Working with clients, health professionals, service providers and employers, IPS Employment Specialists are focused on making sure a person's journey into employment, with associated improved social inclusion and wellbeing, is as easy as possible. You will work with clients (managing a caseload) who have mental health support needs, to assist them in securing sustainable paid employment in line with their preferences. Your role will be to deliver the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) approach (for which training will be given); providing person‑centred advice and guidance to clients, whilst building positive relationships with local employers to enable clients to move into suitable employment.
This position is based within a community mental health team and/or early intervention psychosis team or Improving Access to Psychological Therapy (IAPT) team, maintaining positive and integrated relationships and fostering a holistic approach to recovery through employment. The role is peripatetic, with most work taking place in the community or at clinical hubs; there is no or minimal home working.
Responsibilities
- Manage a caseload of clients with mental health support needs, assisting them through the IPS approach from vocational profiling to withdrawal of support.
- Engage in the six key stages of the IPS journey: outreach/referral, vocational profiling, action planning, job search activities (including working one‑to‑one with employers), job placement and in‑employment support, and managing withdrawal of support.
- Build and maintain positive relationships with local employers to enable suitable employment placement.
- Provide person‑centred advice and guidance to clients, ensuring their needs and preferences guide all decisions.
- Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to support clients’ holistic recovery.
- Deliver outcomes and targets in line with IPS methodology.
Qualifications
- Experience/understanding of working with people with mental health support needs, or a similar client group within health, social services or the voluntary sector.
- Experience of working with someone on a one‑to‑one basis.
- Proven experience of meeting and exceeding outcomes and targets.
- Experience of managing multiple tasks at any one time.
- Previous experience of working assertively to influence decision makers.
- Experience of supporting people to obtain or keep work.
Benefits
- 25 days annual leave per year (plus bank holidays), with incremental increases post 3 years’ service up to 28 days, and the option to purchase additional holiday.
- 2 days paid volunteering leave each year.
- Enhanced pension scheme after 6 months.
- Life assurance at 3 times your annual salary rate.
- Access to a suite of learning and development opportunities, including paid for apprenticeship and masters’ level qualifications, and management development programmes.
- Opportunities to connect with employee diversity networks (LGBTQ+ Support Network, Racial Equality Network, Disability Equality Network, Women’s Network, Neurodiversity Peer Support Network, Menopause Peer Support Group, The MANaging Network, The Young Professionals Network and Back to Work Support Group).
- Health and wellbeing initiatives including internal support, employee assistance programme and health cash plan.
