IPS Employment Specialist in Cramlington

Cramlington, Northumberland | Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust

Permanent contract

Could you help someone with serious mental health challenges achieve their employment ambitions? Join Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust as an IPS Employment Specialist and use your relationship-building, creativity and determination to support people into meaningful, sustainable work across Northumberland.

Deadline: 7th July 2026

Full-time

Job overview

We aim to attract and retain a diverse, talented and committed workforce, who are caring and compassionate, and therefore able to meet the demands of the modern NHS now and in the future. In return we can offer a dynamic working environment in which to build a career.

NHS Employees identified as at risk of compulsory redundancy and those eligible for the NENC Re-Deployment careers hub will receive prior consideration.

We’ve supported dozens of service users secure paid employment that has helped them thrive! We’re fantastic to work for and can guarantee an exciting and varied role that rewards creativity and an action-orientated attitude.

Role

Interested in a new challenge? Want to help people thrive? An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the CNTW Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Employment Support Team.

We help anyone with serious mental health problems pursue their employment ambitions in a highly person-centred way using an evidence-based approach that is proven to work. We are recruiting for a new member of staff to join our service working into the South Northumberland Psychosis Non Psychosis Team based in Cramlington NE23 1AX.

We are excited to be recruiting for a new IPS Employment Specialist to work within the brilliant Secondary Care Mental Health pathways across Northumberland. The role requires building strong relationships with people using Community Treatment Mental Health Services, using our evidence-based tools to identify their ambitions and then use employer engagement techniques to gain or retain employment on their behalf. This is an exciting, varied and hugely gratifying role that rewards tenaciousness, creativity and excellent communication skills.

Responsibilities

• To manage a caseload of between 20-30 service users at any one time who are currently off work / unemployed, receiving specialist mental health services and who wish to return to work.
• Meet and exceed job outcome targets for service users.
• Build a multi-disciplinary approach to the return to work, involving clinical staff (where relevant) in managing symptoms at work, medication reviews and supporting rehabilitation needs e.g. social skill development, budgeting, travel training etc.
• Work as a member of the multi-disciplinary team ensuring that high quality, individualised care is delivered and that this promotes Recovery and Wellbeing and maximises Independence.
• Provide compassionate care that is based on empathy, kindness, respect and dignity.
• Prepare individuals for a return to work by supporting service users to understand their skills, aspirations and goals through vocational profiling and action planning.
• Ability to work flexibly to meet the needs of Service Users across pathways which may regularly include working extended and flexible hours over 7 days a week.

Please see Job Description for list of full Responsibilities.

The person

Education and Qualification

• Educated to degree level or equivalent.
• Multi-disciplinary team work.
• Proven ability to develop therapeutic partnership with service users and carers.
• Proven ability to communicate interventions to service users.
• Minimum 2 years’ experience of working with people with mental health problems or a similar user group.
• Further relevant post qualifying training.
• Previous experience in a community setting.
• Experience of involving service users/ carers in evaluation/planning and monitoring of services.
• Trained in IPS approach.
• Level 3 Diploma in Employability Services Sector Qualification.
• Mental First Aid Qualification.
• Minimum 2 years experience of working in the supported employment services.
• Lived experience.

Knowledge and Experience

• Understanding of the statutory issues which impact on service users.
• Knowledge of disability and special needs issues, policies and legislation in relation to employment.
• Good understanding of the principles and practice of supported employment.
• Knowledge of employment law.
• Knowledge of IPS principles of approach.

Skills and Competencies

• Proven ability to use IT systems.
• Adaptability, flexibility, good communication skills and a commitment to multi-agency team work.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills and ability to build rapport with a range of people.
• Flexibility to work out of ‘normal office’ hours.
• Natural ability to build close, trusting and productive relationships with people.
• Compelling written and verbal communication skills, tailored to a variety of audiences.
• Excellent coaching and active listening skills, ability to ask perceptive questions that tease out important information through mentoring and coaching.