The post holder will work under the remit of the Health & 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. 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.

• 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.

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.
This post will cover both Uxbridge Magistrates Court and Heathrow Police Custody Suite.
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 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.

• 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