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Job summary

Main area
Mental Health
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 6
Contract
Permanent
Hours
  • Full time
  • Job share
  • Flexible working
37.5 hours per week
Job ref
395-AR076-25
Employer
NELFT NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Barkingside Court/Snaresbrook Court/Romford and Bark Police Custody suites
Town
Ilford
Salary
£38,682 - £46,580 per annum (Plus HCAS) pro-rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
11/11/2025 23:59

Employer heading

NELFT NHS Foundation Trust logo

Liaison and Diversion Mental Health Practitioner

NHS AfC: Band 6

Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London, Essex, Kent and Medway. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.

The Trust has award winning equality and diversity initiatives and staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest heavily in your development, because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been featured in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for five consecutive years, and we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Along with our staff networks and training opportunities, we work hard to embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.

Find out more about NELFT careers and what makes our Trust a great place to work, in this video

Job overview

To provide high-quality mental health liaison, assessment, and management for individuals referred from Police Custody Suites and Courts, acting as a bridge between police, courts, and mental health services.

The post holder will provide high-quality liaison, assessment and management plans to the individuals referred via the Police Custody Suites and Courts. The post holder will provide liaison and an interface between the police staff and the receiving Hospital mostly involving section 136 MHA 1983 (amended).

Main duties of the job

·       Screening individuals identified as having mental health problems, provide on-going assessment (including awareness and understanding of other factors including physical health, use of drugs and alcohol, learning difficulties and speech, language and communication issues), immediate case management and to formalize timely and sensitive sharing of information between police, court and mental health services.

  • Enhancing and developing relationships within Criminal Justice Services and building strong links between Health, Social Services and the Criminal Justice System itself is an essential role of the post holder. You will work in a collaborative way with Mental Health Services, and other statutory/non-statutory agencies ensuring a high-quality service is provided.
  • Seeking to develop innovative approaches to working with mental health services, both locally and across London, for example, linking with YOTs and CAMHS services, participating in service reviews and recording information that demonstrates and supports the benefits of liaison and diversion.

Working for our organisation

Our Values 2025 - 2030

Working with our colleagues, patients and carers we have co- produced three new values that we aim to embed within our culture here at NELFT.

They are:

We are kind.

We are respectful.

We work together with our communities.

 

These three values help us to strive to provide the best care by the best people.

Starting with NELFT 

NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being  properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters  will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will  undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which  will include mandatory training, systems training and the  allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will  have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior  managers, and attend a number of drop-in sessions focusing on  engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The  induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.

 

Probationary Period

This post will be subject to a probationary period.

 

High Cost Area Supplement - Outer London

This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of  15%of the basic salary (minimum payment of £4,714 and a  maximum payment of £5,941 - per annum, pro rata for part time.

 

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role and working at North East London NHS Foundation Trust. We encourage you to refer to this when completing your application.

We welcome your application even if you do not meet all the criteria listed in the person specification. Please apply as soon as possible as some posts close early to limit the number of applications.

Certificates of Sponsorship

 

Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for all job roles. Please check your eligibility under the UKVI points-based system. When calculating the basic salary for sponsorship, HCAS (High-Cost Area Supplement) is not included to ensure fairness and consistency within our Trust.

Use of AI

Please see attached document regarding acceptable use of AI during the recruitment process.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • A professional qualification relevant to mental health practice
  • RMN/Degree/Diploma in Nursing, CQSW/Degree/Diploma in Social Work or, Registered Occupational Therapist

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Significant experience and knowledge of working with people with mental health problems
  • Significant experience of undertaking autonomous assessments
  • Significant experience of assessing risk and developing risk management plans
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including presentation of cases
  • Ability to work under pressure and on own initiative
  • Able to negotiate and form collaborative partnerships with other agencies
  • Experience in acute adult, multi-disciplinary community mental health services
Desirable criteria
  • Evidence of continuing professional development relevant to the clinical area.
  • Experience of coordinating care, including health and social care assessment, risk assessment and care planning

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Knowledge of the Mental Health Act 1983; Mental Capacity Act, Care Act and related codes of practice and guidance
  • Knowledge of the models and principles of care used in relation to Crisis Intervention
  • Working Knowledge of the Criminal Justice System and Liaison and Diversion services
Desirable criteria
  • An awareness of NHS priorities
  • Understanding of Personalisation agendas, recovery models and evidence based practice
  • Demonstrate specialist clinical knowledge and experience in the field of mental health and recovery

Skills

Essential criteria
  • High standards in written and verbal skills Ability to compile and present written and oral reports
  • Emotional effort Ability to manage highly pressured workload Ability to manage challenging emotionally demanding clinical interactions
  • Physical Effort Required to use appropriate level of Personal Safety techniques to deal with challenging clients or incidents

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Employers for CarersApprenticeships logoAge positiveDisability confident employerHappy to Talk Flexible WorkingDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - GoldEmployers Network for Equality & InclusionTop 10 Employer 2023

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Application numbers

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, we encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible to ensure consideration.

If you require any additional support during the application process please contact [email protected]. We are happy to make reasonable adjustments to support you throughout the recruitment journey.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Phillip Dick
Job title
Interim Mental Health Acute Response Service Lead
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
0798537828
Additional information

Please conatct the following practitioner is you wish to have a further conversation about the role 

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

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