Liaison & Diversion Practitioner

Job summary Main area General Psychiatry Grade Band 5 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 351-BAY986-EB Employer Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site The Bay Town Lancaster Salary £32,073 - £39,043 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 25/05/2026 23:59 Employer heading Liaison & Diversion Practitioner Band 5 Our Vision is to provide the best mental health, learning disability, autism, community, and physical health services for the populations we serve. As an integrated Trust, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT) delivers a comprehensive range of services, including: Primary and secondary mental health care for children and adults, including specialist inpatient child and adolescent mental health provision, perinatal mental health, and forensic services with low and medium secure care. Specialist mental health inpatient care for individuals with learning disabilities, alongside specialist community support for children and adults with learning disabilities and autism, including intensive support. Extensive community physical health and well-being services for children and adults, covering prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term condition management. The Trust was first established in 2002 and employs approximately 7,500 staff who provide care from more than 400 sites. The organisation offers opportunities for medics, mental health, general nurses, children's nurses, allied health professionals, psychology, administration and clerical staff, apprentices and volunteers, as well as those specialising in learning disabilities and community physical health services. For more information visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT . Job overview

Important:

This post requires successful candidates to undergo NPPV Level 2 (full) Police Vetting of which successful clearance is essential in order to fulfil the role. As part of this vetting process the candidate is required to have been resident in the UK for at least three years. An opportunity has arisen within the Liaison and Diversion Team for the role of Liaison & Diversion Practitioner as part of The Bay Liaison & Diversion Team. This key position within the established Liaison and Diversion Service for Police Custody Suites and Magistrates Courts will be offered as a permanent post. This postholder will be expected to work across all three sites (Barrow, Kendal and Lancaster) The service operates seven days per week 8-8 when fully operational and staff work on a rotational shift basis.

Essential Criteria :

A minimum of NVQ Level 3 in relevant subject OR Diploma in Health and Social Care AND/OR Experience of working with people with complex needs for a minimum of 2 years

Desirable :

Professional recognised qualification such as RMN, Learning Disability Nurse, Social Worker, and Occupational Therapist. Psychology Degree CBT Diploma, Substance Misuse Diploma Please refer to the Job description and person specification for full details regarding the requirements of the post and essential and desirable criteria Informal discussions and/or visit is encouraged in order that candidates understand the role Main duties of the job Liaison and Diversion (L&D) services identify people who have substance misuse, mental health, learning disability or other vulnerabilities when they first come into contact with the criminal justice system as suspects, defendants or offenders. The service can then support people through the early stages of criminal system pathway, refer them for appropriate health or social care or enable them to be diverted away from the criminal justice system into a more appropriate setting, if required. This is an 'all age' service and so you will be required to work with people from the age of 10 years upwards and originates from the Bradley Report 2009. The main things that L&D services do for the people we see are identification, screening, assessment and referral to other services. We work in Police Custody Suites and Courts throughout Lancashire & Cumbria and offer assessments to individuals within the Criminal Justice system including Voluntary Attendees We look to identify unmet need and vulnerabilities that often lead to or exacerbate offending behaviour, offer onward referral and signposting as appropriate We liaise across agencies to support onward planning and intervention to address needs We offer some brief community based intervention to maximise service user access and engagement with those appropriate service We help to inform decision makers with relevant and timely information to support sentencing and disposal outcomes. Working for our organisation The Bradley Report (2009) is a useful reference point to learn more and you are encouraged to read this to understand the role of Liaison & Diversion within police custody and the Criminal Justice Service. LSCFT values diversity and inclusion, recognising that talent from varied backgrounds creates a flexible, creative, and effective workforce. We actively challenge discrimination and welcome applications from all, regardless of age, disability (including those with experience of accessing or caring for someone who has accessed mental health or learning disability services), ethnicity, gender, religion, belief, or sexual orientation. Our aim is to reflect the communities we serve, so we particularly encourage applications from under-represented groups. If you'd like to discuss your application, please ask. We also welcome individuals with lived experience relevant to the role or service area, as your insight brings authenticity to our services. LSCFT support flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as term time, part time, compressed hours and flexi-time. The wellbeing of our people is at the heart of everything we do. We offer a wide range of resources, tools and support to help you thrive both in and out of work. Explore our full wellbeing offer here: Keeping our workforce well Detailed job description and main responsibilities Please see attached the job description and person specification for more information about this role. Person specification Qualifications Essential criteria Degree qualification in relevant subject or demonstrable evidence or equivalent experience relevant to field of practice Knowledge Essential criteria Knowledge of mental health issues and/or learning disability Knowledge of Criminal Justice System, including roles and responsibilities of staff working in it Knowledge of use and interpretation of health screening tools Experience Essential criteria Working with people with complex needs for a minimum of 2 years either whilst studying or post qualification Lone working Initial Assessment of Health and Social Needs You are advised to consider applying for LSCFT vacancies as soon as possible as in some instances vacancies are closed as soon as a sufficient number of applications have been received. If you are not invited to interview within four weeks of the closing date then please assume that on this occasion you have been unsuccessful, as it is not possible to contact all unsuccessful candidates. Please note that further communication from LSCFT will normally be to the email address given on the application form. You should also ensure that email addresses and telephone numbers are provided for your referees, to enable LSCFT to contact them. Please ensure that you read the person specification as your application will be measured against this document. If you use AI to assist with your application, you must declare this. Undeclared use may result in withdrawal. Please ensure your application reflects your own skills and experiences. While AI tools can assist, they may produce generic or inaccurate content. We encourage you to provide personal examples that demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria. For all posts which require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check please be aware of the Disclosure and Barring Service Code of Practice, a copy of which is available by logging on to the DBS website. If the post is subject to DBS disclosure, a charge will be made to the successful candidate(s). Employer certification / accreditation badges Applicant requirements This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service. Documents to download Job Description/Person Specification ( PDF , 664.3 KB ) We Do More at LSCFT ( PDF , 654.2 KB ) Apply online now Further details / informal visits contact Name Gail McGregor Job title Team Manager Email address Gail.

Mcgregor@lscft.nhs.uk Telephone number 07929795507 Additional information Hayley McGoldrick -

Team Leader Email:

Hayley.

McGoldrick@lscft.nhs.uk

Tel:

07790 578489 Daniel Wilson -

Team Leader Email:

Daniel.

Wilson@lscft.nhs.uk

Tel:

07415460837 List jobs with Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust in Allied Health Professions or all sectors