The post holder will work under the remit of the Criminal Justice Liaison and Diversion Services providing a proactive assessment, liaison and diversion service in all Police Custody Suites and Magistrates’ Courts in the area. The service will cover all ages and vulnerabilities, including youths in police custody. The post holder will be part of an established liaison and diversion service and work in partnership with health, social services and the criminal justice system, to ensure that individuals presenting with mental health problems or other vulnerabilities can have their needs addressed and be diverted into appropriate health care services as necessary. Enhancing and developing relationships within Criminal Justice Services and building strong links between Health, Social Services and the Criminal Justice System itself is an essential role of the post holder. You will work in a collaborative way with local community Mental Health Services, and other statutory/non-statutory agencies ensuring a high quality liaison and diversion service is provided to individuals.

• To act as an autonomous practitioner in court 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.
• 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 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.

The CNWL Liaison and Diversion teams are part of a highly respected and innovative service that works currently across health and social services and the criminal justice system in central and North West London.

The service is funded through the NHS England Liaison and Diversion programme. Liaison and Diversion (L&D) services identify clients who have mental health, learning disability, substance misuse or other vulnerabilities when they first come into contact with the criminal justice system as suspects, defendants or offenders.

• 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.
• To accept referrals 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.

• To act as an autonomous practitioner in court 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.
• 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 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