Liaison and Diversion Court Team Guide

Who we are

The Liaison and Diversion Team may speak to you while you’re in court. That may be because you spoke to our team whilst in custody, it may be because a judge or your legal representative has asked us to speak to you, it may be that your community mental health team has asked us, or it may be that you have asked to speak to us.

This guide provides information about the Team and how to contact us.

Who do we support

We offer support to everyone in contact with the criminal justice system as suspects, defendants or offenders.

How can we help

The Liaison and Diversion Team provides vulnerability screenings and short term assistance to people at the earliest opportunity, who are within the criminal justice system. We work jointly with other professionals, including police and courts.

Our team has a wide variety of experience and knowledge, including lived experience of the criminal justice system. We aim to support people to engage with services that will promote health, wellbeing and quality of life whilst maintaining independence. If a concern is raised about the vulnerability or welfare of an individual, the Liaison and Diversion team may be asked to meet with them to fully review their circumstances.

We may be asked about your health and social needs by judges or magistrates, to help in their decision making, at any stage during your criminal justice journey. We can indicate whether a psychiatric report is needed to address fitness to plea or stand trial.

If you plead guilty and a pre-sentence report (PSR) is requested, we may be asked by probation to inform your pre-sentence report, with your consent, to address any established health and social needs. This is to consider whether a community sentence treatment requirement (CSTR) is appropriate.

CSTRs are a collective name for the three treatment requirements available in the judiciary for sentencing within a community or suspended sentence order. The three are mental health treatment requirement (MHTR), drug rehabilitation requirement (DRR) and alcohol treatment requirement (ATR).

We’ll liaise with people involved in your care to inform them of the outcome of your case and to share any risk related information. We’ll make referrals into the most appropriate service, dependant on need, and share information with the prison service with referrals and risk information.

Where do we work?

Our team work from a variety of different sites:

• Belle Vale Custody Suite
• Copy Lane Custody Suite
• Liverpool Magistrates’ Court
• Liverpool Crown Court
• Liverpool Youth Court
• St Anne Street Custody Suite
• South Sefton Magistrates’ Court
• Wirral Custody Suite
• Wirral Magistrates’ Court.

What can you expect from our team?

If the Liaison and Diversion Team meet with someone they can also discuss, support and plan for identified care needs, including making onward referrals to:

• Drug and alcohol services
• Education and employment services
• GPs
• Housing
• Mental health services
• Social services
• Specialist services
• Therapy services
• Third sector organisations
• Probation and youth offending services.

Urgent care contact details

The Liaison and Diversion Team is not a crisis service. If you need urgent support with your physical or mental health, please contact NHS 111 and choose the mental health option.

How to contact us

If you would like more information about the service and the support available to you, contact the Team by calling 0151 478 6550, Monday to Friday, between 9am and 5pm.

Our patients matter

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust listens andresponds to patients and their carers to help improve the services we deliver.

If you have any comments, compliments or concerns you can speak with a member of staff or contact our Patient Advice and LiaisonService (PALS) and Complaints Team.

Telephone: 0151 471 2377Freephone: 0800 328 2941Email: palsandcomplaints@merseycare.nhs.uk