Job summary
- Main area
- Liaison and Diversion
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Includes weekends and bank holidays)
- Job ref
- 334-NUR-8105489-TA
- Employer
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Criminal Justice Mental Health Service
- Town
- London
- Salary
- £58,133 - £65,261 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 21/07/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Senior Practitioner - Liaison and Diversion
NHS AfC: Band 7
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 Band 7 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.
We are looking for a skilled and confident individual who has experience of complex assessments (including assessment of risk), decision making and who is adept at building relationships with service users and professional partners alike.
The successful applicant will work across the service in order to help identify individuals who present with vulnerabilities that may include mental health issues, neurodevelopmental disorders, substance misuse and who may present with a degree of risk.
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
1. Main duties of the role:
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, learning disorders, social communication and language difficulties, substance misuse and associated social issues within police custody.
Assisting detainees who present with urgent and non-urgent clinical issues that may include onward referrals for a Mental Health Act assessment.
Providing advice, information and support to custody/court personnel.
Provision of written assessment summaries to police, court and other relevant agencies.
Liaising with CAMHS, YOT practitioners or other relevant agencies for young people.
· Act as a positive role model for junior staff and custody partners in their day to day practice and be involved in the supervision and professional development of junior staff.
Enhancing and developing relationships within Criminal Justice Services and building strong links between Health, Social Services and the Criminal Justice System
A deputy function for the Operational Lead as and when needed.
Working for our organisation
1. About Us:
South London and Maudsley Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust is responsible for providing NHS care and treatment for people with wide ranging vulnerabilities.
Locally, we deliver mental health services for people living in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark; and substance misuse services for residents of Bexley, Lambeth, Greenwich and Wandsworth.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
1. Job Description:
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. This will be with the ambition of facilitating a persons diversion away from the criminal justice pathway at the earliest possible point. (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, people in vulnerable groups that is inclusive, collaborative and helpful. Communication types include verbal, written and digital methods of communication.
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, takes into account the legal context and will also involve recording appropriate events and observations to evidence interventions.
Proactively seek feedback on an individual’s 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.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Nursing & Midwifery Registered - those with an equivalent mental health professional registration will be considered. (AI)
- For the tender of the Non-Custodial Integrated Services, NHSE changed the Model and Service Specification and made it a mandatory requirement that all staff working in a Police Custody suite, Magistrates or Crown Court must be a healthcare professional eligible to be a member of a healthcare regulatory body listed here: (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/professions-regulated-by-law-in-the-uk-and-their-regulators).
Desirable criteria
- Evidence of continuing professional development
Experience
Essential criteria
- Demonstrable experience working in MH services, particularly in crisis management services with acutely unwell people (A+E liaison, CMHT, Home Treatment, for example). (AI)
- Substantial experience of managing clinical practice in a mental health service.
- Experience of organising and delivering clinical supervision to junior staff along with maintenance of records
- Experience of working in a multi-cultural environment and knowledge of methods to develop culturally sensitive practice.
Desirable criteria
- Prior experience of working with Mentally Disordered Offenders and the Criminal Justice System
- Knowledge of counselling skills/cognitive behavioural skills and other psychosocial interventions
- Experience of conflict management and resolution.
- Audit and research.
- Demonstrable knowledge of Mental Health Act 1983 Part II and III (as amended by the Mental Health Act 2007).
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Knowledge of mental health disorders as well as their relationships to physical disorders
- Have knowledge and skills to work with specialist groups of people, including young people, people with dual diagnoses and personality disorder
- To be able to work unsociable hours as required Ability to undertake risk assessments using a standardised or semi-structured risk assessment method. (includes assessment and management of intentional self-harm)
- Ability to engage challenging and/or acutely distressed patients in potentially hostile and/or antagonistic situations and use de-escalation techniques effectively.
- Ability to build and maintain high standards of professional links and communications channels with a variety of personnel and agencies.
- Ability to access and maintain electronic health and statistical records Ability to prioritise workload appropriately. An understanding of issues relating to equal opportunities and confidentiality
- Knowledge of Data Protection Act.
Desirable criteria
- Working knowledge of the criminal justice system, Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 and the PACE Codes of Practice 2004 Excellent computer skills, including the use of spreadsheets.
Skills
Essential criteria
- Evidence of transferable skills applicable to Liaison and Diversion
Desirable criteria
- Highlights skills used in previous roles within Liaison and Diversion or front line crisis care services
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
- 07973452485
- Additional information
Tracey Lewis ([email protected])
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