Liaison and Diversion Practitioner - Police Custody

Job overview

We are looking for registered health or social care professionals to work in a team in a fast-paced criminal justice environment. You will need to be a registered NMC, SWE, HCPC or OT with significant Post-registration experience in mental health.

For this post, you will work in police custody and complete triage assessments with people whilst they are detained there (from the age of ten). You will work closely with the police, your assessment and information gathering will support that person across the offender pathway. Depending on a person’s criminal justice journey this may include Courts and Probation and the wider health and social care systems in the community.

In this role your criminal justice knowledge will greatly expand, so we welcome applicants who have not worked in this area as we can provide training and your knowledge will develop as you work across the team.

Main duties of the job

We are looking for 1 full time team members to join our teams based in Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre and  1 Secondment/Fixed Term position for a year at Martlesham Police Investigation Centre.   Your primary role will be to complete holistic triage assessments for people who have been arrested and brought to police custody. You will possess excellent interpersonal skills that will enable you to engage, challenge, motivate, influence, and inspire at all levels. As part of a small team, you will work various shift patterns comprising of mostly 9-hour shifts, to enable the service to cover extended hours, seven days per week, 365 days a year.

The working criminal justice locations include Police Investigation Centres (PIC’s), Courts and other supporting criminal justice/health environments in line with service need. However, this role will primarily work inside the PIC (custody). The service covers both Norfolk and Suffolk and may require some cross county working. It is essential that you can travel independently.

Travel to other PICs may be necessary from time to time.  You may also be required to complete remote telephone assessments depending on service needs at other PICs located further away.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Complete triage and screening of service users within custody to assess their needs and create plans with them for support post custody by making onward referrals and signposting. This will include speaking to detainees in consultation rooms or when required via the cell hatch. This is in consultation with police to plan the safest way forward.
• Co-production with service users in creating their next steps plan/safety plan including referrals to a wide range of agencies - such as Turning Point, Wellbeing, Secondary Mental Health services, Crisis and Home Treatment Teams, Survivors in Transition, CRUSE, Domestic Abuse support services. This may include referrals for Mental Health Act assessments in consultation with colleagues, managers, and care teams of those detained. It is essential that you are skilled in mental health assessments.
• Work collaboratively with police colleagues, promoting partnership working across the criminal justice system.
• Able to work independently on own initiative to meet the needs of service users.
• Ensure service users’ needs are accurately reflected in health record documentation.
• Assist service users and carers to access information and support

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 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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