Andrew Luces

Andrew Luces RMN, PgDip, MSc

Senior Lecturer Mental Health Nursing

I joined the University of Greenwich in January 2023. Prior to this, I worked in Liaison and Diversion and criminal justice for over a decade as a Clinical Nurse Specialist and later became the Service Manager for Liaison and Diversion for a large Central London Mental Health NHS Trust in London.

My interest and specialism are within Forensic Psychiatry, where I have contributed to both local government and national level working in partnership with NHS England and other stake holders on developing policy and contributing to mapping of Liaison and Diversion Pathway.

I completed MSc in Clinical Forensic Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neurodevelopment (IoPPN), where I teach and specialised in Structural Professional Judgement (SPJ) which is an analytical method used to understand and mitigate the risk for interpersonal violence posed by individuals that relies on evidence- based guidelines to systematise the exercise of discretion.

I was also trained at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neurodevelopment (IoPPN) in the delivery of psychotherapeutic intervention, such as Reasoning and Rehabilitation and Anger Management, working with offenders offering prosocial tools in confronting some of the challenges they may encounter on their recovery pathway.

Posts held previously:

  • 2022 - 2023- Senior Lecturer Mental Health Nursing London South Bank University
    Recruitment Lead for the Department of Mental Health and Learning Disabilities.
    Cohort Lead for Second year BSc  students.
    Co-Module lead for Introduction of Evidence Base Practice.
    Co- Module Lead for Appraisal of Evidence Base Practice.
    Professional lead in Forensic Psychiatry and Liaison and Diversion.
  • 2021 - 2022- Senior Lecturer Mental Health Nursing Buckinghamshire New University
    Module Lead for BSc mental health nursing.
    Supervision and facilitation Personal Tutor Group.
    Link lecturer.
  • September 2019 - September 2021
    Lead the team using compassionate leadership model.
    Supervision and appraisal of all band 7 staff across 8 London boroughs.
    Attend and chair SIM meetings* Maintain interprofessional working relationships with stakeholders within Criminal. Justice Service forum by attending monthly meetings, sharing data about the efficacy of the service.
    Attend monthly/ quarterly meetings with L&D services , NHS England across London and outside London (Milton Keynes, Berkshire, Peterborough, Oxfordshire to ensure value for money. provide update, ensure closer working relationships.
    Contribute to service expansion, in collaboration with the finance team putting together biddings for other services
    Work with Stake holders to help deliver care that is value for money.
    Provide training for Custody Staff within London Custody Management on Liaison and Diversion.
    Work with team leaders to provide support for all staff.
    Encourage career PDRs amongst all staff and grades.
  • September 2008 - September 2019- Clinical Nurse Specialist
    Work as an autonomous practitioner in police custody suites, assessing.
    Individual’s who are deemed mentally vulnerable or to be suffering from a mental
    illness and a risk within the context of the alleged offence and the criminal justice
    system.
    Implement a care pathway for each individual.
    Undertake a full mental state assessment, risk assessment, and gather a
    background history for individuals with a variety of needs.
    Make clinical judgements in police custody on situations as they arise, or
    change. These would include those with a serious mental illness or personality
    disorder and associated learning, social, personal, dependency and substance
    misuse issues who are in police custody suites, prepare accurate written reports
    following assessment in line with quality standards.
    Facilitate appropriate signposting /referring on, offering expert advice that is
    evidence based.
    Work in collaboration and liaison with other relevant agencies, service users
    and carers.
    Liaise with court services, CPS, Defence solicitors, court liaison and
    diversion services, local mental health services, prisons, local authorities,
    appropriate adult schemes.
    Prepare Reports on detainees mental state and submitted them to the
    Judge, magistrate.
    Act as a resource for mental health information for police custody staff and
    the broader Liaison and Diversion scheme.
    Undertake mental health awareness training and teaching sessions, for staff
    within the criminal justice system. E.g police officers, court staff, and social
    services.
    Mentoring students and supporting colleagues from multi-disciplines, who
    require knowledge of forensic services, Specific Forensic Psychiatry related
    risk assessment and pathology.
    Involve and contribute ongoing research in Liaison and Diversion services.

Responsibilities within the university

  • Preparing and delivering teaching and the required level
  • Module/program Lead
  • Contribute to student recruitment for the school of health sciences
  • Supervision and facilitation of Personal Tutor Group
  • Link Lecturer, working with various NHS Trust and Educational departments

Research / Scholarly interests

  • Forensic Psychiatry and Liaison and diversion (all age model)