Nick Thomas has worked with the Criminal Justice Liaison and Diversion Team at Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust as a Youth Practitioner for four years. He helped develop the 10 to 18 year old service for young people which NHS England and the national diversion programme support (outside of crisis and early intervention).
Nick’s role involves supporting children and young people at risk of offending or who already entered have the criminal justice system, For example in custody, court and targeted youth services, offering assessments and working with the wider multi agency to support individuals .
Nick is a learning disability nurse by background, having worked in specialist behaviour services since qualifying in 1999. In 2009 he took up a post with Specialist CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services).
Following a recent arrest of a youth, Nick thought that he had heard of, or been involved with, five or six similar cases in the past six months. He reviewed his notes and found some significant similarities those being that they were all female, under the age of 15, with no previous offending history, but who had come into contact with missing persons and child sexual exploitation services. The offence for all the girls was the same, possession with intent to supply class A drugs (specifically MDMA).
Nick explained that in 80 percent of the cases the drugs were supplied to females the youngest being aged 12, a number were admitted to emergency departments due to the effects of these substances. Nick shared his findings with the police, local safeguarding children services as well as specialist child sexual exploitation and missing persons’ services to see if they were aware of similar cases. This resulted in a police operation and a detailed multi-agency response.
The young people involved were supported by the team through the criminal justice system and were safeguarded by schools and local services.
Without Nick recognising and linking the cases this information may not have been linked and the girls would have continued through the criminal justice system and their vulnerabilities may not have identified. This protected young people in the local area and supported the needs of others going through the criminal justice system.
An article was published in the local paper about the operation and three people have recently been charged, convicted and given significant prison sentences.
Nick Thomas is pictured with Chief Executive, Joe Rafferty as he received an Employee of the Month Award.