IPS Employment Specialist (In Work Retention) in Sunderland

Could you help people stay in work, overcome challenges and build long-term career success? Join Triage as an IPS Employment Specialist (In Work Retention) and provide personalised support that helps people with health conditions, disabilities and other barriers sustain meaningful employment and thrive in the workplace.

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”.

The IPS Employment Specialist role is focused on recruiting and managing a caseload of in-work retention participants, providing tailored support to help individuals sustain meaningful paid employment. The role will support participants to address barriers that may affect their ability to remain in work, using a person-centred and practical approach. The role is impactful in helping participants maintain employment, build confidence in the workplace, and access the right support at the right time. It also contributes to wider social inclusion by supporting fairer, more inclusive employment practices.

You will be required to recruit, build and manage a caseload of in-work retention participants, providing ongoing support to help them remain in employment. Alongside this, there will be an expectation of additional employer engagement activity, supporting the wider team to access employment opportunities and, where appropriate, educating employers on inclusive work practices and reasonable adjustments. 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 participants, employers and wider delivery colleagues.

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. If this applies to you, you can request consideration under this scheme during the application process.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• High level of optimism, initiative, and effective interpersonal skills in order to engage effectively with participants, clinical teams and employers.
• Proven experience of delivering one-to-one support and facilitating small groups.
• Demonstrated experience working within a structured delivery model, with the ability to creatively adapt the approach through innovative activities and thinking—ensuring the service remains inclusive, engaging, and beneficial to all participants, regardless of their individual barriers to employment.
• Proven experience of meeting and exceeding progression targets.
• Proven experience in the use of assessment tools such as vocational profiling to identify support needs and inform practical job goal actions.
• 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.
• Evidence of attributes such as challenge and resilience, flexibility and adaptability, honesty and integrity, impactful communication, planning and decision making, and promoting services.
• Ability to positively challenge others.
• Accomplished networking skills with the ability to build professional relationships effectively.
• 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.
• Experience of working in employability, publicly funded services, or other similar sectors.
• Previous work with diverse populations.

The person

More details about the role:

• 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 remain in work by identifying risks to retention and agreeing practical actions with the participant and, where appropriate, their employer.
• Provide ongoing in-work support, including job retention strategies, confidence building and signposting to appropriate services.
• Apply new knowledge and techniques to improve delivery effectiveness.
• 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.
• Build long lasting relationships with employers, maximising engagement opportunities to support sustainment in employment through effective in work support.
• Work closely with mental health teams, including clinicians and therapists.
• Share insights and collaborate on care plans.
• Understand how employment fits into recovery pathways.
• Build positive relationships with potential referral sources.
• Think on your feet and adapt to challenging situations.
• Be creative in job searching and overcoming employment barriers.
• Show tenacity and drive to achieve positive outcomes.
• Maintain a positive, recovery-focused attitude.
• Prioritise tasks and manage competing demands.
• Maintain accurate records and monitor participant progress.
• Adhere to the IPS model, whilst ensuring participants receive a high-quality tailored service.
• Maximise your time effectively, adopting a sensible diary management approach allowing you to work in community-based settings and locations.
• Understand the impact of mental health on employment.
• Be familiar with benefits systems, basic employment law, and workplace accommodations.

This job description is intended as a guide. Duties may change in line with service needs and will be agreed through the business performance management process.

For the successful candidate, this role will require a satisfactory enhanced disclosure check appropriate to the level of responsibility involved. We handle all disclosure information in line with the relevant safeguarding legislation and the DBS Code of Practice, ensuring a fair and transparent process for all applicants.