Liaison and Diversion Practitioner

Kent & Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust

The closing date is 01 May 2025

Job summary

Are you looking for an exciting and dynamic role in Criminal Justice that will give you the opportunity to engage and support service users who have a range of varying vulnerabilities and needs. If so, we are seeking to recruit an enthusiastic and conscientious person to the role of Liaison and Diversion Practitioner (LDP) within Liaison, Diversion and Reconnect (LD&R).

LD&R is a countywide service to Kent and Medway's Police custody suites, Magistrates, Crown Courts, Prisons and the wider community. This is an exciting opportunity to join a thriving service with an excellent reputation for service user care and stakeholder engagement.

**We are particularly interested in applications from individuals with a background or interest in Neurodiversity and/or clients who present with speech and language difficulties**.

The post holder must hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car/vehicle to use for business purposes (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).

Main duties of the job

As an LDP you will be screening, signposting and supporting individuals in Police custody suites, Kent Prisons, identifying health and social vulnerabilities that may be having a negative impact on health and well-being. You will also form part of the LD&R Support, Time, Recovery (STR) function in the community, supporting aftercare for clients who are involved in the criminal justice system.

About us

Come and work with us in the Garden of England where we combine exceptional professional development opportunities with a tremendous quality of life.

We are Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT), providing mental health, learning disability and specialist services, serving 1.8 million people in Kent and Medway, as well as specialist services for adults in Sussex and Surrey. We arerated Good overall by the CQC.

Each year we care for over 2,000 people in our hospitals and 54,000 people in the community.

We are proud to employ over 3,800 people from 66 nationalities, and to serve an increasingly diverse range of communities across rural and urban areas.

You will be joining friendly, passionate colleagues, rich in their diversity, who are committed to providing excellent care to our service users and their loved ones.

The nature of our work attracts kindness and compassion as standard and everyone from our cleaners and porters to the chief executive and chairman are recognised as playing a vital role in providing an exemplary service.

Our strategy

Our mission is what we set out to do every dayWe deliver brilliant care through brilliant people

Our vision is where we want to be in the futureTo provide outstanding care and to work in partnership to deliver this in the right place, for every service user, every time.

Check out our recruitment videos Recruitment - YouTube

Date posted

17 April 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£26,530 to £29,114 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

380-FR0563

Job locations

The Red House

Oakapple Lane, Maidstone

Countywide

ME16 9NW

Job description

Job responsibilities

A full and comprehensive local induction program within all the areas of practice will be provided.

The successful applicant will need to work flexibly to serve our custody suites, Prisons and community settings in response to service need. Therefore, an ability to travel across a wide geographical area in a timely manner is essential.

Please note that due to the custody/prison environments, this role is subject to full vetting by Kent Police/HMP.

Telephone contact with LD&R Team Manager for an informal conversation about the position, prior to application, is encouraged.

Please see the job description for full details.

Job description

Job responsibilities

A full and comprehensive local induction program within all the areas of practice will be provided.

Please note that due to the custody/prison environments, this role is subject to full vetting by Kent Police/HMP.

Telephone contact with LD&R Team Manager for an informal conversation about the position, prior to application, is encouraged.

Please see the job description for full details.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

NVQ level 4 or relevant qualification

Experience

Essential

Experience of working to address the health & social care needs of service users
Experience of working within a multi disciplinary team
Experience of working and liaising with other partnership agencies

Desirable

Experience of working with offenders

Skills and knowledge

Essential

Problem solving skills
Excellent written communication skills

Desirable

Team working skills within a disciplinary group
Evidence of sustained enthusiasm for learning and development

Knowledge

Essential

Knowledge of health and social care services and provisions

Desirable

Knowledge of the social care needs of people
Knowledge of the policies and guidance underpinning the provision of services to people with mental illness
Knowledge of the welfare and benefits system
Knowledge of the types of resource available in the community to patients of the Forensic Service
Knowledge of Adult Protection Procedures

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

NVQ level 4 or relevant qualification

Experience

Essential

Experience of working to address the health & social care needs of service users
Experience of working within a multi disciplinary team
Experience of working and liaising with other partnership agencies

Desirable

Experience of working with offenders

Skills and knowledge

Essential

Problem solving skills
Excellent written communication skills

Desirable

Team working skills within a disciplinary group
Evidence of sustained enthusiasm for learning and development

Knowledge

Essential

Knowledge of health and social care services and provisions

Desirable

Knowledge of the social care needs of people
Knowledge of the policies and guidance underpinning the provision of services to people with mental illness
Knowledge of the welfare and benefits system
Knowledge of the types of resource available in the community to patients of the Forensic Service
Knowledge of Adult Protection Procedures

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.