Job summary
The role of Liaison & Diversion Practitioner involves working with a wide range of services such as the police, probation, the court and legal services as well as both inpatient and community health and social care services. Our work includes unsocial hours on weekday evenings, weekends and bank holidays. This post will be based at Charing Cross police custody suite.
The service will cover all ages and vulnerabilities, including youths in police custody. The post holder will be part of an established liaison and diversion service and work in partnership with health, social services and the criminal justice system, to ensure that individuals presenting with mental health problems or other vulnerabilities can have their needs addressed and be diverted into appropriate health care services as necessary
Main duties of the job
- To act as an autonomous practitioner in court and police detention cells. The post holder will also be expected to assess an individual's mental state and risk and within the context of the alleged offence and the criminal justice system, implement a care pathway for each individual.
- In the absence of the youth justice liaison and diversion worker, the post holder will be expected to screen any youths in police custody during their shift in police stations. This will involve engaging with the young person and at times their guardians and depending on the screening outcomes, may involve making onward referrals including safeguarding, youth offending teams and CAMHS.
- To undertake a full mental state assessment, risk assessment, and gather a background history for individuals with a variety of needs. These would include those with a serious mental illness or personality disorder and associated learning, social, personal, dependency and substance misuse issues who are in police custody suites and court detention.
- Where a client in custody is acutely ill and requiring a mental health act assessment the Post Holder will liaise immediately with the Borough from which the client comes from with a view to arranging for a mental health act assessment to take place that day.
About us
The CNWL Liaison and Diversion teams are part of a highly respected and innovative service that work across the criminal justice system in Central and North West London and beyond.
The service is funded through the NHS England Liaison and Diversion Programme. Liaison and Diversion (L&D) services aim to identify people who may have mental health issues, a learning disability, substance misuse issues or other vulnerabilities when they first come into contact with the criminal justice system.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To facilitate appropriate signposting to/referring on, or interventions in close collaboration and liaison with other relevant agencies. Using a good working knowledge and understanding of local services.
- To record details of every assessment on Trust documentation
- To gather data to inform strategic planning for the development of the service.
- To have a working knowledge of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 and the PACE Codes of Practice 2004 to ensure that all necessary interventions are carried out when acting as liaison and diversion practitioner to ensure that the rights and interests of the vulnerable are safeguarded
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To facilitate appropriate signposting to/referring on, or interventions in close collaboration and liaison with other relevant agencies. Using a good working knowledge and understanding of local services.
- To record details of every assessment on Trust documentation
- To gather data to inform strategic planning for the development of the service.
- To have a working knowledge of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 and the PACE Codes of Practice 2004 to ensure that all necessary interventions are carried out when acting as liaison and diversion practitioner to ensure that the rights and interests of the vulnerable are safeguarded
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- Qualified Registered Mental Nurse, Mental Health Social Worker or Occupational Therapist with current registration with the relevant professional body
- Substantial evidence of continuing professional development and post registration training.
Desirable
- Post registration qualification in forensic mental health.
Previous Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary/multi- agency team.
- Post-registration experience, which is experience of working in a community or forensic psychiatric setting at Band 6 or equivalent or above.
- Experience of crisis work and risk assessment.
Desirable
- Experience of working in forensic psychiatry.
- Experience of the assessment of clients with drug/alcohol related problems and clients with a history of transience or homelessness.
- Experience in Liaison and Diversion.
Skills and knowledge
Essential
- Effective written and verbal communication skills.
- The ability to make comprehensive psycho-social assessments and good report writing skills.
- Ability to make sound and safe risk assessments
- Evidence of effective time management and organisational skills
- bility to work independently with minimal supervision and to work as a member of a multi-disciplinary/multi- agency team
- Ability to treat service users with respect and dignity at all times, adopting a culturally sensitive approach that considers the needs of the whole person
- Able to build constructive relationships with warmth and empathy, using good communication skills.
Desirable
- Skills in assessing people with forensic history or need.
- Knowledge of current legislation relating to community mental health provision and forensic psychiatry
- Knowledge of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1884 and PACE Codes of Practice 2004.
- Ability to promote users' involvement.
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- Qualified Registered Mental Nurse, Mental Health Social Worker or Occupational Therapist with current registration with the relevant professional body
- Substantial evidence of continuing professional development and post registration training.
Desirable
- Post registration qualification in forensic mental health.
Previous Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary/multi- agency team.
- Post-registration experience, which is experience of working in a community or forensic psychiatric setting at Band 6 or equivalent or above.
- Experience of crisis work and risk assessment.
Desirable
- Experience of working in forensic psychiatry.
- Experience of the assessment of clients with drug/alcohol related problems and clients with a history of transience or homelessness.
- Experience in Liaison and Diversion.
Skills and knowledge
Essential
- Effective written and verbal communication skills.
- The ability to make comprehensive psycho-social assessments and good report writing skills.
- Ability to make sound and safe risk assessments
- Evidence of effective time management and organisational skills
- bility to work independently with minimal supervision and to work as a member of a multi-disciplinary/multi- agency team
- Ability to treat service users with respect and dignity at all times, adopting a culturally sensitive approach that considers the needs of the whole person
- Able to build constructive relationships with warmth and empathy, using good communication skills.
Desirable
- Skills in assessing people with forensic history or need.
- Knowledge of current legislation relating to community mental health provision and forensic psychiatry
- Knowledge of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1884 and PACE Codes of Practice 2004.
- Ability to promote users' involvement.
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).
