Job summary
37.5 hours per week. The opportunity to change minds. The power to change lives.
For people who need mental health support, getting back into
work is a vital step on their recovery journey. The evidence backs this up, but
although 90% of people with severe mental illness want to work, only 8% of them
are in paid employment. That's why we're looking for people to join our IPS
Employment Support Service to work with the community mental health teams, as an
Employment Specialist, to champion our mission and help people who need mental
health support - your clients - get back into paid work.
This is an incredibly rewarding role - you will have the
opportunity to transform the lives of your clients, to give them hope,
direction and support their recovery journey. This is also a challenging role,
so you will need to be resilient, empathetic, and dedicated to finding clients
a role that's right for them. As a people person, you will build a good rapport
with your clients, gaining a real understanding of their key skills, their
aspirations and their career goals and finding them opportunities to match. You
will also spend time building productive relationships with employers in order
to identify and negotiate job opportunities in the hidden labour market.
Main duties of the job
- To assess, provide guidance and support to people
who have experienced mental health problems within secondary care
services, through exploring their interest and capacity for employment,
under the supervision of the team leader.
- To have an individual caseload of people who wish
to return to employment using the Individual Placement and Support
approach (IPS)
- To proactively engage and work with employers to
open up and secure employment opportunities for this client group.
- To
provide follow up and in-work support to both the employee and employer
(as appropriate) for as long as required
- To
integrate into Community Mental Health Teams to ensure wholistic support
for those clients returning to paid employment
This role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route, please refer to the Direct Gov website for more information with regards to eligibility.
Please note that Livewell may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline if a high number of applications are submitted. Therefore, we recommend you submit your application at the earliest opportunity.
All Livewell staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7 day service.
About us
Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise providing integrated health & social care services for people across Plymouth, South Hams & West Devon, as well as some specialist services for people living in parts of Devon & Cornwall. With teams in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, health & wellbeing hubs.
As an organisation with a strong social conscience, we always value being kind, respectful, inclusive, ambitious, responsible and collaborative. Transforming services to make them sustainable, ensuring that we value, support & empower each other.
We are committed to involving the people we care for, families & carers in everything that we do, working towards co-production where we can. Helping us to deliver the right care for people, in the right place & at the right time. By putting people at the centre of what we do, we ensure to support people to lead, healthy independent lives & be the very best at helping people to live well.
Valuing our employees making an investment in their development a priority. We offer:
Protected CPD time for registered staff
Various development pathways and ongoing regular training packages for all staff
Leadership & mentoring programmes
Access & funding for training including Care Certificate, Assistant Practitioners Course & Scholarship Into Nurse Training
A Robust Preceptorship
A bespoke induction programme
Existing members of the NHS Pension Scheme can continue their membership when they join the organisation.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Role Purpose:
- To assess, provide guidance and support to people
who have experienced mental health problems within secondary care
services, through exploring their interest and capacity for employment,
under the supervision of the team leader.
- To have an individual caseload of people who wish
to return to employment using the Individual Placement and Support
approach (IPS)
- To proactively engage and work with employers to
open up and secure employment opportunities for this client group.
- To
provide follow up and in-work support to both the employee and employer
(as appropriate) for as long as required
- To
integrate into Community Mental Health Teams to ensure holistic support
for those clients returning to paid employment.
Role
Context:
- The role of the IPS Employment Specialist is integrated within Community Mental Health Teams and works in
partnership with care coordinators and other clinicians/multidisciplinary
teams who are responsible for the care and treatment of those service
users who want to gain employment.
- The IPS
Employment Specialist undertakes in-depth
assessments and completes vocational profiles of the individuals
employment needs and abilities, developing an employment action plan
whilst liaising with the care coordinator/ Lead clinician.
- IPS is evidence based, clearly defined
and outcomes are measured against fidelity to the model.
- IPS Service and
Employment Specialists are required to meet ICG KPis supported by the
Team leader.
Key Accountabilities:
- To
manage an individual caseload of people who have experienced mental health
problems & who want to access employment opportunities and attain work
in the open job market.
- To
prepare individuals for employment by assessing their specific employment
support needs and preferences through vocational profiling, under
supervision of the team leader.
- To
meet regularly with care coordinators/clinicians to coordinate and
integrate IPS into mental health services.
- To
proactively research the labour market and identify suitable local
employers by making direct contact, promoting the service and working with
them to secure employment opportunities.
- To
provide personalised ongoing support to individuals once they
have secured employment and to assist them in sustaining their employment.
- To
provide support for the employer.
- To work with other
members of the CMHT and clinical teams enlisting appropriate
clinical/specialist support as and when necessary.
- To provide specialised
advice concerning employment to service users with a range of different
clinical needs.
- To provide specialised
advice to employers concerning recruitment and retention.
- To develop workplace
introduction strategies which are appropriate to individual service users
and individual workplaces.
- To
develop and deliver individualised awareness/training and support packages
which will result in the successful acquisition of work and job-specific
skills. This may include negotiating adjustments and maintaining ongoing
contact with the employer.
- To
appropriately monitor the career development of individuals in employment.
- To develop relationships with other organisations
that support people to achieve their employment goals
- To prioritise, monitor and administer own caseload in conjunction with the team
leader and ensure an appropriately balanced workload.
- To undertake training
as required fulfilling the duties of the post.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Role Purpose:
- To assess, provide guidance and support to people
who have experienced mental health problems within secondary care
services, through exploring their interest and capacity for employment,
under the supervision of the team leader.
- To have an individual caseload of people who wish
to return to employment using the Individual Placement and Support
approach (IPS)
- To proactively engage and work with employers to
open up and secure employment opportunities for this client group.
- To
provide follow up and in-work support to both the employee and employer
(as appropriate) for as long as required
- To
integrate into Community Mental Health Teams to ensure holistic support
for those clients returning to paid employment.
Role
Context:
- The role of the IPS Employment Specialist is integrated within Community Mental Health Teams and works in
partnership with care coordinators and other clinicians/multidisciplinary
teams who are responsible for the care and treatment of those service
users who want to gain employment.
- The IPS
Employment Specialist undertakes in-depth
assessments and completes vocational profiles of the individuals
employment needs and abilities, developing an employment action plan
whilst liaising with the care coordinator/ Lead clinician.
- IPS is evidence based, clearly defined
and outcomes are measured against fidelity to the model.
- IPS Service and
Employment Specialists are required to meet ICG KPis supported by the
Team leader.
Key Accountabilities:
- To
manage an individual caseload of people who have experienced mental health
problems & who want to access employment opportunities and attain work
in the open job market.
- To
prepare individuals for employment by assessing their specific employment
support needs and preferences through vocational profiling, under
supervision of the team leader.
- To
meet regularly with care coordinators/clinicians to coordinate and
integrate IPS into mental health services.
- To
proactively research the labour market and identify suitable local
employers by making direct contact, promoting the service and working with
them to secure employment opportunities.
- To
provide personalised ongoing support to individuals once they
have secured employment and to assist them in sustaining their employment.
- To
provide support for the employer.
- To work with other
members of the CMHT and clinical teams enlisting appropriate
clinical/specialist support as and when necessary.
- To provide specialised
advice concerning employment to service users with a range of different
clinical needs.
- To provide specialised
advice to employers concerning recruitment and retention.
- To develop workplace
introduction strategies which are appropriate to individual service users
and individual workplaces.
- To
develop and deliver individualised awareness/training and support packages
which will result in the successful acquisition of work and job-specific
skills. This may include negotiating adjustments and maintaining ongoing
contact with the employer.
- To
appropriately monitor the career development of individuals in employment.
- To develop relationships with other organisations
that support people to achieve their employment goals
- To prioritise, monitor and administer own caseload in conjunction with the team
leader and ensure an appropriately balanced workload.
- To undertake training
as required fulfilling the duties of the post.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to degree level/equivalent experience.
Experience
Essential
- Experience with health or social services or the voluntary sector, working with people who have experienced mental health problems and related employment difficulties
Desirable
- Personal lived experience of mental health problems
Training
Essential
- Experience of delivering coaching, mentoring or motivational interviewing and/or qualification.
Desirable
- Occupational Therapy or Occupational Psychology Training
- IPS Training
- Employer Engagement Training
- Counselling or Careers Guidance/equivalent as evidenced by a relevant qualification or experience
Knowledge
Essential
- An understanding of the employment needs and difficulties of people who experience mental health problems and related barriers to employment.
- An understanding of the Principles and practice of Individual Placement and Support (IPS).
- An understanding of Employer engagement and strategies.
- Understanding of mental health Recovery principles.
- A working knowledge of Human Resources good practice and Employment Legislation in relation to supporting people with mental health needs in the work place.
- Understanding of Welfare Rights/ benefits system.
Desirable
- An understanding of applied audit/research methods
- Good presentation Skills
Skills
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 and wishes to access employment.
- Ability to work with other teams, appreciating diverse roles.
- Excellent interpersonal skills.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Excellent networking skills.
- Vocational assessment skills.
- IT and administrative skills.
- Motivational skills.
- Use of own initiative.
Desirable
- Good marketing skills
- Good negotiation skills and persuasive style
Contractual Requirements
Essential
- Driving Licence and car
- Willingness to work flexible hours according to the demands of the job.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to degree level/equivalent experience.
Experience
Essential
- Experience with health or social services or the voluntary sector, working with people who have experienced mental health problems and related employment difficulties
Desirable
- Personal lived experience of mental health problems
Training
Essential
- Experience of delivering coaching, mentoring or motivational interviewing and/or qualification.
Desirable
- Occupational Therapy or Occupational Psychology Training
- IPS Training
- Employer Engagement Training
- Counselling or Careers Guidance/equivalent as evidenced by a relevant qualification or experience
Knowledge
Essential
- An understanding of the employment needs and difficulties of people who experience mental health problems and related barriers to employment.
- An understanding of the Principles and practice of Individual Placement and Support (IPS).
- An understanding of Employer engagement and strategies.
- Understanding of mental health Recovery principles.
- A working knowledge of Human Resources good practice and Employment Legislation in relation to supporting people with mental health needs in the work place.
- Understanding of Welfare Rights/ benefits system.
Desirable
- An understanding of applied audit/research methods
- Good presentation Skills
Skills
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 and wishes to access employment.
- Ability to work with other teams, appreciating diverse roles.
- Excellent interpersonal skills.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Excellent networking skills.
- Vocational assessment skills.
- IT and administrative skills.
- Motivational skills.
- Use of own initiative.
Desirable
- Good marketing skills
- Good negotiation skills and persuasive style
Contractual Requirements
Essential
- Driving Licence and car
- Willingness to work flexible hours according to the demands of the job.
Additional information
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
