Job summary
Sussex Liaison and Diversion Service (SLDS) are seeking to recruit a Registered Mental Health Nurse, Social Worker or Occupational Therapist with significant mental health experience to work as part of our Court service.
Operating across Sussex and Brighton & Hove, SLDS provides high quality mental health and vulnerability screening and specialist assessment to people of all ages who have become involved in the criminal justice system. The base for this post is Brighton Magistrates Court, however cover is also provided to Crawley Magistrates Court. The practitioner will be expected to travel between the two sites depending upon service need.
You may also at times need to travel and work flexibly across Sussex's police custody estate, courts, probation offices, and other locations.
You will have knowledge of both the criminal justice and mental health systems, and experience of working with people who are at risk of poor health and social care outcomes.
This post offers an incentive or relocation package up to the maximum of £4000 (pro rata applies and subject to terms and conditions).
Main duties of the job
Using your excellent case prioritisation skills, you will be responsible for providing specialist mental health assessment work and providing reports to the magistrates court to inform their decision making.
You will have meticulous attention to detail in gathering and recording health, social circumstances, and risk information, sometimes under pressure. You will be able to develop clear risk management plans, and ensure safe care and treatment pathways for the vulnerable people you assess as they leave the court, whether remanded to prison, or returning to potentially complex situations in the community.
Your written assessments will effectively support the courts to understand and respond to the assessed person's needs appropriately, including advising on appropriate disposals. You will at times be required to give verbal evidence to the court
About us
About the Trust:
We provide mental health and learning disability care for children, young people, and adults across Sussex. SPFT is rated 'good' overall and 'outstanding' for caring by CQC. In our staff survey:
- 82% agree that care for patients is our top priority
- 70% highlight flexible working opportunities as key to satisfaction at work
- 79% report feeling able to make improvement to improve the work within their team
- 77% identify opportunities to show initiative in their role
About Sussex:
- Travel easily between coast and countryside, with a blend of picturesque villages and seaside towns there's always new experiences to be enjoyed
- Embrace the city life with great access to visit Brighton and London
- With easy access to Gatwick and Heathrow and excellent railway links across the UK there is plenty of opportunity for adventure
SLDS has a positive supervision and appraisal culture, and values staff training and development.
Job description
Job responsibilities
As a seasoned Registered Mental Health Nurse, Social Worker or Occupational Therapist with mental health experience and knowledge of the criminal justice system, you will bring excellent organisational and clinical assessment skills to this vital role in the team.
Following your comprehensive and supportive service induction, this role will mean being embedded in the court, and on most days acting as a lone practitioner. You will need to be proactive in terms of accessing support from the wider custody-based team, and will need to be robust and boundaried, within an effective 'can do' attitude when supporting the court and its staff.
You will link in daily with and support SLDS colleagues in custody and other court sites, often using remote means to do so.
Key responsibilities include:
- To undertake vulnerability and specialist mental health assessments of individuals (including their carers and other networks) within complex court and custody environments. This includes those service users presenting with higher levels of risk, and more serious offending.
- To develop onward care plans alongside the service user.
- To provide written assessments and advice to partner agencies including the Police and Court
- To assess and manage ongoing risks as identified, ensuring that this is done in collaboration with the service user, carers, and other involved agencies. To review dynamic risk factors and make changes to the management of them as necessary.
- To communicate promptly and effectively with the service user, and all relevant outside agencies.
- To contribute to the maintenance and development of the Trust's relevant professional strategies.
- To ensure that clinical practice is evidence based and consistent with relevant NICE guidelines and Trust policies and procedures.
- To provide day-to-day support and guidance, and regular supervision of junior staff and trainees.
- To act within the post-holder's professional code of conduct at all times.
Please see the accompanying job description for full details of this role.
SLDSs service to the magistrates court covers the operational hours of the court (8:30am - 4:30pm). This post is for 5 days per week (Monday to Friday).
Applicants will require full DBS clearance and full NPPV Level 2 Police clearance prior to an offer of employment (an existing NPPV L2 with Sussex Police may be transferable).
For further information or an informal discussion about the role, please contact Clinical Nurse Specialists Michelle Hall (07836 230 236 michelle.hall@spft.nhs.uk), or Chris Bath (07342 993 883 christopher.bath@spft.nhs.uk).
Interviews may be conducted using Teams.
Job description
Job responsibilities
As a seasoned Registered Mental Health Nurse, Social Worker or Occupational Therapist with mental health experience and knowledge of the criminal justice system, you will bring excellent organisational and clinical assessment skills to this vital role in the team.
Following your comprehensive and supportive service induction, this role will mean being embedded in the court, and on most days acting as a lone practitioner. You will need to be proactive in terms of accessing support from the wider custody-based team, and will need to be robust and boundaried, within an effective 'can do' attitude when supporting the court and its staff.
You will link in daily with and support SLDS colleagues in custody and other court sites, often using remote means to do so.
Key responsibilities include:
- To undertake vulnerability and specialist mental health assessments of individuals (including their carers and other networks) within complex court and custody environments. This includes those service users presenting with higher levels of risk, and more serious offending.
- To develop onward care plans alongside the service user.
- To provide written assessments and advice to partner agencies including the Police and Court
- To assess and manage ongoing risks as identified, ensuring that this is done in collaboration with the service user, carers, and other involved agencies. To review dynamic risk factors and make changes to the management of them as necessary.
- To communicate promptly and effectively with the service user, and all relevant outside agencies.
- To contribute to the maintenance and development of the Trust's relevant professional strategies.
- To ensure that clinical practice is evidence based and consistent with relevant NICE guidelines and Trust policies and procedures.
- To provide day-to-day support and guidance, and regular supervision of junior staff and trainees.
- To act within the post-holder's professional code of conduct at all times.
Please see the accompanying job description for full details of this role.
SLDSs service to the magistrates court covers the operational hours of the court (8:30am - 4:30pm). This post is for 5 days per week (Monday to Friday).
Applicants will require full DBS clearance and full NPPV Level 2 Police clearance prior to an offer of employment (an existing NPPV L2 with Sussex Police may be transferable).
For further information or an informal discussion about the role, please contact Clinical Nurse Specialists Michelle Hall (07836 230 236 michelle.hall@spft.nhs.uk), or Chris Bath (07342 993 883 christopher.bath@spft.nhs.uk).
Interviews may be conducted using Teams.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered Mental Health Nurse (RMN), Social Worker or Occupational Therapist.
- Completion of Mentorship Course/ENB, or substantial experience.
- Evidence of continuous professional development
Knowledge/Experience
Essential
- Significant post qualifying experience in the relevant care group
- Experience of working alongside people with complex health problems in the designated care group
- Experience of supervising staff
- Experience of providing a range of clinical assessments and interventions to people in the designated care group with a variety of health and social care problems
- Experience of working consultatively with professionals
- Experience of conducting clinical assessments including risk assessments
- Experience of partnership working within and across various statutory and non statutory teams and agencies
- Experience of working within a justice setting
- Understanding of clinical governance
- Previous experience of working in the community
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered Mental Health Nurse (RMN), Social Worker or Occupational Therapist.
- Completion of Mentorship Course/ENB, or substantial experience.
- Evidence of continuous professional development
Knowledge/Experience
Essential
- Significant post qualifying experience in the relevant care group
- Experience of working alongside people with complex health problems in the designated care group
- Experience of supervising staff
- Experience of providing a range of clinical assessments and interventions to people in the designated care group with a variety of health and social care problems
- Experience of working consultatively with professionals
- Experience of conducting clinical assessments including risk assessments
- Experience of partnership working within and across various statutory and non statutory teams and agencies
- Experience of working within a justice setting
- Understanding of clinical governance
- Previous experience of working in the community
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).
