Police Liaison Practitioner - Band 6
The closing date is 27 May 2026
Hello, I'm Danny, and I lead the Calderdale IHBT. Our team is dedicated to providing compassionate, person‑centred care to people when they need it most. We’re looking for a Band 6 Police Liaison Practitioner to join us and help ensure individuals in crisis receive timely and appropriate support.
We are looking for someone confident, compassionate and resilient, with experience in risk assessment and supporting people with complex mental health needs. Crisis or liaison experience would be an advantage, but what matters most is your ability to work collaboratively and uphold our values.
You will work 12‑hour day and night shifts as part of our 24/7 rota, based between the Police Patrol Room and our Home‑Based Treatment Team office. In this role, you will triage police logs, provide advice, and at times attend incidents in the community to support officers, complete assessments and plan care. You will work closely with police colleagues, families and carers to de‑escalate situations, manage risk and guide people to the right services, helping to reduce unnecessary use of Section 136.
If you are committed to making a difference for people in crisis and building strong partnerships across health and policing, we would love to hear from you.
All employees of the Trust are strongly encouraged to have their up‑to‑date flu vaccination to protect staff and patients.
Main duties of the job
* Support calls to individuals; may be required and there will be occasions when it is necessary to attend incidents in the community with officers to facilitate comprehensive mental health assessments and care planning. May also need to assess individuals at the police station.
* Advise on appropriate pathways and signpost to various agencies where indicated, reducing the need for any police interventions and avoiding use of Section 136 of the Mental Health Act where appropriate.
* Work independently with a can‑do approach and attitude, formulate and document plans and strategies to manage risk effectively, involving service users, police colleagues, families and carers.
* Work under pressure in a fast‑paced environment.
* Experience in risk assessment within an acute setting and with complex mental health and social needs.
Job responsibilities
* Provide comprehensive mental health assessments for those in crisis, identify care pathways and offer support and advice to local police.
* Maintain close links with mental health services, social care and other voluntary agencies.
* Attend with or without police, in varying community settings, and provide mental health assessments, advice and identify robust care pathways for individuals with potential mental health or learning disability needs.
* Provide the police with written information pertaining to the individual in a timely fashion.
* Work closely and build links with all officers, acting as a single point of contact for mental health.
* Facilitate mental health act assessments at the police station or in the community if clinically indicated.
* Be proficient in all aspects of care and risk management associated with the role of lead professional, whilst referring to appropriate community teams.
* Provide specialist advice and service to the police where indicated.
* Provide mental health information that is proportionate in order to provide the best outcome for the person, where a potential mental health need has been identified.
* Develop therapeutic alliance with emotionally and psychologically disturbed clients and their carers, enabling the client to accept responsibility for their personal wellbeing appropriate to their level of cognitive functioning.
* Collaborate with clients, carers and multiple other agencies to provide effective care to optimise and maintain clients’ mental state and overall functioning.
* Maintain comprehensive knowledge and understanding of current issues and research relevant to the legislative framework and systems in which mental health care is delivered (e.g., CPA, MHA, S136).
* Take personal responsibility and supervise junior staff, ensuring maintenance of written and electronic client and Trust records, inputting data related to own work activity and maintaining accountability for professional practice.
* Participate in development of and practice within the policies and procedures of the Trust and adhere to NHS and NMC guidelines or appropriate governing body specific to professional role.
* Understand and participate in the clinical audit process within health and social care.
* Provide training to the Police, Police liaison practitioners and wider IHBTT colleagues in own discipline.
* Promote and disseminate evidence‑based practice relevant to the Liaison and Diversion and the criminal justice system to individuals and target groups within the health and social care community, through the development and delivery of appropriate training.
* Participate in the Trust’s appraisal system taking responsibility for own continuous professional development.
Person Specification
* Working knowledge of the MHA 1983, CPA and other relevant codes of practice.
* Training in P.S.I. and C.B.T. HCR‑20.
* Training in service user and family support.
Physical Attributes
* Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post. A satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years (subject to fairness and equality of opportunity considerations).
Special Knowledge & Skills
* Experience of carrying out complex risk assessment and development of comprehensive packages of care to meet individual needs and manage associated risks.
* Clear and concise written and verbal communication.
* Skills in specialist assessments, negotiation, engagement and teamwork.
* Recognised qualification in clinical supervision.
* Experience of substance misuse and relapse prevention.
* Use of assessment tools.
Qualifications
* A professional qualification at degree level or equivalent in either mental health nursing or social work.
* Hold current registration with relevant professional body.
* Evidence of post registration training and development.
* An NMC approved mentorship qualification, such as Supporting Learning in Practice (SLiP) or equivalent, and evidence of ongoing mentoring activity.
* Equivalent level of teaching mentoring qualification.
Experience
* Experience of working with people who are difficult to engage, developed through theoretical and practical knowledge of working with people with severe and enduring mental illness.
* Ability to be flexible and adapt to changing situations.
* Substantial experience of practice at a senior level working autonomously and supervising others.
* Substantial experience in community setting.
* Evidence of leadership skills and experience of supervising other staff.
* Experience of supporting carers and families.
* A proven commitment to working in partnership with service users and carers.
* Experience or training in research.
Personal Attributes
* Demonstrate ability to be flexible, self‑motivated and work in M.D.T. setting and ability to work with partnership agencies.
* Ability to prioritise workload.
* Ability to travel across the Trust as appropriate to the role.
* Ability to work unsocial hours.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Additional Information
At the time of advertising, this role does meet the minimum requirements set by UKVisas and Immigration to sponsor candidates to work in the UK. We look forward to receiving your application.
We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups; we value diversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.
Being a foundation Trust means we are accountable to our members, who can have a say in how we run. Around 14,300 local people (including staff) are members of our Trust.
Join us and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improving the mental, physical and social needs of the thousands of people we meet and help each year.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expect all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment.
We hold the right to close vacancy before the advertised closing date if necessary, so please apply as soon as possible.
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