IPS Employment Specialist in Watford

Job Overview

You will work as a member of the multi-disciplinary Community Team as an IPS Employment Specialist (ES).

Your role is to provide Individual Placement Support (IPS) for service users who are unemployed and seek paid employment as part of their recovery goals.

Responsibilities

• Carry a caseload of up to 25 service users, delivering high‑quality employment support to adults of all ages with mental health challenges.
• Work intensively with users having severe and enduring mental health conditions that affect their ability to work.
• Assist users in obtaining and sustaining paid employment, applying the eight principles of IPS.
• Conduct rapid job searches, using local support networks to help users overcome barriers to employment.
• Source job opportunities through tailored searches and ongoing contact with employers.
• When placing users, evaluate work environments and explore workplace adjustments to accommodate strengths, skills, symptoms, and coping strategies.
• Develop effective working relationships with external agencies such as local colleges, training providers, and supported employment services.
• Provide education and support to employers, negotiate adjustments, develop return‑to‑work strategies, and maintain ongoing contact to address mental health and job sustainability issues.
• Offer individualized support after placement to help users maintain employment.
• Meet and exceed job outcome targets for service users.
• Supervise junior staff and support their professional development.
• Engage in partnership working, negotiation, and liaison with other agencies.
• Apply knowledge of disability and special needs issues, policies, and legislation related to employment.
• Apply the principles and practice of IPS consistently.
• Maintain knowledge of employment law.
• Work team‑oriented and collaborate within a mixed‑disciplinary team.

Qualifications

• Degree level education or equivalent.
• IPS trained.
• Additional training in employment, mental health, coaching, and job retention.
• Considerable experience working with adults with mental health difficulties in health or social care settings.
• Significant experience delivering employment support.
• Experience supervising junior staff.
• Knowledge of disability and special needs issues, relevant policies, and legislation.
• Understanding of the principles and practice of IPS.
• Knowledge of employment law.
• Strong partnership, negotiation, and liaison skills with other agencies.
• Experience opening job opportunities with a range of employers.
• Proficiency with key IT tools, including MS Word, Excel, and Power Point.
• Excellent rapport‑building, negotiation, and persuasion abilities with prospective employers.
• Active listening skills and the ability to ask perceptive questions to elicit important information.
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