Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Liaison and Diversion Practitioner

The closing date is 26 February 2026

Job summary

An opportunity has arisen within the Liaison and Diversion Team for the role of Liaison & Diversion Practitioner based in Workington Police Station, Cumbria.

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

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.

Main duties of the job

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 services

We help to inform decision makers with relevant and timely information to support sentencing and disposal outcomes.

Important: This post is requires successful candidates to undergo NPPV Level 2 (full) Vetting from Cumbria Constabulary, of which clearance is essential in order to fulfil the role.

About us

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.

Details

Date posted

12 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£31,049 to £37,796 a year per annum, pro rata (subject to confirmation)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

351-BAY917-MS

Job locations

Workington Community Hospital

Park Lane

Cumbria

CA14 2RW


Job description

Job responsibilities

For more details on this vacancy please review the attached job description and person specification.

Job description

Job responsibilities

For more details on this vacancy please review the attached job description and person specification.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Degree qualification in relevant subject or demonstrable evidence or equivalent experience relevant to field of practice

Knowledge

Essential

  • 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 a wide range of vulnerabilities including the needs of children and young people
  • Knowledge of relevant law, as a minimum; Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, Children Act, Social Care Act and PACE code C.

Experience

Essential

  • Working with people with complex needs for a minimum of 2 years either whilst studying or post qualification
  • Initial Assessment of Health and Social Needs
  • Timely and accurate documentation on electronic records
  • Assessment of Risk of Service Users to self and others
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Degree qualification in relevant subject or demonstrable evidence or equivalent experience relevant to field of practice

Knowledge

Essential

  • 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 a wide range of vulnerabilities including the needs of children and young people
  • Knowledge of relevant law, as a minimum; Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, Children Act, Social Care Act and PACE code C.

Experience

Essential

  • Working with people with complex needs for a minimum of 2 years either whilst studying or post qualification
  • Initial Assessment of Health and Social Needs
  • Timely and accurate documentation on electronic records
  • Assessment of Risk of Service Users to self and others

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Workington Community Hospital

Park Lane

Cumbria

CA14 2RW


Employer's website

https://www.lscft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Workington Community Hospital

Park Lane

Cumbria

CA14 2RW


Employer's website

https://www.lscft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Team Manager

Lauren Miller

lauren.miller@lscft.nhs.uk

07970346529

Details

Date posted

12 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£31,049 to £37,796 a year per annum, pro rata (subject to confirmation)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

351-BAY917-MS

Job locations

Workington Community Hospital

Park Lane

Cumbria

CA14 2RW


Supporting documents

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