Liaison & Diversion Practitioner

Do you think everyone under arrest is guilty of a crime?

Or that all criminals should be locked up for as long as possible?

If so, this is NOT the job for you.

Do you believe that a person's health needs, and past experiences can be linked to their criminal offending?

By identifying and reducing health needs, can vulnerable people be supported to make positive changes and reduce the risk of reoffending?

We're looking for a qualified Mental Health/Learning Disabilities Nurse, Occupational Therapist, Social Worker, Speech & Language Therapist or Health Visitor to join our Liaison and Diversion team.

You're an enthusiastic, experienced, and registered health/social care professional with an interest in health and justice and a passion for supporting people in police custody or court. Previous experience in criminal justice and offender health is desirable, but not essential.

With a reputation for excellence, our service is committed to improving the health of our clients, identifying care pathways, and reducing reoffending. We're an award-winning team, including the Howard League for Penal Reform 'Liaison and Diversion Service of the Year' and 'Women' categories, commendations from Thames Valley Police and Hampshire Constabulary and Berkshire Healthcare 'Team of the Year'.

If you want to use your skills to help change lives of people in the criminal justice system, we'd love you to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

1. To attend police custody suites and magistrates' courts providing assessments, advice and identifying robust care pathways for individuals with a potential health vulnerability.
2. To provide the police and court with written and verbal information about individuals in a timely fashion to help decision-making.
3. To work closely and build links with all referring agencies within the custody suite, court and probation, acting as a single point of contact for health.
4. To work autonomously, with the ability to organise and manage own time according to delegated workload.

Work base: You will work within police custody suites in Berkshire, which include Loddon Valley Custody or Maidenhead. You may also be required to work from any of our sites in Thames Valley to meet service needs.

Working pattern + Service operating hours:

Our service operates in police custody from 7am - 8pm, 7 days a week using a combination of early shifts, late shifts. Our service does not operate at night. Requests for specific working patterns can be considered in line with our flexible working policy.

About us

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we're committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.

Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:

• Caring for and about you is our top priority
• Committed to providing good quality, safe services
• Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions

Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:

• Flexible working options to support work-life balance
• 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
• Generous NHS pension scheme
• Excellent learning and career development opportunities
• 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
• Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
• Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
• Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
• Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
• Free parking across Trust sites

Job description

Job responsibilities

The must haves for this role:

• A professional qualification at degree level or equivalent in either Mental Health Nursing, Learning Disabilities Nursing, Occupational Therapy, or Social Work along with relevant registration.
• Significant experience at Band 6 or equivalent in a community setting.
• Able to assess and manage risk, formulate mitigation plans considering health and criminal justice outcomes.
• Licence holder with access to your own vehicle who is prepared to multiple sites across Berkshire as required.

We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don't hesitate to call: Stephanie Lewis on 07901104078 or email: Stephanie.Lewis@berkshire.nhs.uk who'll be delighted to help.

We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics. Reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants where required.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications/Training

Essential

• A professional qualification at diploma, post graduate & degree level or equivalent in either Mental Health Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Speech & Language Therapist, Social Work, or Health Visitor with the necessary experience.
• Hold current registration with pertinent body (RMN, SW, HCPC, SCHN).
• Evidence of post registration training and development.

Desirable

• Practice Assessor / Mentorship qualification or equivalent teaching qualification.

Continuous Professional Development

Essential

• Knowledge and experience of modern mental health services social inclusion, recovery, service user involvement, carer support.
• Further evidence of professional development and training.
• Take responsibility for your own learning and be willing to continuously learn and grow, reflecting on own practice and encouraging others to develop their practice, actively using research to influence and change practice.
• Assess personal strengths and areas for development, identify own learning goals, identify, access and make use of relevant learning resources and opportunities, plan and achieve your learning goals.

Previous Experience

Essential

• Significant experience at Band 6 or equivalent in a community setting.
• Experience of undertaking Initial Findings Reports, fact finding exercises and associated report writing.
• Experience of analysing and collating complex information from a range of sources and communicating this effectively to multiple partners and stakeholders.
• Able to assess and manage risk, formulate mitigation plans taking into account health and criminal justice outcomes.
• Ability to work autonomously, with the ability to organise and manage own time according to delegated workload.
• Knowledge of the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act.
• Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills.

Desirable

• Experience of operating across Criminal Justice & Health and reconciling both systems when planning onward support for vulnerable individuals.
• Ability to think creatively and problem solve.
• Ability to work as part of a team understand dynamics & leadership.
• Ability to create and facilitate training and learning events.
• Have knowledge and skills to work with specialist groups of people, including young people, people with dual diagnoses and personality disorder.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Essential

• An ability to work under pressure across multiple systems such as Criminal Justice & Health.
• Ability to engage challenging and/or acutely distressed patients in potentially hostile and/or antagonistic situations and use de-escalation techniques effectively.
• Ability to plan and organise a range of complex clinical activities which require judgements to be made on competing factors.
• Collaborative approach to client care.
• Ability to be flexible and adapt to changing situations.
• Ability to work effectively with service users and carers in a collaborative manner.
• Understanding of the theories underpinning the concept of recovery and the wider determinants of health.

Additional Requirements

Essential

• Responsible for data entry with occasional requirements to generate reports, analyse data and identify trends.
• Professional in approach, manner and appearance.
• Demonstrable skills in written and spoken English, adequate to enable the post holder to carry out the role effectively.
• Ability to travel efficiently to multiple sites.
• In addition to DBS there is additional requirement to secure police vetting for this role.

Employer details

Employer name

Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Address

7-9 Cremyll Road

Reading

RG1 8NQ

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

371-MHS609