Mental Health Practitioner in LADS in Taunton

The Liaison and Diversion (LADS) team provides a service to individuals appearing at Somerset's criminal courts (Taunton, Yeovil and North Somerset Magistrates' Courts, and Taunton Crown Court) and to people who have been arrested and are detainees in police custody in Bridgwater. The service operates seven days a week, between 08:00 and 20:00. Staff predominantly work long days to cover these hours, although part-time hours may be considered. There is free onsite parking at Bridgwater Police Centre.

The team's primary role is to carry out mental health and vulnerability assessments in criminal justice settings, identify unmet needs, and support timely referral to appropriate services. Information is shared with criminal justice partners (with consent) to ensure that individuals' needs are understood and that police and courts can make informed decisions.

Main duties of the job include:

• Complete rapid mental health and vulnerability assessments in police custody and courts.
• Produce clear written screening reports to support criminal justice decision-making.
• Share relevant information (with consent) with police, courts and partner agencies.
• Identify support needs and make referrals or signpost to appropriate services.
• Provide mental health advice and guidance to police, court professionals and other partners.
• Work autonomously, prioritising referrals and managing workload effectively.
• Contribute to service data returns, audits and ongoing service development.
• Participate in the rota covering police custody, courts and voluntary attender appointments.

At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:

• Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
• NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
• Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
• A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential

Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.

We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.

Clinical Responsibilities include:

• Carry out psychosocial and mental health assessments for individuals in custody or attending court.
• Identify risk factors and vulnerabilities and develop safe, appropriate care pathways.
• Make referrals to community mental health teams, crisis services, social care, substance misuse teams and other relevant services.
• Provide verbal advice to courts when required and liaise with prison mental health teams.

Multi Agency Liaison involves:

• Working effectively with police, court staff, probation, social care and voluntary agencies.
• Acting as a point of contact for mental health advice within criminal justice settings.
• Supporting consistent information sharing and joined-up care pathways.

Training and Professional Development includes:

• Delivering mental health and vulnerability training to police, courts and partner agencies.
• Supporting Band 3 staff and contributing to the supervision and learning of students.
• Maintaining accurate and confidential clinical records in line with Trust and criminal justice systems.
• Participating in audit, service reviews and monthly data reporting.

Service Delivery requires:

• Working independently during shifts, prioritising assessments and responding to referrals promptly.
• Contributing to rota coverage across custody, courts and voluntary attender appointments.
• Working safely and professionally in custody and court environments, including with distressed or challenging individuals.
• Adhering to all Trust policies, safeguarding requirements and relevant legislation including the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act.

Person Specification:

• Qualifications: A professional qualification relevant to mental health practice (e.g., RMN/Degree/Diploma in Nursing, CQSW/Degree/Diploma in Social Work, Degree in Occupational Therapy). Current relevant professional registration is essential.
• Experience: Significant experience and knowledge of working with people with mental health problems, assessing risk and developing risk management plans, and undertaking autonomous assessments. Desirable experience includes providing supervision and working in a community mental health setting or within a Forensic/Criminal Justice environment.
• Additional Criteria: A good understanding of holistic assessment, recovery principles, and the role of secondary mental health services in the delivery of care.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and will require a submission for Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions. Applicants must have current UK professional registration.