Diversion Keyworker

Role:               Diversion Keyworker

Based:            Portsmouth and a Portsmouth Police Station

Rate:                  £18 umb

Start Date:      ASAP

Duration:        Temp for 3 months

Hours:             21 hours / 3 days per week

Our client, an award-winning and innovative women-only organisation, is looking to recruit a Diversion Keyworker

The Diversion programme began as a two-year pilot programme launched in July 2019 and funded by MOPAC (Mayor’s Office for Policing & Crime). The aim was to drive multi-agency working between the police, Voluntary Community Sector (VCS) service providers and other statutory partners and was part of a wider programme of work to develop a whole system approach to identifying and addressing the needs of women involved in the criminal justice system in London. The Diversion programme integrates a short-term, holistic package of support for women with an out of court disposal, to improve outcomes for the woman and offer Police officers a robust alternative pathway other than prosecution.

Funding has been awarded from Portsmouth City Council to deliver a 12-month pilot of the Diversion Programme in Portsmouth, to support those women of the PO1-PO6 area postcodes, who encounter the Police and as a result are then to be referred to the Diversion service rather than be prosecuted.

Synopsis of Duties:

• Provide an in-reach service to women in the custody suite, advocating for the police to caution women instead of charging them.
• Conduct an initial rapid assessment of women’s needs and develop an Individual Support Plan for clients given an out of court disposal, that seeks to address their mental, physical, and sexual health, housing, substance misuse, relationship, education/training/employment, parenting, financial and cultural needs, and provide signposting and referrals in line with this plan.
• Use motivational interviewing techniques to engage the woman in actions arising from the Support Plan.
• Coordinate and sequence appropriate community interventions to enable the woman to meet the
• objectives on the Support Plan, liaising with co-located support workers from other agencies as required.
• Offer a short-term specialist service with a selected cohort of women, focusing on their needs and addressing priorities of partner agencies in reducing local re-offending.
• Meet women as required face-to-face, providing emotional and practical support, aiming to reduce re- offending and encourage desistance for the women.
• Advise on referral options, arrange for the referral of women to appropriate local agencies based upon their identified needs and in consultation with the client, and advocate with local agencies on their behalf to support their identified needs with a solution-focused approach.
• Consistently review your work, obtaining feedback from clients on exit from the service and using this to inform the development of our services.
• Develop and maintain information and resource materials to provide a full range of support.
• Develop and maintain professional relationships with all partner agencies including the Portsmouth Police Service, Health, Housing and Local Authority, and work appropriately within MARAC and Safeguarding Adults and Children frameworks to identify and manage risk.
• Be responsible for your own personal learning/development and keep up to date on research, relevant legislation, policy and practice, and other literature relevant to the role.
• Participate in supervision, training and meetings as required, and assist in the development of services in line with agreed development plans.

Essential Requirements:

• Experience of working in the Criminal Justice system.
• Working with vulnerable people, preferably women with multiple needs.
• DBS on the update service
• Available immediately

Supporting Futures Consulting acts as both an employer and an agency.