Job summary
Surrey Liaison and Diversion Service are seeking to recruit an enthusiastic, highly motivated Clinical Lead from a registered mental health background to cover Guildford Crown Court and oversee Surrey Magistrates Courts: Guildford and Staines.
Our passionate Liaison and Diversion Service aims to advocate for and improve access to healthcare and support services for vulnerable individuals who come into contact with the youth and criminal justice system and to reduce health inequalities.
You will work as part of the service leadership team, Prison Healthcare Teams, Probation, Court Judiciary, and Legal Teams, Inpatient and Community Services, Drug and Alcohol Services, and Social Cares Teams.
This role requires you to be a clinical expert, an organised and efficient leader: you will need to be able to travel promptly between locations during the working day. Full driving licence is required. Our service operates shifts 07:00 - 19:00, Monday to Saturday.
This role requires both enhanced DBS clearance and Sussex Police clearances (NPPV level 2), which we will assist the successful candidate to apply for.
Our Service is committed and dedicated to developing all members of our team by encouraging and providing opportunities for Continued Professional Development, participation in Quality Improvement initiatives and driving clinical excellence.
For more information on L&D services nationally please visit NHSE's health and justice commissioning web pages.
Main duties of the job
The main functions of the role will be: to support the Court to understand the needs of vulnerable defendants based on detailed mental health and risk assessment; to provide advice based on identified needs; and to support the Court by referring (or advising on referral) into effective secure health pathways. These will typically include age-appropriate specialist forensic psychiatric or other assessment pathways, prison healthcare care, secure hospital care, and acute inpatient or secondary mental health care.
The post holder will need to establish and maintain an effective network of contacts and connections. Within the Court system this will include: the presiding Judge and her colleagues, court clerks and listings officers, the National Probation Service (NPS) court team, wider magistrates' court network, and the contracted Prisoner Escort and Custodial Services (PECS) provider. External to the court this will include: MSU/LSU referral and bed management, forensic psychiatry and psychology colleagues, acute psychiatric bed managers, prison healthcare providers, and L&D colleagues in other locations.
The post holder will understand and apply data protection legislation, including multi-agency information sharing in the interest of public protection (including MAPPA and MARAC procedures).
The postholder will work autonomously within professional guidelines.
About us
Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is the leading provider of health and social care services for people of all ages with mental ill-health and learning disabilities in Surrey and North East Hampshire. We also provide social care services for people with a learning disability in Croydon and ASD and ADHD assessment services in Hampshire.
We actively seek to engage people who use our services and our communities in improving the mental wellbeing of the local population. We work closely with other NHS and voluntary sector organisations who provide services and support people who use services and carers.
Surrey is a beautiful county lying just 30 minutes away from Central London and from the South Coast.
Our historic market towns and bustling districts are enveloped in wonderful countryside, and our excellent road and rail networks bring the rest of the country within easy reach.
For international travel, both Gatwick and Heathrow airports are nearby.
Please note that we reserve the right to close posts as soon as sufficient applications are received.
We look forward to receiving your application!
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see attached job description and person specification for further details regards to the job role and responsibilites.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
1. Professional Qualification as RMN (Mental health)
2. Membership of a professional body NMC
3. Driving License suitable for use in the United Kingdom
4. Post graduate qualification relevant to the role (AMHP, forensic mental health qualification) or equivalent experience
Experience
Essential
5. Significant experience in mental health including working with service users with complex needs
6. Knowledge of forensic inpatient and community mental health services
7. Good working knowledge of MHA1983, particularly part II and III
8. Working knowledge of Criminal Procedures and Insanity legislation governing unfitness to plead, insanity, and alternative disposals (including CSTRs)
9. Knowledge of safeguarding adults and children, and relevant legislation and procedures
Desirable
10. Experience of working with forensic service users