Job summary
- Main area
- Liaison and Diversion
- Grade
- Band 6
- Contract
- Fixed term: 12 months (Subject to successful police vetting application)
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (May involve shifts and weekend work)
- Job ref
- 334-CLI-7121026-A
- Employer
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Lambeth Hospital/Blue Star House
- Town
- London
- Salary
- £44,806 - £53,134 per annum inclusive of Inner London High Cost Allowances
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 01/06/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Practitioner - Criminal Justice Mental Health Service
Band 6
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth and Richmond.
We are committed to provide a high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for our care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’.
We launched our five-year strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives in 2021 together with Our Care Improvement System as our quality management system methodology to make a positive impact on patient care, outcomes and staff experience. By joining SLaM, all staff will get the opportunity to be part of this exciting improvement journey supported with learning and development to harness everyone’s potential as change makers.
The trust recognises the unique and valuable contribution that people with lived experience of mental illness can bring to a role. We therefore welcome applications from people with lived experience and consider them as an asset to the Trust.
Our Values
We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I say I’m going to do is at the heart of everything we do. When you join us, you’ll be part of something special.
As a Trust we are happy to talk flexible working.
Job overview
This is an exciting opportunity for a skilled practitioner, with an interest and/or experience in the criminal justice system, to be an integral part of both a court liaison and diversion team and a police custody suite assessment team. You will be working with both adults and young people, within what is a very interesting and rewarding area of care that is continuing to develop further.
As a front-line service, each day can be different in what is often a busy and unpredictable environment.
The service ethos is to proactively intervene at the earliest possible opportunity in the Criminal Justice system pathway, so that those in need of support receive appropriate care and treatment in a timely fashion.
The people we provide services to come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire people from a wide variety of backgrounds, not just because it’s the right thing to do but because it makes us better at what we do. No matter your age, gender, ethnicity, disability, gender identity, religion or sexual orientation, if you are committed to generating the best possible outcomes for our service users then we want to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
As a Liaison and Diversion Practitioner, some of the responsibilities you can expect will include:
- Proactive screening of cases in police custody or at court.
- On-the-day triaging and assessment - including full mental state examinations, risk assessment and gathering of background history for individuals presenting with a wide variety of established or suspected needs. These can include anxiety, challenging behaviour, serious mental illness, personality disorder, neurodiversity needs speech and language difficulties, substance misuse and associated social issues within police custody.
- Responding to detainees who present with urgent and non-urgent clinical issues with appropriate interventions. Interventions may include onward referrals for a Mental Health Act assessment, advice, signposting or making onward referrals into primary, secondary or voluntary care agencies.
- Providing advice, information and support to custody/court personnel.
- Provision of written assessment summaries to police, court and other relevant agencies in the criminal justice pathway.
- Liaising with CAMHS, YOT practitioners or other relevant agencies whilst screening young people.
- Recording data for regular auditing and evaluation.
Some weekend/bank holiday working may be involved in the role.
Working for our organisation
Benefits
- comprehensive pay, pensions and leavers package which is dependent on the role and length of service.
- Work life balance, flexible working and support a range of flexible options, such as: part-time working and job sharing.
- Career development, There are plenty of opportunities to progress your career and we support your development through a number of programmes such as mentoring, coaching, positive people management, collective leadership and other talent programmes
- Car lease, our staff benefits from competitive deals to lease cars
- Accommodation, our staff benefits from keyworker housing available which is available on selected sites
- NHS discounts, with discounts up to 10% from a variety of well-known retail brands though Health Service Discounts website.
- We are committed to get the very best out of our staff and support staff in their career aspirations. We have career pathways available, where you will be able to develop your skills and build on your experience to progress into other roles across different specialties. For this role, we offer career pathways to Senior clinical Practitioner or Clinical Team Leader. In addition, we offer ongoing training and development in Leadership and MSC programme.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To work with colleagues, police, custody healthcare staff and other custody/court staff (inc Appropriate Adults) in order to provide a comprehensive and integrated vulnerability screening and assessment service.
To demonstrate strong assessment skills, solid problem solving and decision making and developing holistic and patient centred care plans whilst also being able to recognise when they may need senior clinical/managerial advice/support and to actively seek this in the clinical setting.
To facilitate appropriate signposting to/referring on, or interventions in close collaboration and liaison with other relevant agencies. Developing a good working knowledge and understanding of local services and pathways will be important in this role. Knowledge of clinical pathways will enable the applicant in the ambition of facilitating a persons diversion away from the criminal justice pathway at the earliest possible opportunity. (The term ‘diversion’ being used in its widest possible sense and includes urgent and non-urgent pathways).
Demonstrate effective communication with colleagues, partners and stakeholders and with people in vulnerable groups. The candidates approach will be inclusive, collaborative and helpful. Communication types include verbal, written and digital methods of communication. Competent digital skills will be needed for this role.
To actively promote relationships with colleagues that support open communication and collaborative working, taking personal responsibility for one's contribution to this process at all times.
To maintain a high standard of written communication that is mindful of the readership and takes into account the legal context. Written work will also involve recording appropriate events and observations to evidence interventions.
Proactively seek service user feedback about their experiences of liaison and diversion to inform and shape our service.
Please see the combined job description and person specification for more details of the role.
IMPORTANT – this position is offered subject to a successful Police Vetting that will enable successful candidates to work in police custody locations. As such, you will be subjected to a significantly higher level of vetting than is standard. This vetting is conducted by the Metropolitan Police. It is essentially a detailed background check of you and close family members.
Any criminal conviction is highly likely to result in a fail – another of the most essential criteria is that you are required to have resided in the UK for at least 3 years.
If vetting is unsuccessful, you will not be able to work in custody and therefore any job offer may be withdrawn.
Unfortunately the police vetting requirement is a lengthy process that could extend beyond the existing pre-employment checks that are conducted by Recruitment Services. If you are successful at interview and we wish to take forward your application, please be assured we are really keen to have you with us and we ask you for your patience with any undue delay that is outside our control.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- • Nursing & Midwifery Registered and those with an equivalent mental health professional registration will be considered. (AI) *For Registered Psychologists, candidates must be a current member of the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC) **Speech and Language Therapists are encouraged to apply
Experience
Essential criteria
- Demonstrable appropriate post qualifying experience of working with vulnerable persons within a community or inpatient MH setting (A)
- Demonstrable evidence of transferable knowledge, skills, competencies and related activities that is applicable, relevant and replicable to working in Liaison and Diversion (AI)
Desirable criteria
- Experience of delivering mental health assessment, treatment and care interventions in a criminal justice system setting or in other non specialist settings (A)
- Experience of working across organisational and agency boundaries in front line crisis services. (AI)
Knowledge and Skills
Essential criteria
- Thorough knowledge and understanding of the needs of vulnerable adults, how they present (inc risk) and the challenges of offering treatment and care. (AI)
- Skilled in the assessment and management of risk and safeguarding. (AI)
- Ability to communicate clearly, concisely and confidently to a range of other professionals including those without specialist MH training or knowledge. (AI)
- An ability to develop a therapeutic relationship. (A)
- Ability to present information both written and oral and communicate this effectively (AI)
Desirable criteria
- Working knowledge and/or experience of the criminal justice system (AI)
- Knowledge of appropriate mental health legislation and relevant national policy developments in Offender Health. (AI)
- Skilled in the assessment and monitoring of common physical health problems and able to deliver appropriate care. (A)
- Ability to work independently and autonomously in a multi agency context. (A)
- Knowledge and/or demonstrable practice around Trauma Informed care. (AI)
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
- Carl Hellawell
- Job title
- Team Leader
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07896411230
- Additional information
Carl Hellawell, Team Leader or Tracey Lewis, Offender Health Service and Business Development Manager, Offender Health on 07896411230 or email [email protected] or [email protected]
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