JOB DESCRIPTION: CUSTODY INTERVENTION COACH – DIVERT
Post:
Custody Intervention Coach
Based at:
Millwall Community Trust, Millwall Lions Centre, Bolina Road, SE16 3LN and
Lewisham Police Station, 43 Lewisham High Street, SE13 5JZ
Position reports to:
Community Development Manager
Post Summary:
DIVERT is a custody Intervention programme which is designed to reduce reoffending and has been funded by the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU). It is delivered in Lewisham Police Station custody suite by The New Era Foundation and Millwall Community Trust and it aims to DIVERT young adults between 18-25 years away from crime.
DIVERT has introduced specialist Custody Intervention Coaches (CICs) from local football community clubs to engage young adults during their detention in police custody. The successful candidate for this vacancy will work closely with local organisations and this network will provide peer support and best practice sharing.
The DIVERT Custody Intervention Coaches are not Police officers or staff and will instead work for the Football Club Community Organisation within the custody suites. Conversations are confidential between the coach and the client. It will not interfere with the Criminal Justice process. They are fully trained and ready to listen in a non-judgemental way.
DIVERT is totally voluntary for the young adult. The Custody Intervention Coach will meet the young adult whilst in custody and seek to start a conversation and get some meaningful engagement. They will complete a needs assessment with the client and then identify some effective interventions to make some positive changes in their lives.
The Custody Intervention Coach explains the numerous paths that the individual can be referred to and follows this with a long-term development plan to assist them in fulfilling their own goals, relating to education, training, and employment.
DIVERT is there to offer hope and an opportunity to make positive change.
Salary grade:
£26,000 to £30,000, dependent on experience
Department:
Community Development
Length of contract:
One year fixed term
Notice period:
One month
Probationary period:
Three months
Hours:
40 hours per week excluding lunch breaks (custody suite-based work are normally office-based hours between 9am-5pm during the week and occasional weekends if required).
Flexibility:
Flexibility is required from the post-holder to work effectively in a changing environment. Any other tasks that may be requested will be at the same level of responsibility and terms and conditions of employment.
Key responsibilities:
The role of a Custody Intervention Coach is based mainly in a police custody suite. The CIC will be working on a daily basis engaging with detainees and various members of the police family. The CIC will remain totally independent from the police investigation whilst delivering this new and innovative intervention programme.
It is the CIC’s responsibility to successfully engage detainees in order to assess their motivation to make positive change and to start an intervention plan to prevent them from re-offending. This process will begin whilst the detainee is in police custody but will continue outside of the custody environment.
We would like to recruit a bright and self-motivated person who is passionate about helping others to achieve their goals and aspirations. The successful candidate must be able to work independently but also as part of a team, acting with professionalism, integrity, and empathy. The CIC will need to have a willingness to learn with a measured and consistent approach at all times.
This is not a comprehensive list of all the tasks which may be required of the post holder. It is illustrative of the general nature and level of responsibility of the work to be undertaken.
The CIC will have a thorough working knowledge of the community provision and opportunities delivered by their own community club organisation (CCO), Millwall Community Trust, with particular emphasis placed on training and employment opportunities delivered by Millwall Community Trust and also local partners.
In order to fulfil this role, the CIC will need to be an exceptional listener who is capable of engaging and building a rapport with people who may be at a time of crisis in their lives. The CIC will often be seen as a friendly face and as non-judgmental. The CIC will be impartial and open minded in their decision-making processes.
The police custody suite is a challenging environment. The CIC will need to be assertive and at times deal with confrontational situations. The role has an element of exposure to managed risk; therefore, the CIC will need to be risk aware and have the necessary skills to minimise risk. The CIC will need to exercise patience and resilience.
The CIC will need to integrate quickly into the environment of the police custody suite working to a common goal with all members of the police family. It is essential the CIC remains totally independent in the role whilst respecting the different roles of other professionals involved in the police detention process.
The CIC may consider working with drug intervention and mental health specialists (Liaison and Diversion) to provide a ‘joined up’ working approach to the intervention plan.
Possessing excellent interpersonal skills will be key to the CIC’s role. A clear communicator with the ability to connect with people from all backgrounds, walks of life and different cultures.
The CIC will be provided with full training to equip the CIC with the necessary knowledge and skills to fulfil the role, which will include a full week’s initial training in London (exact dates TBC).
The CIC will undergo personal security background checks carried out by Metropolitan Police in addition to the DBS check carried out by Millwall Community Trust.
You will be responsible for improving your performance by participating in the Professional Development Review (PDR) process with your employer.
To carry out any other duties which are consistent with the nature, responsibilities, and grading of the post.
All roles are expected to know, understand, and act within the ethics and valuesof Millwall Community Trust and the Metropolitan Police. These will be assessed within the application / assessment or interview stage of the recruitment / selection process.
To Apply:
Please email rwhite@millwallcommunity.org.uk with your CV (including two referees) with a covering letter detailing how your personality, character and capabilities make you the best candidate for the role of Custody Intervention Coach – DIVERT. No contact will be made to referees without your prior permission.
Closing date for applications: Monday 22nd February 2021 at 12 midday.
We will endeavour to advise candidates shortlisted for interview by close of business on Friday 26th February 2021.
Interviews:
We plan to hold initial interviews on the week commencing Monday 1st March 2021 so you should be aware of this if applying for the role.
Please note that the appointment of the successful candidate will be subject to standard preemployment screening, as applicable to the post. This will include right-to-work, proof of identity, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), and references. For this role, the successful candidate will also undergo personal security background checks carried out by the Metropolitan Police.
Please note that any personal data submitted to the charity as part of the job application process will be processed in accordance with the GDPR and related UK data protection legislation. The charity’s Policy on Data Protection is available on request.
Entry into employment with the charity and progression within employment will be determined only by personal merit and the application of criteria which are related to the duties of each particular post and the relevant salary structure. In all cases, ability to perform the job will be the primary consideration. No applicant or member of staff shall be discriminated against because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.
