Mental Health Practitioner in LADS

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

Job summary

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 parttime hours may be considered. There is free onsite parking at Bridgwater Police Centre.

The team is part of NHS England’s national Liaison and Diversion programme and, with Avon and Wiltshire Partnership, provides LADS services across the wider Avon and Somerset police area.

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.

To join one of our bi-monthly LADS information sessions on MS Teams, please contact Hannah Robson.

Applicants will be required to visit the custody office environment to shadow before interview.

Main duties of the job

  • 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

Although we recognise the benefits of AI here in Somerset we would ask that your application doesn’t utilise AI. We’d really like to hear directly from you and your account of your skills and experience when applying for the role!

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • A professional qualification relevant to mental health practice.
  • Either:
  • RMN/Degree/Diploma in NursingCQSW/Degree/Diploma in Social WorkDegree in Occupational Therapy
  • Current relevant professional registration

Experience

Essential

  • Significant experience and knowledge of working with people with mental health problems.
  • Significant experience of assessing risk and developing risk management plans.
  • Experience of undertaking autonomous assessments.

Desirable

  • Experience of providing supervision.
  • Experience of working in a community mental health setting.
  • Experience of working within a Forensic/Criminal Justice environment.

Additional Criteria

Essential

  • A good understanding of holistic assessment, recovery principles (including health and social care assessments) and the role of secondary mental health services in the delivery of care

Desirable

  • Good knowledge of resources and working practices across Health and Social Care, including substance misuse, learning disability, children’s services and housing.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Closing Date: 2 August 2026

To apply for this job please visit somersetft.tal.net.