Job summary
- Main area
- Liaison and Diversion - Thames Valley
- Grade
- Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 371-MHS1014-A
- Employer
- Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- 57-59 Bath Road
- Town
- Reading
- Salary
- £47,810 - £54,710 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 16/04/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Clinical Lead
Band 7
Job overview
Liaison & Diversion Clinical Lead – Thames Valley
We’re looking for a qualified Mental Health nurse, Learning Disabilities nurse, Occupational Therapist, Public Health Nurse, Health visitor or Social Worker to join our Liaison and Diversion team. You will have a keen interest in Liaison and Diversion and a passion about supporting our service users as they make their way through police custody, court and prison.
We are a dynamic, people-centred team who are looking for some who is passionate about health outcomes for those making their way through the criminal justice system.
With a reputation for excellence, our service is committed to improving the health of our clients, identifying care pathways, and reducing reoffending.
Recognised with a number of awards, including a Thames Valley/Hampshire Constabulary Police Commendation, Berkshire Healthcare ‘Team of the Year’ and runner-up for the Howard League for Penal Reform ‘Liaison and Diversion Service of the Year’.
We value our employees and put people first. We achieved an ‘Outstanding’ rating overall in our latest CQC inspection, which found that: ‘Managers across Berkshire Healthcare promoted a positive culture that supported and valued staff, creating a sense of common purpose based on shared values.’
Main duties of the job
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Focus on developing quality and excellence within Thames Valley Liaison and Diversion service.
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50% of your role will be to attend police custody suites and magistrates’ courts and provide assessments, advice and identify robust care pathways, for individuals where a potential health vulnerability has been identified.
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50% of your focus will be on auditing, supervising, and assessing competencies of identified staff members to ensure safe, effective and high-quality delivery of commissioned expectations.
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The post holder is required to be highly visible and will role model and provide training to embed best practice.
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To work closely with the Clinical and Operational Leads/Team Managers to delivery on projects, identified areas for quality improvement and in supporting the team to adapt to the changing arena in which liaison and diversion sits.
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To work autonomously, with the ability to organise and manage own time according to delegated workload.
Working for our organisation
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
FOR SECONDMENT ROLES ONLY - If the secondment role becomes permanent, the successful candidate may be offered the permanent position.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Working pattern + Service operating hours :
Our service operates in police custody from 7am-8pm, 7 days a week currently using early/late/long days to fulfil this. Our service operates in court from 9am-5pm, 5 days a week. Our service operates across the Thames Valley/Hampshire area so travel across our sites will be expected, some of these sites are not accessible via public transport. Any request for specific working pattens can be considered In line with our flexible working policy.
This role operates Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. Requests for specific working pattens can be considered in line with our flexible working policy.
Work base:
You will work from within Thames Valley Criminal Justice pathways, including police custody and magistrate/crown courts.
The “must haves” for this role:
- A professional qualification at degree level in either Mental Health Nursing, Learning Disabilities Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Health Visitor, Public Health or Social Work along with relevant registration.
- Experience with an interest in information governance and quality improvement.
- Licence holder with access to your own vehicle who is prepared to multiple sites across Thames Valley as required.
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’re 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 are happy to answer any questions that you may have. Please don’t hesitate to call: Service Manager, Stephanie Gray on 0300 365 5555 or [email protected] who’ll be delighted to help. You can find out more about the service on our website.
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 criteria
- A professional qualification at diploma, postgraduate or degree level in either Mental Health Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Social Work, Learning Disability Nurse, Public Nursing or Health Visitor status with the necessary experience.
- Hold current registration with pertinent body as listed for the professional qualifications above (NMC, HCPC, Social Work)
Desirable criteria
- Mentorship qualification or equivalent teaching qualification/training.
Continuous Professional Development
Essential criteria
- Experience in delivering and monitoring information governance and quality assurance
- Knowledge and experience of modern mental health services; social inclusion, recovery, service user involvement, carer support
- Further evidence of post registration training and professional development
Previous Experience
Essential criteria
- Significant experience at Band 6 or equivalent in a community or acute setting or criminal justice environment.
- Experience of delivering supervision to more junior staff
- Previous experience of working with specialist groups of people with complex needs, for example, including young people, people with dual diagnoses and personality disorder.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of operating across Criminal Justice & Health and reconciling both systems when planning onward support for vulnerable individuals
- Experience of managing performance, breaches in policy & liaising closely with Human Resources
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
- Able to assess and manage risk, formulate mitigation plans taking into account health and criminal justice outcomes
- Ability to work autonomously, with the ability to organise and manage own time according to delegated workload.
- Ability to show collaborative approach to service user care
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 and the PACE Codes of Practice 2004
Additional Requirements
Essential criteria
- Ability to use multiple IT systems to an advanced level including, excel, mental health record systems and Microsoft applications
- Demonstrable skills in written and spoken English, adequate to enable the post holder to carry out the role effectively
- Ability to travel efficiently to multiple sites
- In addition to DBS there is additional requirement to secure police vetting for this role.
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
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.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Stephanie Gray
- Job title
- Service Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 03003655555
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