Job summary
- Main area
- Liaison and Diversion - Thames Valley
- Grade
- Band 5
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 371-MHS709
- Employer
- Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- 7-9 Cremyll Road
- Town
- Reading
- Salary
- 拢29,970 - 拢36,483 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 13/03/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Engagement Lead
Band 5
Job overview
INTERNAL ONLY - This post is open to Berkshire Healthcare NHS Employees Only
Engagement Lead 鈥 Band 5 听听
Liaison and Diversion & Reconnect are recruiting an Engagement Lead. 听
What鈥檚 special about this opportunity?听
We are looking for a motivated and enthusiastic individual who is focused on providing appropriate, effective interventions to individuals within the Criminal Justice System within the Thames Valley who may present with a range of vulnerabilities that may be linked to their offending behaviour.鈥 This may, in addition, include support to carers (including friends and relatives) and their supporters in the community by enabling and assisting them (Service Users) to meet daily health, social care and well-being needs, in line with personal recovery goals, and facilitating engagement with mainstream services. 听
As well as managing Peer Support Workers across Thames Valley, the Engagement Lead is part of our Reconnect project, the role involved ensure that the health needs of individuals who are leaving prison or Immigration detention centres are met.鈥
Main duties of the job
- To work as part of the team to increase access to, and uptake of, healthcare or relevant support services for vulnerable individuals upon release from prison or Immigration detention centres who would otherwise struggle to engage. 听
- You will have oversight of peer support and the peer support elements within the Liaison and Diversion and Reconnect service鈥
- This is a full time role of 37.5 hours and is working across the Thames Valley.
Working for our organisation
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 鈥榦utstanding鈥 by the CQC, we鈥檙e committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we鈥檙e committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.
Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:
- Caring for and about you is our top priority
- Committed to providing good quality, safe services
- Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions
Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:
- Flexible working options to support work-life balance
- 27 days鈥 annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
- Generous NHS pension scheme
- Excellent learning and career development opportunities
- 鈥楥ycle to Work鈥 and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
- Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
- Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
- Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
- Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
- Free parking across Trust site
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The 鈥渕ust haves鈥 for this role:
- Educated to degree level in health and social care or equivalent professional or vocational qualification in health and social care subjects or equivalent level of knowledge and/or practical experience of working in a health or social care setting. 听
- 12-18 months recent experience of employment within the voluntary or health and social care sector at Band 4. 听听
- Ability to work with difficult to engage individuals with challenging behaviours.鈥疎xperience of exposure to distressing and contentious information/situations
- Ability to travel to multiple sites efficiently to work effectively with service users and line manage peer support staff across the service. 听
For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.听
We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.听
We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.听
We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don鈥檛 hesitate to call: Lucy Bashir on 0300 365 5555 or email: [email protected] who will be delighted to help.听
Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.
Person specification
Education/Qualifications/Training
Essential criteria
- Educated to degree level in health and social care or equivalent professional or vocational qualification in health and social care subjects or equivalent level of knowledge and/or practical experience of working in a health or social care setting.
- Completed the Care Certificate
- NVQ level 3 in Health & Social Care or equivalent and relevant health related training to diploma level or equivalent work experience at Band 4 level 12-18months.
Continuous Professional Development
Essential criteria
- Experience of working in a health and social care setting.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of teaching/training individuals and groups.
Previous Experience
Essential criteria
- 12-18 months recent experience of employment within the voluntary or health and social care sector at Band 4.
Desirable criteria
- Lived experience of the criminal justice system, mental health and / or drug and alcohol services.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
- The ability, with supervision, to manage own workload in an effective and timely manner.
- Demonstrate ability to use initiative appropriately, making decisions within the guidelines set.
- Able to demonstrate a general understanding of mental health issues with a positive non-judgemental approach towards people within the criminal justice service.
- Well-developed IT skills including competent use of Microsoft Office, and the use of electronic record keeping systems.
- Team-working skills within a multi-disciplinary group.
- Experience of supervising staff, volunteers, or peer mentors.
- Ability to work with difficult to engage individuals with challenging behaviours. Experience of exposure to distressing and contentious information/situations
Additional Requirements
Essential criteria
- Ability to travel to multiple sites efficiently to work effectively with service users and line manage peer support staff across the service.
- Full driving licence and access to a car.
Desirable criteria
- Have experience of at least one of the key vulnerabilities identified as the target group for Liaison and Diversion.
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Lucy Bashir
- Job title
- Lived Experience Service User Engagement Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 03003655555
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