Health & Justice Liaison and Diversion Practitioner

A Vacancy at Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust.

The service is funded through the NHS England Liaison and Diversion Programme. Liaison and Diversion (L&D) services aim to identify people who may have mental health issues, a learning disability, substance misuse issues or other vulnerabilities when they first come into contact with the criminal justice system.

Our direct contact with service users may take place at police stations or in the courts. Our work can be very challenging but we continue to aim to ensure that individuals receive the best and most appropriate care for their needs. Through screening, assessment and appropriate referral, we are able to promote better health outcomes, reduce re-offending and reduce pressure on the police and court services.

The role of Liaison & Diversion Practitioner involves working with a wide range of services such as the police, probation, the court and legal services as well as both inpatient and community health and social care services. Our work includes unsocial hours on weekday evenings, weekends and Bank Holidays. Successful candidates will need to have excellent communication skills as well as the flexibility to work alongside these different groups.

Candidates will need to be able to work effectively as part of a team as well as having the skills and confidence to work autonomously in a range of environments. Supervision and consultation are available to the team to support practice.

• Act as an autonomous practitioner in court and police detention cells. Assess an individual’s mental state and risk within the context of the alleged offence and the criminal justice system; implement a care pathway for each individual.
• Maintain a presence on the site during shift to respond to referrals timely. Check regularly for anyone to be seen. If need to leave custody suite, leave a contact number with staff and respond to calls.
• In the absence of youth justice liaison and diversion worker, screen any youths in police custody during shift in police stations. Engage with young person and at times their guardians. Depending on screening outcomes, make onward referrals including safeguarding, youth offending teams and CAMHS.
• Undertake a full mental state assessment, risk assessment, and gather background history for individuals with serious mental illness or personality disorder and associated learning, social, personal, dependency and substance misuse issues in police custody suites and court detention.
• Prepare accurate written reports following assessment in line with quality standards.
• Make clinical judgements in custody on situations as they arise, or change.

• Submit an application for Metropolitan Police vetting clearance and have it approved before contract.
• Common failures:
  Non‑declaration of criminal convictions or Police involvement; I.E investigations even if no further action, warnings, cautions;
  County court judgements;
  Less than 3-year Residency;
  Defaults – No debt management plans in place;
  Convictions which resulted in imprisonment or suspended sentence.
• Vetting applications will be returned if any of the details are omitted.
• ALL family members, partners, co‑residents and parents’ partners must be provided.
• Address history must run 5 years straight.

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