Salary: £35,573

Hours: 37.5 p/w

Contract: Permanent

Closing Date: 24th March

Interview Date: w/c 31st March

Job Purpose

DIVERT uses 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 Palace for Life 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-judgmental way.

DIVERT is totally voluntary for the young adult. The Custody Intervention Coach will meet the young adult in custody and seek to start a conversation and engage them meaningfully. They will complete a needs assessment with the client and then identify effective interventions to make 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

The successful candidate will not be able to start until The Metropolitan Police background checks are completed, so the likely start date will be mid-2025.

Job Summary

• The role of a Custody Intervention Coach is based mainly in a police custody suite. The CIC will work with detainees and various members of the police family on a daily basis. The CIC will remain totally independent from the police investigation while delivering this new and innovative intervention programme.


• It is the CIC’s responsibility to successfully engage detainees 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 the custody environment.


• We would like to recruit a bright and self-motivated person who is passionate about helping others 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 be willing to learn with a measured and consistent approach at all times.


• The CIC will have a thorough working knowledge of the community provision and opportunities delivered by their community club organisation (CCO), Palace for Life Foundation, with particular emphasis placed on training and employment opportunities offered by Palace for Life and local partners.


• The CIC will need to be an exceptional listener 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 sometimes 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 also need to exercise patience and resilience.


• The CIC will need to integrate quickly into the environment of the police custody suite, working toward a common goal with all members of the police family. The CIC must remain independent while respecting other professionals' different roles 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 who connects with people from all backgrounds, walks of life and cultures.

• The CIC will be provided complete training to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills to fulfil the role, including a 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 Palace for Life Foundation


• Be responsible for improving performance by participating in the Professional Development Review (PDR) process with your employer and Bounce Back.


• Candidate will also perform other duties consistent with the post's nature, responsibilities, and grading, including at least one day at the Foundation per week.

All roles are expected to know, understand, and act within the ethics and values of the Palace for Life Foundation and the Metropolitan Police. These will be assessed within the application/assessment or interview stage of the recruitment/selection process.

Job Requirements

Essential

• Proven ability to gather and interpret information.


• Experience in dealing with members of the public and working in partnership with other departments and agencies


• Effective communication at all levels with a wide range of audiences.


• Working effectively and efficiently as part of a team and working with minimal supervision


• Working on their own, developing solutions and taking appropriate, timely action to resolve them


• How to deal with difficult situations or conflict


• How to maintain strict confidentiality using tact and diplomacy where appropriate


• Experience in listening effectively and questioning where necessary to fully understand a person’s personal circumstances

• Experience in writing professional reports

• Proven track record of working with disadvantaged groups.

• Flexible approach to work, able to work out of hours, evenings and weekends


• Ability to travel independently


• Ability to use own initiative


• Proficient in Microsoft Office


• Presentation Skills


• Ability to work under pressure


• Behaves appropriately, taking personal responsibility for own actions and setting a good example for other colleagues.

Desirable

• Already vetted by the Metropolitan Police


• Experience of using Impact Measurements to track distance travelled


• Experience with data collection and monitoring frameworks


• Experience in constructing meaningful case studies that show the impact of work.


• Experience in sitting on relevant steering groups, forums and panels to support the best outcomes for young people


• Car driver/owner – clean driving licence


• Be able to produce support plans and risk management plans based on assessments.

Safeguarding

Crystal Palace Football Club is committed to safeguarding and ensuring the welfare and protection of children, young people and adults at risk. The club fully accepts its responsibility for children, young people and adults at risk. Our aim is to ensure that safeguarding runs through every element of the work we do to ensure the welfare and well-being of all those who engage in our activities.

All children, young people and adults at risk have a right to be protected from abuse regardless of their age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief. We believe that all adults working within the club, in any capacity, have a duty and responsibility to safeguard the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

We strive to do this by applying policy, procedures and best practice, engaging with the Premier League, FA and local authority partners to promote the safety and welfare of all those who engage in activities with the club. Our practice reflects statutory requirements and responsibilities. This allows our participants to enjoy any club activity in a safe, and inclusive environment.

The club expects all staff, players, volunteers, contractors and guests to share this commitment.

Equalities

Crystal Palace Football Club endorses the principle of equality and will strive to ensure that everyone who wishes to be involved in the club whether as players, match-day fans, staff, board members, participants in foundation programmes and other people engaged with the club’s activities (for example, suppliers, corporate partners):

Has a genuine and equal opportunity to participate to the full extent of their own ambitions and abilities, without regard to their age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion and belief, sex or sexual orientation; and

Can be assured of an environment in which their rights, dignity and individual worth are respected, and in particular that they are able to enjoy their engagement at the club without the threat of intimidation, victimisation, harassment, bullying and abuse.