Community Substance Misuse Specialist in Leeds

Leeds Mind promotes positive mental health and wellbeing and provides help and support to anyone who needs it in and around Leeds. We have faith and optimism in our clients and so the services we deliver are built around their needs. We support the people of Leeds to discover their own resources to ‘recover’ from periods of poor mental health, and to live life independently with their mental health condition. Our values of Being Open, Supportive, Brave, Connected, and Resourceful are pivotal to the work we do.

Leeds Mind is committed to creating an inclusive environment – equity, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of everything that we do. We are committed to ensuring that our colleagues, volunteers and people who access our services feel a sense of belonging at Leeds Mind that gives them the confidence to share their unique perspectives and experience. By creating an inclusive environment that fosters belonging, we aspire to attract colleagues and volunteers who offer diversity of experience and thought. We believe this will ultimately improve the service we provide as well as the employee and volunteer experience.

Employment is a key part of mental health recovery. Our employment services are delivered in line with the IPS model, supporting people with mental health challenges to retain paid employment in line with their aspirations. IPS is delivered in close partnership with NHS mental health services, employers, commissioners and the wider system. Due to receiving new funding we are excited to expand our WorkPlace Leeds service to develop our existing support in the community.

The Role: To provide an evidence-based IPS employment support service, delivered in a trauma-informed, person-centred and inclusive way, in line with Leeds Mind values and IPS fidelity standards. You will be required to manage a caseload of clients who have experienced mental health difficulties and who are either unemployed or seeking to return to current employment following long term absence. You will be expected to deliver the IPS approach (according to the key principles of IPS). You will work with all relevant stakeholders, including employers, to support the client to gain and retain paid employment.

Essential Skills and Experience:

• Experience of working directly with individuals who face complex barriers, using a person-centred, strengths-based and non-judgemental approach.
• Able to manage a varied caseload, support people to find, return to or stay in work, and work towards agreed outcomes in a performance-focused environment.
• Ability to build positive, trusting relationships with clients, employers and partner professionals, and communicate clearly, empathetically and professionally.
• Willing and able to proactively approach employers, promote inclusive employment, and support workplaces to understand mental health and reasonable adjustments.
• Able to prioritise workload, maintain accurate records using digital systems, work within safeguarding and GDPR requirements, and engage with supervision and feedback.
• Demonstrates a commitment to Leeds Mind values, inclusive and trauma-informed practice, partnership working, and ongoing learning (including completing IPS training and competency assessment).

Hours – 37 hours per week (we are unable to offer part time hours unfortunately but may be able to accommodate flexible working). Selection process will include a telephone screening and assessment centre.

Location: The role is predominantly community-based but you will also attend meetings at Clarence House, Clarence Road, LS18 4LB. Successful candidates will be required to undertake a right to work in the UK check as well as an enhanced DBS check. At Leeds Mind, we’ve made significant progress in Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging in recent years, resulting in a genuinely diverse team. We are committed to maintaining strong representation in our workforce and always encourage applications from LGBTQIA+, culturally diverse, neurodivergent, and disabled individuals.