Service : Liaison and Diversion Service

If you’ve been arrested or charged and need extra support because of your mental health or disability, our teams can assess you, inform criminal justice decision-making, and help you access the right health and social care support for your needs.

If you're under 18, a woman, or veteran, please make this clear during referral as we offer specialist services to suit your needs.

We will work with you to better understand your needs and create a plan to support you whilst you are in the criminal justice system. Your plan will be shared with people who are involved in your care, such as mental health teams, probation or court teams. If you are under 18, your plan will be shared with people who are involved in your care such as social services, your school or college, or youth offending teams.

We can highlight any issues you’re dealing with to people investigating your contact with the police. This will help them to better understand your situation and make the right decisions for you and your health.

Our service is open to people of all ages who come into contact with the criminal justice system (police, court or prison) across Hampshire and Isle of Wight and Thames Valley, including Berkshire, Oxfordshire, and Buckinghamshire (excluding Milton Keynes).

It is up to you if you want to have a meeting with us. The meeting is not part of the police investigation.

Call or email us to self-refer, or make a request at any custody suite or court. You can also request support once you’ve left custody or court.

Any professional, including police, court staff, and detention officers, can make a referral on your behalf.

We respond to referrals within three working days, or immediately where the service is present within courts and custody suites.

We can also support your family and carers.

RECONNECT Care After Custody

RECONNECT is available to support people who are released from prison or an Immigration Removal Centre, from:

• HMP Winchester
• HMP Aylesbury
• HMP Bullingdon
• HMP Grendon
• HMP Springhill

Our service also supports people who have health vulnerabilities, such as mental health needs, neurodiversity, or learning difficulties.

Professionals can make a referral to RECONNECT 12 weeks before, or up to 28 days after, release via our online form or by downloading and completing our PDF referral form and emailing it back to the relevant email address.

• Thames Valley RECONNECT referral request form
• Hampshire RECONNECT referral request form

Self-refer or refer a family member or friend to RECONNECT

We understand that having a friend or family member in prison can also be difficult for those they leave behind. Friends and family can make referrals on behalf of their loved ones or encourage them to self-refer while in prison or on release.

You must have consent from the person you're referring before contacting our team. Without this, we won't be able to contact them.

If you're referring yourself and have recently been released from prison, you can contact our team directly within 28 days of returning to the community.

Please send the following information to the relevant email address:

• name (of prisoner/recently released prisoner)
• release date
• date of birth
• current/former prison
• area of release
• name of community offender manager (if known)
• your name (referrer)
• your contact number
• your email address
• reason for referral

• Email Thames Valley RECONNECT referrals
• Email Hampshire RECONNECT referrals

Our practitioners will ask questions to help find out what you need and to make any necessary referrals.

This might include help with:

• accommodation
• finance, debts and benefits
• physical and mental health
• anger and managing your moods, feelings, or behaviour
• drug or alcohol use
• relationships and children
• abuse, rape, and domestic violence
• education, training, and employment
• learning difficulties
• speech, language and communication needs
• gambling
• ending sex work

The recommendations we make may improve your wellbeing and address the underlying needs that may contribute to your involvement with the criminal justice system.

We want to make this experience as comfortable and safe as possible. To help with this, you can bring along a friend or family member, and any information that might help us get you the best possible support.

Peer Support and Support, Time and Recovery Teams

If required, a referral can be made to one of our support, time and recovery (STR) workers or peer support workers (PSWs). They will act as advocates for you and help with communication barriers at a time when you might feel isolated, confused, and misunderstood.

Our PSWs have first-hand experience of the criminal justice system and other issues that you may be experiencing.

The team can support you to engage with wider services and provide support for court appearances.

Anyone who is in custody or waiting to appear in court for an offence can request to see a PSW, STR worker, or Liaison and Diversion practitioner.

Support in Hampshire and Isle of Wight

Find details of more organisations within our booklet: