GM Liaison and Diversion Service commended at the Howard League for Penal Reform Community Awards 2022
The Greater Manchester Liaison and Diversion (L&D) Service at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust has been commended in the ‘Liaison & Diversion’ category for this year for their Out of Court Disposal Pathway in partnership with Greater Manchester Police.
The Greater Manchester L&D Service is located within Custody, Court, and Community settings across the city of Manchester and the surrounding nine boroughs. The service provides support to Children, Young People and Adults in contact with the criminal justice system and who are considered vulnerable, due to their health or social circumstances.
The Pathway which was recognised was implemented in partnership with Greater Manchester Police to provide alternative to other criminal justice disposals for people whose health and social needs informed their arrest and offence.
L&D provided training to GMP colleagues to ensure an understanding of the voluntary nature of the offer of a holistic screening. The screening details were confidential but recommendations from the screening provided to GMP supported their option to use Conditional Caution by referring the person to the most helpful agencies for them.
The Community Awards are presented annually by the Howard League for Penal Reform to people and organisations whose innovative work helps to make communities safer.
They recognise community projects encouraging desistance from crime – projects which help keep people out of the criminal justice system by providing alternative, proportionate, effective, and targeted interventions, helping to reduce the risk of re-offending.
