Skip to main content

This site is independent of the NHS and the Department of Health.

Please wait, loading

Job summary

Main area
Health in Justice Police and Court Liaison and Diversion
Grade
Band 7
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
455-NLFT-0750
Employer
North London NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
St Pancras Hospital
Town
London
Salary
£58,133 - £65,261 Per annum including Inner London Allowance
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
21/04/2026 23:59

Employer heading

North London NHS Foundation Trust logo

Senior Mental Health Practitioner

Band 7

Thank you for your interest in the North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT). This is an exciting time to join us and be part of our journey to improve mental health care across North London and deliver excellent services to our local people. We will achieve this through the North London Way, as we: 

  • Collaborate at every level by living our values to create the right conditions for us all to work together.
  • Develop our new Trust culture, to help make our new Trust a great place to work and to receive great care.
  • Empower our teams to lead the planned improvements in our services, by skilling them and giving them the tools to make the changes.
  • Focus on delivering excellence at every level to improve our performance and ensure consistently high-quality care across all our services.
  • Ensure that research, quality improvement, and technology lead the way and are embedded in our services.
  • Take a trauma informed approach to everything we do

We proactively welcome diversity in our workforce and pride ourselves on being an inclusive employer.  We aim to recruit from our local communities and provide opportunities to all including apprenticeships, veterans, care leavers and more.

The North London Way to deliver: Better Mental Health, Better Lives, Better Communities.

Our trust website is:  https://www.northlondonmentalhealth.nhs.uk/ 

As a values‑driven Trust, we recruit through our values. Our selection processes focus on behaviours, attitudes, and examples that reflect our organisational values and commitment to compassionate, high‑quality care.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a set of technology that can perform various tasks that typically required human intelligence. Your application is your opportunity to demonstrate to us how you meet the requirements of the role.

We recognise that AI tools can support accessibility, equity and confidence for applicants. However, it’s important that examples and responses genuinely reflect your own experience and abilities, as these will be explored further during the selection process. AI must not be used to provide misleading or false information during any stage of the application journey.

Further guidance can be found in the NLPSS Applicant Toolkit  https://royalfree.pagetiger.com/cuuomnr/1.

North London NHS Foundation Trust is committed to fair and transparent recruitment and requires applicants to provide accurate information, as misleading details may affect their application or employment and may be verified in line with the Fraud Act 2006. For further information please visit https://royalfree.pagetiger.com/cuuomnr/1.

 

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a forward thinking and motivated senior mental health practitioner to work within the Police and court services across north and central London sites which is part of Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust. The post holder will remain flexible working across the north and central London sites which include police custody suites, Crown and Magistrate’s Court’s and British Transport Police stations over a total of nine sites. The post holder will provide an all age autonomous screening and assessment service at the respective sites; respond professionally to requests for information and assistance; utilise their discretion as an independent professional and understand the importance of partnership working within the police and court services.  An excellent awareness of the care pathway for vulnerable children and adults is essential when undertaking the mental health practitioner role within Liaison and Diversion services.

The service is currently under a tender procurement process and subject to operational re-design

Main duties of the job

You will be able to undertake comprehensive mental health and risk assessments; develop effective risk management plans, provide brief interventions and be confident in signposting individuals whom come through the range of services and require follow up outside of the scope of Liaison and Diversion services. Knowledge of broader mental health services is important in delivering this role in an effective manner and there is an emphasis on working with other professional disciplines, sharing knowledge and skills whilst advocating for the service user. Understanding of relevant legislation is important within this role.

The post holder will have excellent awareness of confidentiality and information sharing guidelines at all times. This information may be both complex and sensitive and require excellent communication and negotiation skills to provide the service as an autonomous and independent senior practitioner within these environments. The applicant will be responsible for assessment of information in partnership with the criminal justice system and other agencies to determine the level of risk to people with mental health issues or other vulnerabilities.

Working for our organisation

The partnership between Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust (BEH) and Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust (C&I) is going from strength to strength since it was originally established in 2021 forming the North London Mental Health Partnership.

The postholder will need to be comfortable working in an environment of complex matrix management arrangements and will at all times behave and align with our Trusts’ values and cultural pillars:

  • We are kind
  • We are respectful
  • We work together
  • We keep things simple
  • We empower
  • We are proudly diverse

In order to meet the needs of the new Partnership services you may be required from time to time to work at different locations to your normal place of work. This may mean that you are required to work at any location that fall under Barnet, Enfield and Harringay Trust and Camden and Islington Trust. The Trust reserves the right to require staff to work at such other places or locations as it considers reasonable and necessary on a temporary or permanent basis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

 

  • In essence, this service is a coordinated and integrated approach by secondary care mental health services to identify triage and engage those in police custody that present with either existing or acute health or social vulnerabilities, and to provide earlier intervention within the mentally disordered offender pathway. This service is for people of all ages.
  • The enhancement and development of relationships within criminal justice services and building strong links between Healthcare, Social Services and the Criminal Justice system itself is an essential part of the post holder’s role.
  • A team of autonomous mental health liaison workers are based within custody suites across Camden, Islington, and Haringey feeding into Wood Green Crown Court and Highbury Corner Magistrates Court with support and supervision provided by the Clinical and Operational Leads. Liaison and Diversion support is also provided to the British Transport Police based at three sites over central and north London.
  • Their role is to screen individuals identified as having mental health problems, and any other vulnerabilities, 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.
  • Additionally, we are seeking to develop innovative approaches to working with mental health services, both locally and across London, for example, through attendance at community teams, linking with YOTs and CAMHS services, participating in service reviews and recording information that demonstrates and supports the benefits of liaison and diversion.

This is not an exhaustive list, please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification for more information on the role requirements and duties.

Person specification

EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

Essential criteria
  • A professional qualification relevant to mental health practice
  • RMN/Degree/Diploma in Nursing
  • CQSW/Degree/Diploma in Social Work
  • Occupational Therapy registration
Desirable criteria
  • Second Degree-Masters

EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE

Essential criteria
  • Significant experience and knowledge of working with people with mental health problems.
  • Experience in acute adult or CAMHS, multi-disciplinary community mental health services.
  • A good understanding of recovery principles, the care programme approach and the role of secondary mental health services in the delivery of care
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of giving written and oral evidence in a court or tribunal setting
  • experience of working within the criminal justice system

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Essential criteria
  • Compassionate - Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively with patients, carers and relatives about complex and sensitive issues remaining sensitive and empathetic
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including presentation of cases
  • Ability to treat Service Users with respect and dignity, being culturally sensitive as appropriate, and consider the needs of the whole person
  • Ability to manage autonomously within the criminal justice system as a silo worker
Desirable criteria
  • Ability to manage conflicts within the criminal justice system achieving the best outcomes for those referred

Employer certification / accreditation badges

NHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardVeteran AwareApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleJob share policyAge positiveImproving working livesCare quality commission - GoodArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerCare Leaver CovenantStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.Step into healthAccredited Living Wage Employer

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

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Jim Beck
Job title
Service Manager
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
020 8213 7708
Additional information

Lauren Holder (Modern Matron):

[email protected]

07812 662 201

If you have problems applying, contact

Address
Candi & Tavi
Apply online nowAlert me to similar vacancies