IPS Employment Specialist in Wakefield

Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. Working | South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust

Permanent contract

Could you help someone rediscover their confidence, achieve their employment goals and take an important step forward in their recovery? Join South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust as an IPS Employment Specialist and support people across Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield to find and sustain meaningful employment through the evidence-based Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model.

Deadline: 23rd October 2026

• Yorkshire & The Humber
• Full-time

Job overview

We are a specialist NHS Foundation Trust that provides community, mental health and learning disability services for the people of Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. We also provide low and medium secure services and are the lead for the west Yorkshire secure provider collaborative.

Our mission is to help people reach their potential and live well in their communities, we do this by providing high-quality care in the right place at the right time. We employ staff in both clinical and non-clinical services who work hard to make a difference to the lives of service users, families and carers.

We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups, we value diversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.

Being a foundation Trust means were accountable to our members, who can have a say in how were run. Around 14,300 local people (including staff) are members of our Trust.

Join us and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improving the mental, physical and social needs of the thousands of people we meet and help each year.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment.

Role

Could you help someone rediscover their confidence, achieve their employment goals and take an important step forward in their recovery?

We are recruiting full-time Band 5 Employment Specialists to join our established Individual Placement and Support (IPS) services across Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. Working within community mental health and primary care teams, you will help people find and sustain employment that reflects their strengths, interests and ambitions.

Previous IPS experience is not essential. We welcome transferable experience from employment support, recruitment, health, social care or community services. Training, supervision and support are provided. We encourage applications from people with disabilities or health conditions. Please select the relevant option in your application so we can discuss any reasonable adjustments you may need. If you share our belief in the value of employment and peoples potential, we would love to hear from you.

All employees of the Trust are strongly encouraged to have their up-to-date flu vaccination to protect staff and patients.

Responsibilities

This is a varied and highly rewarding role in which you will help people turn their employment ambitions into achievable plans. Using the evidence-based IPS approach, you will build trusted relationships, understand each persons strengths and goals, and provide practical support throughout their journey into work.

You will:

• Develop personalised employment plans based on each persons strengths, preferences and aspirations.
• Provide flexible support with job searching, CVs, applications, interviews, benefits, workplace adjustments and sustaining employment.
• Build relationships with local employers and work closely with clinical teams to make employment part of recovery.

At the time of advertising, this role does not meet the minimum requirements (salary threshold or occupational requirements) set by UK Visas and Immigration to sponsor candidates to work in the UK. For this reason, unfortunately we are unable to sponsor anyone on a visa for this role at this moment in time.

We are happy to accept applications from candidates who can prove their right to work in the UK or via alternative visa routes. Such applications will be considered alongside all other applications.

Please see full Job Description attached

The person

Qualifications
Essential

• Educated to degree level in a subject relevant to the role or able to demonstrate competencies working at degree level.

Personal Attributes
Essential

• An ability to initiate and develop relationships with employers while being aware of their needs.
• Ability to build and develop relationships with service users having awareness of their needs to access employment.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Vocational assessment skills.
• IT Skills.
• Motivational skills.
• Use own initiative.
• A Current driving licence and access to a car during the working day is essential (reasonable adjustments will be considered for any applicants who are unable to drive due to a disability).
• Willingness to work flexible hours according to the demands of the job.
• Good negotiation skills and persuasive style.
• Coaching or motivational interviewing experience/qualification.
• Occupational Therapy or Occupational Psychology Training.
• IPS Training.
• Counselling or Careers Guidance/equivalent as evidenced by a relevant qualification.
• Experience with health or social services or the voluntary sector, working with people who have experienced mental health problems and related employment difficulties.
• Personal lived experience of mental health problems.

Please see Person Specification attached.

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