Job summary

The Sussex Liaison and Diversion Service (SLDS) is the name of Sussex Partnership Foundation NHS Trusts Criminal Justice Liaison and Diversion Team.

Our service works in partnership with Police, Probation, Her Majesties Court Service and Third Sector organisations in the assessment of offenders pre and post charge in Police Custody, Magistrates Courts and other Criminal Justice locations. We also have specialist community pathways for SaLT and Children and Young people.

We are seeking to recruit a Band 6 Liaison and Diversion Practitioner (Social Worker, Mental Health Nurse, Learning Disability Nurse, or occupational therapist) to work across Eastbourne and Hastings Police Custody suites.

We are a small unique and friendly and supportive team, working in a setting that you will not normally encounter in your career. We are close knit with specialist knowledge that we are pleased to share with our colleagues in other parts of the Trust.(Skype) and has a culture of active communication to support all custody sites. Regular reflective practice and peer-support are available to all liaison & diversion practitioners .

This post offers a Golden Hello, or a Relocation package up to a maximum of �2000. (pro rata applies and subject to terms and conditions. Please see attached Protocol document).

Main duties of the job

The service operates from 8am to 8pm seven days a week and Practitioners based in Police Custody work 12 hour shifts on a rota which includes working alternate weekends.

Based day-to-day in Police Custody, a key part of your role will be to screen people detained in custody using NHS and Police information systems to identify those with health and social care vulnerabilities and any history or current concerns regarding risk to self or others.

Following the triage process, and with the persons consent the Liaison & Diversion Practitioner will complete an assessment and create a plan that will focus on meeting the person's needs.

There may be some circumstances where a person in custody does not consent to a L&D service, but concerns exist in relation to risk or vulnerability. In these circumstances the Practitioner would create a plan and share information with Police on a \best interests basis.

You will also spend part of your time out of custody, completing assessments of Volunteer Attendees and other cases pre or post custody.

Liaison & Diversion Practitioners will maintain a comprehensive database of their activity to submit to commissioners.

Practitioners will be based in their identified custody suite/s however there is an expectation that on occasions, such as unplanned absence, that you are able to travel to all bases within the services area.

Appointment will be subject to successful Police vetting

About us

About the Trust:

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust provides mental health and learning disability care for children, young people and adults across Sussex.

Working in Sussex:

• Travel easily between coast and countryside, with a blend of picturesque villages and seaside towns there's always new experiences to be enjoyed
• Embrace the city life with great access to visit Brighton and London
• With easy access to Gatwick and Heathrow and excellent railway links across the UK there is plenty of opportunity for adventure

We'd love you to join our organisation that is rated 'good' overall and 'outstanding' for caring by the Care Quality Commission. Our staff agree, with 82% of people in our recent staff survey telling us that they recognise that care for patients is our top priority.

Other key staff survey results include:

• 70% highlighting flexible working opportunities as a key point for satisfaction at work
• 79% reporting feeling able to make suggestions to improve the work within their team
• 77% identifying the opportunities to show initiative in their roles.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Although the post holder will work within a wider team they will largely be an autonomous practitioner who will carry out assessments and make referrals/give advice to a range of partner agencies to include the following duties:

• To review with the relevant custody officer offenders in custody and based on available information/index offence/history prioritise cases identified as eligible for screening and assessment.
• Undertake assessments of individuals with complex health presentations in Police Custody, Magistrate Courts and other Criminal Justice Locations with complex health presentations,
• To offer specialist assessment
• To advise Partner Agencies on the impact of an individuals complex health need on their offending behaviour.
• To refer individuals to appropriate primary, secondary health and third sector providers.
• To assess risks and advise partner agencies on risks an individual may present and appropriate risk management interventions
• To liaise with Assessment and Treatment Centres and maintain good working relationships with all Partner Agencies
• To contribute to the maintenance and development of the Trust nursing strategy.
• To ensure that clinical practice is evidence based and consistent with relevant NICE guidelines and Trust policies and procedures.
• To provide supervision of junior staff and trainees where appropriate.
• To act within the NMC code of conduct at all times.

Key Result Areas:

Clinical Practice, including professional development

• To be a core member of the team, using specialist health assessments.
• To provide a highly specialised range of clinical assessments/advise relevant to offender and have knowledge of evidence based models of practice and current developments within Criminal Justice
• Be a resource to Criminal Justice Partners and support training and education
• Refer appropriate cases to the Assessment and Treatment Centres. ensuring timely access to secondary services
• Refer appropriate cases to Primary and Third Sector Providers ensuring timely access to services
• Raise any potential SUIs with Line Manager
• To liaise with Approved Mental Health Act Practitioners when required
• To work in partnership with Criminal Justice Agencies in the assessment of offenders and make recommendations for custody or non custodial options.
• Develop contingency plans with partner agencies for the most prolific offenders.
• To monitor, evaluate recommendations for disposal in order to measure progress and ensure effectiveness of intervention.
• Implementation of all nursing policies and procedures.

To discuss with the offender and when appropriate, with their carers, their health problems and how they see and understand them, facilitating a process of developing their understanding and maintaining their hope for the future.

• Liaise with Child Protection and Safe Guarding Vulnerable Adult Services as required
• To work with carers and family members, offering carers assessments.
• To work closely and in partnership with colleagues in the Assessment and Treatment Centre and other services within the Trust in a collaborative way, ensuring that decisions are made that ensure the best care for service users and that there is a seamless pathway.
• To develop professional networks and keep abreast of local resources; third sector partners, primary care, housing, education, social care and other statutory organisations in order to ensure that the service user is able to navigate the full health, criminal justice and social care system.
• To establish robust communication networks with criminal justice partners other health workers and agencies.
• To promote awareness of the professional role within the team and across the criminal justice service.
• To demonstrate effective communication skills with people in an age appropriate way and those whose understanding may be impaired.
• Communicate effectively with junior staff on a timely basis ensuring systems exist so that staff, are informed.
• To apply highly specialist skills and knowledge in order to establish professional competence and fitness to practice.
• To demonstrate ongoing personal development through participation in internal and external development opportunities, recording learning outcomes in a portfolio.

Practice Development, including professional development of others

• Ensure best practice is promoted and disseminated appropriately.
• Support a team based learning culture.
• Facilitate local multidisciplinary learning groups and practice development initiatives.
• To contribute to the induction, training of students and other staff both within or external to the Trust.
• To be responsible for the supervision and written assessment of nursing students on placement within the Trust.
• Act as a mentor/preceptor.
• To fully participate in the Trusts performance review and personal development planning process on an annual basis.
• To achieve and demonstrate agreed standards of personal and professional development within agreed timescales.
• Review and reflect on own practice and performance through effective use of professional and operational supervision and appraisal in line with local guidelines.
• To provide effective guidance, supervision and appraisal for junior staff.
• To provide effective nursing leadership within the team, speciality groups and at professional networks.
• To represent the professional lead at meetings as required.

Research and Development

• To undertake research and/or audit projects relevant to the service area, disseminating findings at local level.
• To broaden research and development skills through participation in local audit and research projects.
• To participate in the operational planning, implementation of policy and service development within the team, leading on delegated projects.
• To participate in the delivery of the Nursing strategy and development plan and care group strategies.
• To use research in practice and developing research work from ones own practice.

Governance including quality, standards, documentation & ethics

• To ensure that up to date written and electronic records and activity data are maintained in accordance with Professional and Trust standards and to provide specialist reports relevant to practice setting.
• To keep accurate and timely electronic record of each contact, using Carenotes database and the NICHE Police system. Complete outcome measures as required.
• To adhere to the Nursing & Midwifery Council Code of Conduct, professional standards and ethics and comply with local and national standards of practice.
• To respect the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversity of clients and contribute to the provision of a service sensitive to these needs.
• To contribute in the Trust and professional clinical and social care governance arrangements and quality agenda, including the setting and monitoring of practice standards.
• To apply national guidelines/ legislation relating to health and social care in mental health service provision.
• To participate in clinical and social care governance care group forums as required.
• To ensure performance targets and standards are met.
• To ensure that professional nursing standards of practice are maintained within the clinical setting.
• To ensure that professional standards of practice are maintained amongst junior staff.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered nurse (RMN, LD), social worker, occupational therapist, etc. with current professional registration appropriate to the job role
• Completion of Mentorship Course/ENB. Equivalent additional learning or substantial experience for non-nurse candidates (e.g. relevant post-graduate learning, AMHP qualification etc)
• Evidence of continuous professional development

Knowledge/Experience

Essential

• Significant post qualifying experience in the relevant care group
• Experience of working alongside people with complex health problems in the designated care group
• Experience of supervising staff
• Experience of providing a range of clinical assessments and interventions to people in the designated care group with a variety of health and social care problems
• Experience of working consultatively with professionals
• Experience of conducting clinical assessments including risk assessments
• Experience of partnership working within and across various statutory and non sta
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  354-FH-20313-G