Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The role of the Liaison & Diversion Practitioner is to work in partnership with Police, Probation, Her Majesties Court and Tribunal Service and Third Sector organisations in the screening and triage of alleged offenders pre and post charge in Police Custody, Magistrates Courts, and other Criminal Justice locations. The Liaison & Diversion Service is an all age, all vulnerability model and will screen identified individuals and advise partner agencies on their needs and the potential impact on their offending behaviour to help identify appropriate custodial or alternative to custody options. 

The practitioner will demonstrate an understanding of mental health assessments and the health needs of service users and will work closely alongside partner agencies to promote the safety and the wellbeing of service users, their families/carers and the wider public.  The post holder will assess and where appropriate refer to primary and/or secondary and/or third sector organisations based on any identified need. 

Duties and responsibilities: 

• Help to maintain a quality court diversion service as part of the Liaison and Diversion Service.
• To attend courts when required and provide a range of screening assessments and written reports. To give clear direction to court officials when diversion is required.
• To attend Police Investigation Centres (PICs) as required to screen and /or triage service users.
•  To provide accurate advice at pre-sentence report stage to facilitate and expedite mental health screenings.
•  To participate in the assessment of clients by ensuring their physical, psychological, social and spiritual wellbeing are taken into account at all times and divert to a place that would meet their needs if necessary.
• To form working partnerships with other care providers.
• To assist in the process of enabling service users to gain and maintain independence.
• To facilitate access to a range of appropriate health and social care interventions according to service users identified need.
• To assist in the management and organisation of work as required, to include the supervision of Band 4 staff where appropriate.
• To maintain and provide accurate records, statistics, and reports as required by the service.
• To understand and to work within the requirements of the Mental Health Act 1983.
• To effectively organise the working day for self and others making the best use of time, geographical distances and resources.
• Ensure that practice is person centred and as far as possible promotes service user involvement to facilitate an optimal care pathway that will improve health and reduce re-offending.
• Policy and service development:  The post holder would be required to develop care pathways that link the LaDS with Children and Young persons and Substance misuse services.
• Adhere to NSFT policies and guidelines on clinical and managerial supervision.
• To comply with all Trust Policies, Guidelines, and Protocols with regard to community services.

This is only an outline of the duties and responsibilities, and the post holder will be expected to carry out tasks as designated by managers or senior colleagues.

Please find attached our Job Description and Person Specification for more detail on your Key Accountabilities, then if you feel you have what it takes to make a difference in your local communities, click APPLY!

Health Education England commissioned Skills for Health to develop a career and competence framework for Liaison and Diversion practitioners with the aim of developing a flexible workforce able to respond to people with vulnerabilities who are either in or at risk of  becoming involved with the Criminal Justice System. The framework helps support the development and growth of the workforce in this area, within mental health services and supports the movement of staff between the different roles across the non-custodial criminal justice services, such as Reconnect, Court Health services, Court Wellbeing/MHRT teams and L and D services. The link to the competency framework can be found below. Any new recruits will work through the framework with their mentor and line Manager during their induction period. 

https://www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/FINAL-Non-Custodial-Career-and-Competence-Framework-document.pdf

https://www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Level-5-Practitioner-LD-Final-Feb-2023-v1.pdf

Candidates may only be given a minimum of 3 days’ notice regarding interviews. You will be contacted via email and invited to book a time. These emails may go to your SPAM, so please keep checking all your emails if applying.

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