Health & Justice Liaison and Diversion Practitioner

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.
This post will cover Willesden Magistrates Court, Wembley and Colindale Police Custody Suite.
Unsocial working hours will be required for this post. Shifts will be based on a 7 day rota which all practitioners are expected to participate in. The post holder may on occasions be required to work across sites on any given day in order to ensure the service is covered.
The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings., · To act as an autonomous practitioner in court and police detention cells. The post holder will also be expected to assess an individual's mental state and risk and within the context of the alleged offence and the criminal justice system, implement a care pathway for each individual.
· The post holder will maintain a presence on the site they are working for the duration of their shift in order to be able to respond to referrals in a timely manner. It is the post holder's responsibility to check regularly if there is anyone to be seen in custody. If there is a need to leave the police custody suite, the post holder must leave a contact number with the custody staff and respond to calls.
· In the absence of the youth justice liaison and diversion worker, the post holder will be expected to screen any youths in police custody during their shift in police stations. This will involve engaging with the young person and at times their guardians and depending on the screening outcomes, may involve making onward referrals including safeguarding, youth offending teams and CAMHS., 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.
Please note: Candidates will need to submit an application for Metropolitan Police vetting clearance and have it approved before a contract can be agreed. The following is guidance we have from the Metropolitan Police regarding vetting which you should take into consideration before you complete an application for this post:
Common failures
- Non-declaration of criminal convictions or Police involvement;
I.E investigations even if no further action, warnings, cautions (No matter how old)
- 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., · To undertake a full mental state assessment, risk assessment, and gather a background history for individuals with a variety of needs. These would include those with a serious mental illness or personality disorder and associated learning, social, personal, dependency and substance misuse issues who are in police custody suites and court detention.
· To prepare accurate written reports following assessment in line with quality standards.
· To make clinical judgements in custody on situations as they arise, or change.
· A high standard of interpersonal skills is required to manage the complex and often conflicting needs and wants of those involved in the process.
· To accept referrals from Custody Sergeants in the police custody suites, and in court, from Court cell area, the Bench, Council, Probation, DIP Team workers, solicitors, family or the defendant or any other Court user, who become aware of or have clients with a dual diagnosis or are presenting with a possible mental disorder. This is in addition to accepting referrals from in-patient services and CMHTs.
· Undertake Court work with same day assessments on identified vulnerable clients, who appear over night from the custody suites and who have not been previously seen at the Police Station. To ensure that information is passed to the defence team and the Court Clerk in a manner in keeping with the information sharing protocol. Following the hearing to ensure that information concerning proceedings and the assessment is passed to the GP and other services involved with the client. Where remanded to prison to ensure that information is passed to the mental health in reach team or the reception at the Prison.
· Where the Court orders a psychiatric report on the client then the Post Holder will assist in making the referral to the appropriate Doctor with a view to obtaining the assessment and report within the agreed time frame. The Post Holder will ensure that the copy of any report received by the Court with the permission of the Court and service user will be forwarded to the GP and mental health care professionals involved the client's care.
CNWL (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust) has almost 8,000 staff providing integrated healthcare to a third of London's population, Milton Keynes and areas beyond. We involve service users, carers, the public, staff and partner organisations in the way that we are run.
Our catchment area spans diverse communities, with over 100 first languages spoken. It contains areas of great affluence as well as areas of much deprivation. We are committed to providing services that meet the needs of the people who use them, and we actively encourage involvement from local people who can help make a difference. We're proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME and people with disabilities to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.
We are recognised locally, nationally and internationally for providing high quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ only the best people, and our experts are frequently called upon to contribute to national health strategy and policy, and many models of our care have been adapted for use in other countries.

We offer a generous relocation package (subject to eligibility assessment) and flexible working options, including bank assignments for most roles. For more information on these and other benefits of working for us, see our Benefits, Reward and Wellbeing page
Become part of our team. We care for you as much as you care for others.
CNWL NHS Foundation Trust are committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow safe recruitment practices to protect children and vulnerable adults.
Due to the high response levels we receive for some vacancies, we may expire any of them prior to the advertised closing date and advise you to submit your application as soon as possible.
Our Agenda for Change employment contracts are subject to a contractual 13 week probationary period.
If you are offered a job, information will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.