IPS Employment Specialist | Connect to Work in North East

Do you believe that meaningful employment can change lives — and want to be the person who helps make it happen? Triage is recruiting an IPS Employment Specialist in Durham to support people with health conditions, disabilities and complex barriers to find and sustain rewarding work.

Who is Triage?

Triage provides information, advice, guidance, skills, workplace training, work preparation and supportive recruitment services that help people secure a job, progress in the workplace and build meaningful careers. Delivering from locations across Scotland and England, Triage partners with multiple public, private and community organisations. Working with local, regional, and national stakeholders, prime contractors and Jobcentre Plus, we deliver employment, education and training programmes that respond to the social, cultural, inclusive and economic growth agendas.

We are looking for people to join us, who reflect our values. With offices across the UK, our values are what helps unite our teams and provides us with a sense of belonging. For us, our five values frame our interactions and set standards both internally and externally – they are the building blocks on how we do business:

• “We thrive together”
• “We do something amazing every day”
• “We never give up”
• “We know our knowledge is power”
• “We act with kindness”

In other words, if you have a true passion for working with and helping others, Triage could be the employer for you.

About the role:

The IPS Employment Specialist plays a pivotal role in supporting individuals with health conditions (including mental health), disabilities and complex barriers to employment, to gain and sustain meaningful paid employment. The role is based on the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model, which is an evidence-based approach to vocational rehabilitation. The role is deeply impactful, helping individuals overcome barriers to employment and promoting social inclusion, contributing to a fairer society by challenging stigma and discrimination in the workplace.

You will be required to build and manage a caseload of up to 25 people at any one time and will also engage with local employers to match participants with suitable roles that are both sustainable and rewarding. Your work location(s) will mainly be based in and around the communities we support and will be caseload dependent. You will be expected to manage your time and diary effectively to maximise face-to-face time with each participant. Specific working locations can be discussed at interview stage.

Triage is a Disability Confident Employer who wishes to engage and encourage people with a disability or long-term health condition, ensuring they have the opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations. We will interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum requirements for the job and make reasonable adjustments to ensure candidates are not disadvantaged in any way.

Responsibilities:

• Build trusting, supportive relationships with participants, referral sources and employers.
• Communicate effectively with a wide range of people, including those with mental health conditions.
• Provide a tailored 1:2:1 service based on participant needs and goals, whilst adhering to IPS principles.
• Identify and understand participants' strengths, aspirations, and barriers.
• Support participants to identify suitable job roles and prepare for employment.
• Provide ongoing support once in work, including job retention strategies.
• Proactively engage with employers, matching their needs with participant needs, skills and strengths.
• Educate employers on reasonable adjustments and inclusive practices.
• Negotiate job opportunities that align with participant skills.
• Think on your feet and adapt to challenging situations.
• Maintain accurate records and monitor participant progress.

The person:

Required criteria:

• Outstanding interpersonal skills (empathy, teamwork, conflict resolution, emotional intelligence) and ability to build rapport with a range of people.
• Proven experience of supporting people overcome barriers to obtain or keep work.
• An understanding of the principles and practices of supported employment.
• Proven track record of building collaborative relationships with employers.
• Excellent communication skills (written, verbal, non-verbal, listening) with the ability to connect with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to evaluate individual progress toward their goals, adjusting support strategies as needed.
• Organisational and time management skills.
• Experience of working in a performance and quality driven environment.
• Able to work in a complex environment and demonstrate a high level of perseverance.
• Driver with access to a vehicle with business car insurance.

Other desirable criteria include a pre-existing network of partners and/or employers in the local area; the ability to use qualitative mechanisms to deliver continuous improvement to service delivery; a pro-active ‘can-do’ attitude; a track record of driving positive change and the ability to work under own initiative and think outside the box.