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Liaison and Diversion services assess people suspected of a crime before any sentence. They help people to find support from a treatment or support service to improve health and criminal justice outcomes.
- Service Delivery Office: Cedar House, St Clement's Hospital, Foxhall Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP3 8LS
- Service Manager Lead: Jem French
- Service Contact: Hellesdon Hospital: 01603 786756 Cedar House: 01473 322254. Out of hours: Please leave a message or contact the police investigation centre via police switchboard.
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Address:
Paston Centre, Hellesdon Hospital, Drayton High Road, Norwich, NR6 5BE
- Service hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 17:00
- What this service offers
- Access this service
- How this service support carers including friends and family
- Urgent help
What this service offers
The L&D Service for Norfolk and Suffolk is provided by Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with Julian Support and Project Nova. Project Nova is part of the Walking With the Wounded charity that supports military veterans and their families.
The team provides support for vulnerable people of all ages including children and young people attending Police Investigation Centres (PICs), Courts and other locations used by criminal justice agencies.
Contact with us varies according to need. Someone may see their practitioner only once. We may refer them to Julian Support for ongoing support. Project Nova provides a tailored service for military veterans. We work with many agencies to help former servicemen and women. We will liaise with any agency that can assist, including NHS and the voluntary sector. The person may also have contact with the service if they appear in court.
The Liaison and Diversion Service arranges support for any health or social condition where referrals would improve health or justice outcomes. The service works to a recovery model that allows the people using the service to set their own goals.
We prioritise screening people in custody with vulnerabilities such as learning disabilities, mental health, gender, age, alcohol or substance misuse, accommodation, financial problems, youths, people in custody for the first time, or physical health problems.
We offer any support we can to people with other vulnerabilities that may benefit from support. This includes victims of bullying or domestic abuse, people with autistic spectrum disorders, sensory disorders or communication problems that may have an impact on offending behaviour.
The aim of the Liaison and Diversion Service is to provide help and support that improves health and criminal justice outcomes. We advise the police and courts to help them reach optimal sentencing and custody decisions that support improved health and reduced offending.
Access this service
We accept referrals from people involved with the criminal justice system up to the point of sentencing as an offender or alleged offender. You must also have a vulnerability as described above.
Our practitioners work in police custody and courts to identify anyone who may have a vulnerability and who may benefit from contact with L&D.
We accept referrals from criminal justice agency staff, health and social care professionals and third sector organisations.
One of our experienced practitioners will assess the person. They will consider how best to support you with identified needs and help you to access that support.
We work with police, courts and other agencies to get someone the right support in custody, in the community and in court.
How this service support carers including friends and family
Where appropriate, the service takes into account any information provided by family or carers during the screening and assessment process. We can also help on some aspects of the criminal justice system.
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Urgent help
If you are a service user and are in crisis and need support urgently you can contact your service on the number which will have been provided.
Call 111 and select the mental health option to speak to our 24 hour mental health crisis line.
If you are with someone who has attempted suicide, call 999 and stay with them until the ambulance arrives.
If anyone is at serious risk of harm, call 999 and ask for the police.
For non-life threatening medical situations, call NHS111 on 111.
For more information, see Help in a Crisis.