JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title: IPS Employment Specialist Team Lead
Location:Leicestershire and Rutland
Hours:37.5 pw
Accountable To: National IPS Manager
Background
Intuitive Thinking Skills place a high value on the life experiences of individuals, regardless of their backgrounds. As such, all roles within the organisation are primarily focussed on fostering these experiences, supporting employees to thrive in whatever sector they are working in.
This emphasis on the skills of our workforce is primary to all other activities, as without a relevantly skilled, empowered and highly motivated workforce we will fail to support the needs and aspirations of our customers.
Our IPS Service supports individuals facing drug and alcohol challenges to build a meaningful, sustainable positive future through integrating employment as a part of their recovery. We are committed to embedding the voices, expertise and leadership of people with living & lived experiences in everything we do, from service design to delivery and evaluation.
Key relationships: Local employers, Organisation managers, human resources, clinical teams, user groups, VCS organisations, local colleges, local employment services, and Jobcentre Plus.
About the role: IPS (Individual Placement and Support) is an employment support approach for working with people with complex needs that provides intensive, individually tailored support to help people find meaningful and lasting paid work.
Job summary:
The post holder will provide employment professional supervision to a team of 2 to 4 Employment Specialists, and will lead the on-going development of Individual Placement and Support Model within a local drug and alcohol service. And will be responsible for their daily management, achievement of key outcomes and compliance to IPS national standards.
The Employment Specialist Lead will also hold a reduced caseload of his or her own.
Individual Placement & Support: Managing a limited caseload of up to 10 people in drug and alcohol treatment services who wish to return to, or start, paid employment. Clients will be worked with for an unlimited time whilst they work towards their goals, with an offer of ongoing in work support once in employment.
Building effective working relationships with local employers, training providers and colleges to secure employment for people in community treatment for substance misuse, including ensuring the service is focused on accessing the ‘hidden’ labour market.
Providing job development and job search activities directed toward positions that are individualised to the interests and uniqueness of the client, following the evidence-based principles and procedures of IPS supported employment.
Providing ongoing support according to both the employee’s and employer’s needs to enable people who have experienced dependency on drugs and/or alcohol to retain employment once secured.
Ensuring that people are provided with help and advice to apply for posts in open employment, and advised about accessing in-work welfare benefits as appropriate.
Promoting the profile of employment within the clinical team, and raising expectations around the ability of clients to attain paid work.
Developing the day to day operational practices of the Employment Specialist Team.
Provision of IPS supervision to Employment Specialists based in your locality.
Ensuring that services achieve and maintain good fidelity to the evidence-based IPS model.
Overview of main responsibilities:
- To provide leadership and employment professional supervision to Employment Specialists within the team.
- To provide field mentoring to employment staff to enable them to further develop their practice and increase outcomes.
- To liaise with OHID IPS Manager, senior practitioners and managers within the service around the on-going implementation of the evidence-based Individual Placement and Support Model.
- To work with client keyworkers and clinical staff, including through case conferencing, to ensure that clients receive appropriate support from everyone involved in their care during the return to work process.
- To lead a local employer engagement strategy to involve employers (including the local authority and partner services), and open-up and secure work experience and paid employment opportunities for people in treatment for drug and/or alcohol dependency.
- To provide advice and support to employers, as agreed with the individual, which may include negotiating adjustments and on-going contact with supervisors to ensure job retention.
- To assess individual support needs related to work which might typically include help with benefits, travel to work, managing health and work etc.
- To work flexibly on occasion as required by clients and employers, which may require some working out of normal office hours.
Professional development
- To participate in your own IPS and management supervision, objective setting/appraisal, and professional development plan.
- To provide regular IPS supervision to Employment Specialists, including group supervision to the team, and overseeing their professional development plans.
Policy and/or service development
- To work with the Employment Specialists, and service management to ensure that vocational support services offered continue to develop effectively.
- To ensure that effective referral procedures to IPS provision from the clinical and recovery teams are in place.
- To ensure participation in monitoring and evaluation systems to accurately capture and report Key Performance Items.
Benefits:
Company Pension, Sick Pay, company events, annual leave buy/sell.
Inclusive Recruitment and Accessibility
Intuitive Thinking Skills is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. We welcome applications from candidates with a range of backgrounds, experiences and working styles. Candidates are encouraged to let us know if they require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process.
Applicants do not need to meet every desirable criterion to apply; we are interested in relevant skills, potential and values alignment as well as direct experience.
Compliance
All colleagues are responsible for following organisational policies, procedures and relevant legal and regulatory requirements, including safeguarding, Prevent, health and safety, equality and inclusion, UK GDPR/data protection and information security.
The postholder must support compliance with applicable organisational standards, including ISO 27001 Information Security, ISO 9001 Quality Management and ISO 14001 Environmental Management, by maintaining accurate records, protecting confidential information and escalating concerns appropriately.
IPS Employment Specialist Team Lead employer: AKG
AKG Learning is an exceptional employer that prioritises the growth and development of its employees while fostering a collaborative and inclusive work culture. As an Engagement and Enrolment Officer, you will have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on learners and employers in the community, supported by comprehensive training and professional development initiatives. Located in a vibrant area, AKG Learning offers a dynamic environment where your contributions are valued, and you can thrive both personally and professionally.
