Liaison & Diversion Practitioner | Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust in Lancaster

Important: This post requires successful candidates to undergo NPPV Level 2 (full) Police Vetting, clearance of which is essential 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. The 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 a relevant subject or a Diploma in Health and Social Care
• 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 or Occupational Therapist
• Psychology Degree, CBT Diploma or 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 visits are encouraged in order that candidates understand the role.

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 the 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 activities of L&D services 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, liaise across agencies to support onward planning and intervention to address needs, and offer brief community‑based intervention to maximise service user access and engagement with appropriate services. We help inform decision makers with relevant and timely information to support sentencing and disposal outcomes.

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 supports 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.

Please see attached the job description and person specification for more information about this role.

This advert closes on Monday 25 May 2026.