations and to act with appropriate authority and diplomacy.
Knowledge
Essential
- Working Knowledge / application of the Mental Health Act.
- Understanding of the policies and legislation that underpin the development of liaison and diversion.
Other
Essential
- Ability to travel independently
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working within a multi-disciplinary team
- Experience of working with challenging clients particularly those with personality disorders services.
- Familiar with undertaking clinical assessments including risk assessments.
Desirable
- Experience of working with challenging clients particularly those with personality disorders services.
- Previous experience of working in the community.
Qualification
Essential
- Nursing degree or equivalent degree level qualification NMC registration
Desirable
- Management qualification, Mentorship qualification.
Skills
Essential
- Able to use Word, PowerPoint, clinical systems, email.
- Excellent negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
- Ability to work with resistance at times, to manage own reactions to difficult situations and to act with appropriate authority and diplomacy.
Knowledge
Essential
- Working Knowledge / application of the Mental Health Act.
- Understanding of the policies and legislation that underpin the development of liaison and diversion.
Other
Essential
- 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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
