Job overview
Do you have experience of providing high quality health and social care and support? Are you compassionate, non-judgemental and person centred in your approach?
If yes, then why not find out more and apply for a post in our Greater Manchester Liaison and Diversion Service!
You will work as part of an established multi-disciplinary team who put the experience of people using our service at the forefront of everything we do. You will receive a full induction, bespoke training, structured supervision and access to opportunities that support your further development
The service operates across the Greater Manchester region and you will be based from one of the eight Greater Manchester Police Custody Suites. You will work on a rota between 7am to 7pm seven days a week.
We work with people of all ages (10+) whose individual circumstances may have led them to be in contact with the criminal justice system. Our team strives to assess and identify areas of need and support them accordingly to improve their outcomes and hopefully keep them away from the criminal justice system in future.
We hold a National Lived Experience Charter Silver Award and welcome applications from people with lived experience.
As the role requires access to police systems and buildings in addition to enhanced DBS, you will also be subject to Non Police Personnel Vetting (NPPV) which requires information about you, your family, your finances and a minimum of three years residency in the UK.
Main duties of the job
- Work with police and others to better identify people living with a vulnerability relating to their health, diversity, difficulties and disabilities and social circumstances
- Establish consent and spend time with people to gain an insight and understanding into their circumstances
- Support children and young people, adults and older adults during the custody process and environment
- Foster hope and belief that personal well-being and security is a reasonable expectation.
- Agree and develop a ‘my plan’ with the person that acknowledges their choice, strengths and assets.
- Sign post, refer people to and liaise with agencies that can best support and meet needs.
- Provide quality and appropriate information to colleagues working in the custody environment and wider system.
Working for our organisation
Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) Foundation Trust employs over 6,400 members of staff, who deliver services from more than 160 locations.
We provide inpatient and community-based mental health care for people living in Bolton, the city of Manchester, Salford, Trafford and the borough of Wigan, and a wide range of specialist mental health and substance misuse services across Greater Manchester, the north west of England and beyond.
Greater Manchester is one of the world's most innovative, original and exciting places to live and work. From the beauty of the surrounding countryside to the heart of the vibrant inner city with great shopping, entertainment and dining options.
Wherever you go you will experience a great northern welcome with people famed for their warmth, humour and generosity.
Our people enjoy their work, have opportunities to learn and develop their skills and are encouraged to generate new ideas that improve care for our service users.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
See attached detailed job description and person specification:
Staff benefits
1. Pay Enhancements – 30% additional for Evenings (8pm onwards) and Saturdays and 60% additional for Sundays and Bank holidays.
2. 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays rising to 29 after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years
3. Excellent pension
4. Cycle to work scheme
5. Salary sacrifice car scheme
6. Wellbeing programme
Person specification
QUALIFICATIONS
Essential criteria
7. NVQ level 3 with equivalent level of experience and with further professional training either completed or willing to complete within 12 months.
8. MHA (1983, 2007), MCA (2005) and consent, Equality Act (2010), MAPPA (2012), PACE (1984), STORM, HCR20, ASC, ADHD, Learning Disability/Difficulty, Recovery Model, Personality Disorder etc
Desirable criteria
9. Educated to Foundation Degree level, Assistant Practitioner Qualification or Relevant Experience
EXPERIENCE
Essential criteria
10. Demonstrable experience in a community mental health or Learning Disability service, a criminal justice service or a forensic service. With skills, knowledge and experience as below.
SKILLS
Essential criteria
11. Ability to work as part of an MDT
12. Good written and verbal communication skills
13. Ability to carry out comprehensive independent screening in a range of community and non-health settings
14. Ability to make clinical decisions within screening framework, at first point of contact and with minimal supervision
15. Ability to record findings and inform treatment and criminal justice pathways
16. Understanding of quality and change in the clinical and criminal justice process
17. Ability to communicate in a variety of settings with service users of varying level of understanding
18. Ability to extend compassion and empathy for vulnerable offenders, advocating on their behalf as required
19. Ability to present factual information and refer questions to others where appropriate
20. Ability to deal with sensitive issues with tact and diplomacy
21. An understanding of the organisation/provision of holistic care
22. Good IT skills
23. Basic understanding of the interface between health, social care and criminal justice services and a commitment to overcoming potential barriers
24. Promote, develop and maintain effective interpersonal relationships with colleagues in health, social care and criminal justice settings
25. Good problem solving skills
26. Flexible and responsive approach to care
27. Ability to self-motivate and self-direct approach to care
28. Ability to apply a reflective perspective to own practice and learn from experience
KNOWLEDGE
Essential criteria
29. Awareness of legal, ethical and mental health legislation To have completed or be willing to undertake relevant training as available in order to apply the broader depth of knowledge required for the post
30. Knowledge of the types of resources available in the community for service users engaged with criminal justice agencies
31. Knowledge of common vulnerabilities and complicating factors
OTHER
Essential criteria
32. Demonstrate a commitment to respecting and displaying the Trust Values at all times
The Trust mandates all post holders who require a DBS for their role to subscribe to the DBS Update Service. You will be required to enrol for this service for a fee of £16 per year and maintain registration throughout your employment with GMMH.
Applicants are encouraged to apply for posts at Greater Manchester Mental Health who have direct experience of mental health, learning disability or drug and alcohol services either as a service user or a carer.
The Trust is also committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
We are aspiring to ensure our workforce is representative of the diverse communities that we serve, and we are strongly committed to removing barriers to employment for candidates from under-represented groups, for example BAME, Disabled and LGBT+ communities. If you would like to have an informal chat about the recruitment process for this role or would value some additional support, we’d love to hear from you.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications
A candidate may utilise the help of AI when writing job application. The assessment of an application is made on its entirety and most times AI-generated content does not fully grasp the context and requirements of the job one applies for thus producing inaccurate and misleading information, especially in the supporting statement section of an application that can lack real life examples of one’s achievements, success and challenges.
We have added a disclaimer to our application process advising that the use of AI is monitored. GMMH reserves the right to follow up with a candidate at the interview on specific responses and those examples used in the supporting statement to explore it further.
Sponsorship
We are proud to be an approved sponsor for the Skilled Worker visa. Applications from individuals who require sponsorship will be considered alongside all other applications. Please be aware that not all roles are eligible for sponsorship. You can review the list of eligible roles and salary requirements on the UK Government’s website – click .
If you are offered a role with us and you require sponsorship, we will check your eligibility in line with the information on the above website. Your offer of employment could be withdrawn if the role is not eligible for sponsorship, and you are not otherwise able to evidence your right to work in the UK.
The Home Office introduces new changes from 22/07/2025 that impact the health and care sector, you may wish to familiarise with it.
Do you have experience outside the NHS?
We want to attract and retain people with diverse skills and experience, to deliver inclusive healthcare services to our communities.
We will consider relevant experience outside the NHS to calculate your salary on appointment.