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National gong for ground-breaking mental health support service for offenders in North London

An innovative north London service which has supported close to 3,500 people with a range of vulnerabilities who are at risk of offending in getting the right health and social care support has won a prestigious Howard League for Penal Reform award last week.

The North and North East London Liaison and Diversion service picked up the national award in recognition of its commitment to helping people tackle the underlying causes of their offending, and thus reducing the likelihood of reoffending. The service is commissioned by NHS England (London) and delivered in partnership with Barnet, Enfield & Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust, East London NHS Foundation Trust, North East London NHS Foundation Trust and the Together for Mental Wellbeing charity.

The service covers 13 custody suites and seven courts and it forms part of NHS England’s national Liaison and Diversion programme. Since April 2014 when the first phase of the trial began, 3,479 people have benefited from this service which ultimately has contributed to a reduction in future arrests and the use of police and court time.

The annual awards celebrate projects across England and Wales that help keep people out of the criminal justice system. The liaison and diversion category is open to services that take early action to make sure that people in trouble with the law get the right help, in the right place, and at the first possible moment.

Anne Rainsberry, Regional Director of NHS England (London), said: “This is an outstanding achievement and a testament to the commitment and hard work of Barnet, Enfield & Haringey Mental Health Trust and East London and North East London NHS Foundation Trusts with Together for Mental Wellbeing for delivering exceptional services to the people who need them most. With services like these, we can break the cycle of reoffending by helping people get the right services at the right time.”

The service was awarded for its approach which involves assessing the needs of vulnerable individuals in magistrates’ courts, crown courts and police custody settings, working closely with a wide range of partners to ensure that these individuals have access to the right health and social care services. The judges also acknowledged the additional support provided by Community Link Workers, who work alongside individuals throughout the criminal justice pathway to help them engage or re-engage with relevant services to tackle things like housing, addictions or debt, as well as their mental wellbeing.

The North and North East London Liaison and Diversion service is part of a trial for existing liaison and diversion services to test a new and improved service specification and operating model announced in April 2014. A second wave of trial sites started in April 2015, including a second site covering Central, West and North West London, which will see the expansion of comprehensive liaison and diversion services to 50% of London working to the new, enhanced national model.