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Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Liaison and Diversion Twilight Practitioner

The closing date is 08 June 2025

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Job summary

Do you think everyone under arrest is guilty of a crime? Or that all criminals should be locked up for as long as possible?

If so, this is NOT the job for you. Do you believe that a person's health needs, and past experiences can be linked to their criminal offending? By identifying and reducing health needs, can vulnerable people be supported to make positive changes and reduce the risk of reoffending?

We're looking for a qualified Mental Health/Learning Disabilities Nurse, Occupational Therapist, Social Worker, Speech & Language Therapist or Health Visitor to join our Liaison and Diversion team as our first ever Twilight Shift Practitioner.

You're an enthusiastic, experienced, and registered health/social care professional with an interest in health and justice and a passion for supporting people in police custody or court. Previous experience in criminal justice and offender health is desirable, but not essential.

With a reputation for excellence, our service is committed to improving the health of our clients, identifying care pathways, and reducing reoffending. We're an award-winning team, including the Howard League for Penal Reform 'Liaison and Diversion Service of the Year', hold the 'Gold Award for Lived Experience Charter by Career Matters' and 'Women' categories, commendations from Thames Valley Police and Hampshire Constabulary and Berkshire Healthcare 'Team of the Year'.

Main duties of the job

  • To attend police custody suites providing assessments, advice and identifying robust care pathways for individuals with a potential health vulnerability.
  • To provide the police and court with written and verbal information about individuals in a timely fashion to help decision-making.
  • To work closely and build links with all referring agencies within the custody suite, court and probation, acting as a single point of contact for health.
  • To work autonomously, with the ability to organise and manage own time according to delegated workload.

About us

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we're committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.

Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:

  • Caring for and about you is our top priority
  • Committed to providing good quality, safe services
  • Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions

Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:

  • Flexible working options to support work-life balance
  • 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
  • Generous NHS pension scheme
  • Excellent learning and career development opportunities
  • 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
  • Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
  • Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
  • Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
  • Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
  • Free parking across Trust sites

Details

Date posted

23 May 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£46,148 to £52,809 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

371-MHS766-A

Job locations

7-9 Cremyll Road

Reading

RG1 8NQ


Job description

Job responsibilities

The "must haves" for this role:

1. A professional qualification at degree level or equivalent in either Mental Health Nursing, Learning Disabilities Nursing, Occupational Therapy, or Social Work along with relevant registration.

2. Significant experience at Band 6 or equivalent in a community setting.

3. Able to assess and manage risk, formulate mitigation plans considering health and criminal justice outcomes.

4. Licence holder with access to your own vehicle who is prepared to multiple sites across Thames Valley as required.

Work base:

You will predominately work within Loddon Valley (Reading) suites however may also be required to work from any of our sites in Thames Valley to meet service needs.

Working pattern + Service operating hours:

The working hours will be from 16:00 00:00 across seven days a week, inclusive of bank holidays.

Our service core hours operate in police custody from 7am 8pm, 7 days a week using a combination of early shifts, late shifts. Our service does not operate at night, however the twilight shift is a new role expanding our service provision to 00:00.

If you want to use your skills to help change lives of people in the criminal justice system, wed love you to hear from you.

For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.

We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.

We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.

We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don't hesitate to call: Louise Smith on 07584557164 or email: louise.smith2@berkshire.nhs.uk who will be delighted to help.

Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The "must haves" for this role:

1. A professional qualification at degree level or equivalent in either Mental Health Nursing, Learning Disabilities Nursing, Occupational Therapy, or Social Work along with relevant registration.

2. Significant experience at Band 6 or equivalent in a community setting.

3. Able to assess and manage risk, formulate mitigation plans considering health and criminal justice outcomes.

4. Licence holder with access to your own vehicle who is prepared to multiple sites across Thames Valley as required.

Work base:

You will predominately work within Loddon Valley (Reading) suites however may also be required to work from any of our sites in Thames Valley to meet service needs.

Working pattern + Service operating hours:

The working hours will be from 16:00 00:00 across seven days a week, inclusive of bank holidays.

Our service core hours operate in police custody from 7am 8pm, 7 days a week using a combination of early shifts, late shifts. Our service does not operate at night, however the twilight shift is a new role expanding our service provision to 00:00.

If you want to use your skills to help change lives of people in the criminal justice system, wed love you to hear from you.

For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.

We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.

We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.

We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don't hesitate to call: Louise Smith on 07584557164 or email: louise.smith2@berkshire.nhs.uk who will be delighted to help.

Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications/Training

Essential

  • A professional qualification at diploma, post graduate & degree level or equivalent in either Mental Health Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Speech & Language Therapist, Social Work, or Health Visitor with the necessary experience
  • Hold current registration with pertinent body (RMN, SW, HCPC, SCHN)
  • Evidence of post registration training and development

Desirable

  • Practice Assessor / Mentorship qualification or equivalent teaching qualification.

Continuous Professional Development

Essential

  • Knowledge and experience of modern mental health services; social inclusion, recovery, service user involvement, carer support
  • Further evidence of professional development and training

Previous Experience

Essential

  • Significant experience at Band 6 or equivalent in a community setting.
  • Experience of organising and delivering clinical supervision, managing performance, breaches in policy & liaising closely with Human Resources
  • Able to assess and manage risk, formulate mitigation plans taking into account health and criminal justice outcomes
  • Knowledge of the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act

Desirable

  • Experience of undertaking Initial Findings Reports, fact finding exercises and associated report writing
  • Experience of operating across Criminal Justice & Health and reconciling both systems when planning onward support for vulnerable individuals

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Essential

  • Understanding of the theories underpinning the concept of recovery and the wider determinants of health

Desirable

  • Knowledge of Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 and the PACE Codes of Practice 2004

Additional Requirements

Essential

  • Licence holder with access to your own vehicle who is prepared to multiple sites across Thames Valley as required.
  • In addition to DBS there is additional requirement to secure police vetting for this role - therefore three years residency in UK is required to be eligible for vetting.
Person Specification

Education/Qualifications/Training

Essential

  • A professional qualification at diploma, post graduate & degree level or equivalent in either Mental Health Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Speech & Language Therapist, Social Work, or Health Visitor with the necessary experience
  • Hold current registration with pertinent body (RMN, SW, HCPC, SCHN)
  • Evidence of post registration training and development

Desirable

  • Practice Assessor / Mentorship qualification or equivalent teaching qualification.

Continuous Professional Development

Essential

  • Knowledge and experience of modern mental health services; social inclusion, recovery, service user involvement, carer support
  • Further evidence of professional development and training

Previous Experience

Essential

  • Significant experience at Band 6 or equivalent in a community setting.
  • Experience of organising and delivering clinical supervision, managing performance, breaches in policy & liaising closely with Human Resources
  • Able to assess and manage risk, formulate mitigation plans taking into account health and criminal justice outcomes
  • Knowledge of the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act

Desirable

  • Experience of undertaking Initial Findings Reports, fact finding exercises and associated report writing
  • Experience of operating across Criminal Justice & Health and reconciling both systems when planning onward support for vulnerable individuals

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Essential

  • Understanding of the theories underpinning the concept of recovery and the wider determinants of health

Desirable

  • Knowledge of Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 and the PACE Codes of Practice 2004

Additional Requirements

Essential

  • Licence holder with access to your own vehicle who is prepared to multiple sites across Thames Valley as required.
  • In addition to DBS there is additional requirement to secure police vetting for this role - therefore three years residency in UK is required to be eligible for vetting.

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Address

7-9 Cremyll Road

Reading

RG1 8NQ


Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Address

7-9 Cremyll Road

Reading

RG1 8NQ


Employer's website

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

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Team Manager

Louise Smith

louise.smith2@berkshire.nhs.uk

07584557164

Details

Date posted

23 May 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£46,148 to £52,809 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

371-MHS766-A

Job locations

7-9 Cremyll Road

Reading

RG1 8NQ


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

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