Job summary
- Main area
- Mental Health
- Grade
- Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Shift pattern is 8am-8pm)
- Job ref
- 363-BED7360869
- Employer
- East London NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Charter House
- Town
- LUTON
- Salary
- per annum
- Closing
- 17/08/2025 08:00
Employer heading
Liaison and Diversion Practitioner
Band 6
ELFT has long been recognised as a centre of excellence for mental and health care, innovation and improvement. So it is a very exciting time for you to come and work for us. Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
Job overview
The Bedfordshire and Luton Liaison and Diversion Service (L&DS) are looking to recruit Band 6 Liaison and Diversion Practitioners (Social Worker or Mental Health Nurse or Learning Disability Nurse). The L&DS Practitioner will provide quality screening and assessment of individuals who have come into contact with the criminal justice system.
Individuals may be assessed in police custody, the Magistrates’ Courts, Crown Court, or they may be a Voluntary Attendee. On rare occasions you may be required to assess in other areas such as the women’s centre, the TOKKO Centre, the service user’s home, etc.
The L&DS offer assessments to individuals who may be presenting with a range of vulnerabilities which may include: mental illness, personality disorder, alcohol and substance use, homelessness, acquired brain injury, learning disabilities, autism, or other speech and language communication difficulties. You will also see women and veterans as a priority, and engage with high risk service users who may have committed high shame crime such as taking and distributing indecent images of children and child sexual exploitation. Outside of the Youth Offending Service (YOS) operating hours, you may also assess the needs of children and young people.
Main duties of the job
The service has satellite bases in Luton and Kempston police custody and the Luton Magistrates’ Courts, you will be expected to be able to work across all bases. We will also be working with Voluntary Attendees. The service operates from 8am to 8pm seven days a week and you will be expected to be a part of a rota which may include working 12 hour shifts including working one weekend a month subject to service needs subject to negotiation and the demands of the service.
An ability to quickly and easily establish rapport, to understand the assessment and management of risk and to write high quality reports is essential. An understanding of the criminal justice system is preferred but not essential. Experience working with people who may have autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, intellectual disabilities, children and young people is also desirable.
We are looking for someone who embraces and has experience of collaborative working with partner agencies, service users and carers and who has a keen interest in working with Police, Courts and other public sector organisations. You will need to be resilient and have the ability and confidence to work with a high level of autonomy.
If you would like to discuss this opportunity further, please contact Gillian Stanway on 07901 918937.
Working for our organisation
Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For further information please kindly refer to the job description and person specification attached to this vacancy.
Person specification
Education/ Qualification/ Training
Essential criteria
- • Registered Nurse for Mental Health or Learning Disability and registered with the NMC with a diploma and/or degree or Qualified Social Worker with current registration to practice in the UK.
Desirable criteria
- • Educated to degree level or equivalent level of experience.
- • Evidence of post-qualifying training and commitment to further professional development, eg MA, AMHP, BIA
- • Practice Educator, etc.
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience working with adults and/or children who may have complex mental health needs and other vulnerabilities including alcohol and substance use, low IQ, autism, ADHD, dyslexia, etc.
- • •Experience working in a clinical setting such as a ward or a community mental health team, learning disability team, Social Services, etc.
- • Experience writing timely, clear and concise reports
Desirable criteria
- • Experience working in the criminal justice setting.
- • Experience working in a forensic service.
- • Experience of the principles of recovery, person-centred planning, safeguarding.
- • Experience of continuous improvement, eg QI
- • Experience contributing to the development of new services.
- • Experience of research and audit.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Gillian STANWAY
- Job title
- Interim Operational Lead
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07901918937
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