Work to create job opportunities for people with experience in the criminal justice system in the Black Country has received national praise.
The Criminal Justice, Liaison and Diversion service at Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust won Silver Status from the Lived Experience Charter at a ceremony in London last month.
The team received the accolade in recognition of their commitment to recruiting people with a lived experience of the criminal justice system into employment.
The Trust partnered with Wolverhampton-based charity Good Shepherd to help people into roles, boosting their opportunities, skills and mental health, as part of the organisation’s LEAP project.
LEAP, which stands for the Lived Experience into Action Project, sees volunteers access training opportunities while helping others. Thanks to the link with the Liaison and Diversion team, individuals on the LEAP programme can access paid employment within the NHS.
The Liaison and Diversion service across the NHS supports people with mental health, learning disabilities, substance abuse and other vulnerabilities when they come into contact with the criminal justice system as suspects, defendants or offenders.
The service aims to improve the overall health of the people it supports while supporting people in the reduction of re-offending.
Dawn Homer, who managed the Criminal Justice, Liaison and Diversion Service, said: “We are very proud to have achieved this in partnership with The Good Shepherd and want to shout out loud in championing this agenda and collaboration working across the Trust and with local services for further development.
“Receiving ‘Silver Status’ shows as a Trust, we are committed to the open and inclusive recruitment of people with lived experience.
“We have demonstrated a national standard and are keen to see this develop further in our Trust.”
The Lived Experience Charter is led by Career Matters and commissioned by NHS England, Health and Justice.
From 1 April, a new Health and Justice Service launched across the Black Country; this includes the Liaison & Diversion service and is being delivered by Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.
The service aims to reduce re-offending and escalation of offending behaviours. Identification, screening, prioritisation, assessment, and interventions are provided in the community, in police custody, and in courts and prisons.