This role sits within the Liaison and Diversion service that operates across London. The key purpose of this role is to work alongside vulnerable people in contact with the criminal justice system and support them to access appropriate support in the community. This support is holistic and is offered on a short-term basis (often up to three months). It includes referring people to relevant services, accompanying them to appointments and engaging them in 1:1 work to support their wellbeing and become well-equipped to achieve their personal goals. The service is underpinned by trauma-informed approaches.

Functional Responsibilities

• Use an outreach approach to assist service users to attend key appointments, as indicated by the referrer.

• Enable revolving door individuals to comply with orders made by the police or the court and prevent further arrests for non-compliance.

• Enable individuals to find and access appropriate services in the community. Enable individuals to develop confidence in engaging with relevant (mental health or other) services.

• Empower individuals through promoting independence for those who may struggle with everyday life activities and supporting them to build life skills. Empower individuals with knowledge about appropriate services and support them to access these when required.

• Promote the equality and diversity needs and rights of individuals. Including people experiencing mental ill-health, people who present with symptoms indicative of a diagnosis of personality disorder, people who misuse substances and people with learning difficulties / neurodiversity, etc.

• Contribute to the management of risk for the person, including raising safeguarding concerns for risk to self, others or from others.

• Contribute to the development and effectiveness of the criminal justice team and our partner agencies.

• Develop your own abilities to enhance work performance and engage with training/ CPD opportunities as necessary.

• Maintain sound knowledge about our NHS partners that provide L&D services alongside Together.

• Develop and sustain effective working relationships with external staff in statutory and other agencies. For example Community Mental Health Teams, Social Services, the Judiciary, etc.

• Assist in the follow up care of service users with offending behaviour by liaising with appropriate services to reduce the need for custodial remands and sentences.

• Follow up on all referrals made in a timely manner, escalating to management any unsatisfactory outcomes.

• Ensure that information about the service user is communicated to all necessary services in a timely manner. That includes highlighting any unmet needs the person may have and ways of supporting them.

• Contribute to the development and promotion of Together and the service by attending relevant forums. You will need a significant understanding of Together and its values, to be able to present the organisation in a positive light.

• Deliver training or workshops, internally and externally, as and when requested.

• Research, prepare and supply information to monitor the effectiveness of the service.

• Work with the data and administrative team, to support them producing statistical data analysis as required.

• Actively participate in own personal development, by developing skills and expertise in relation to service users’ specific vulnerabilities. Examples of existing champion areas include issues related to service users from black and ethnic minority communities, older adults, domestic abuse, spirituality, etc.

• Ensure your own actions reduce risk and promote health and safety.

• Work flexibly, using creative and innovative approaches to achieve goals.

• Actively seek and respond to feedback, adapting practice accordingly and making changes to deliver the best service possible. For example, though engaging in 1:1, and group supervision and reflective practice meetings.

Essential:

• A minimum of two years’ experience working in a mental health setting.

• Skills in engaging individuals with mental health and complex social care needs.

• The ability to work in a flexible way to meet service users’ needs. Ability to manage a diverse range of service users including those with protected characteristics, and a variety of social care and mental health needs.

• The ability to demonstrate clear boundaries in client work.

• The ability to form effective inter-agency relationships, e.g. health, probation, social services etc. as well as ability to work independently in an autonomous and self-motivated manner.

• Excellent communication skills, with a range of agencies and stakeholders.

• The ability to maintain own safety and use outreach work protocols as agreed with line manager.

• The ability to manage complex and difficult situations.

• An understanding of the clinical and social care needs of adults, with different gender identities and those from underrepresented groups including minority ethnic groups, who present with various vulnerabilities, including mental health needs.

• An understanding of risk assessment and management strategies, including safeguarding principles and processes.

• An understanding of psychiatric symptomatology and treatment interventions as well as an understanding of mental health service provision within the community.

• An understanding of the social care needs system (for example employment, benefits and housing services).

• Administrative and goals setting skills.

• A developed sense of how the Equality Act is applied in mental health work and the criminal justice system. An understanding of mental health legislation, particularly the Mental Health Act 1983 and related contemporary policy issues.

• Ability to work well in a team.

• Ability to build and maintain effective professional networks.

Desirable

• An understanding of the criminal justice system and the challenges defendants and practitioners face, including accessing and providing support to vulnerable individuals in criminal justice settings.