Job summary
IPS Employment Specialist
Are you passionate about helping people with mental health needs achieve their employment goals? We are looking for a dedicated IPS Employment Specialist to join our dynamic and supportive team.
In this rewarding role, you'll work directly with individuals to help them find and sustain meaningful employment, making a real difference in their lives. You'll receive full training, ongoing professional development, and career growth opportunities, all while contributing to a fairer, more inclusive society.
We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and experience levels. What matters most is your ability to motivate others, build strong relationships, and confidently engage with employers. Above all, you'll believe that anyone with a mental health condition can work, with the right support.
What you'll need:
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Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills
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Organisational ability to manage a busy caseload
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Confidence in employer engagement
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A proactive, positive approach to working towards targets
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A genuine commitment to supporting people into employment
About the role:
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Location: Office and community-based (one day remote per week, service-dependent)
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Focus: Target-driven with proactive employer engagement
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Support: Comprehensive training, supervision, and development
If you're motivated to make a real impact and believe in the potential of every individual, we'd love to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
What is an IPS Employment Specialist?
This is a rewarding and dynamic role where no day is the same and you'll be making a genuine difference to people's lives. Using the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model you'll be:
- Supporting and motivating individuals with mental health conditions to access and sustain paid employment.
- Regularly meeting with clients to listen, offer support and help them identify their best job match, reflecting their skills and aspirations.
- Supporting the clients through CV production, interview techniques and managing their health at work.
- Advocating for your clients by educating and engaging with employers regarding the IPS service.
- Sourcing job opportunities for your clients through regular contact with local employers within the community.
- Promoting employment and raising expectations around the ability of service users to access paid employment, breaking down the barriers for them.
For further information about the role and the Individual Placement and Support Programme, please visitwww.getmeworking.org
About us
Working for Central North West London NHS Trust
You will also be part of the Trustwide Employment Services Team which comprises of over 40 people.
You will receive a number of staff benefits working for CNWL Trust, this includes an attractive pension scheme, a range of staff networks, travel discounts, employee assistance programme and discounts with hundreds of retailers nationwide.
This role is an excellent opportunity to start a long-term career within the mental health sector, develop your skills and a gateway to the vast number of opportunities within CNWL.
Apply today to become an IPS Employment Specialist and make a real difference!
Please note: Salary is negotiable as per our salary variation guidance, is dependant on experience.
The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccinations as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Who are we looking for?
Firstly, you will need either a degree-level education or relevant work experience, such as in the health and social care or employment sectors. Alongside having strong and persuasive communication skills, excellent time management and exceptional organisational skills. Also, the ability to initiate and develop relationships with a variety of individuals and be able to engage employers using a variety of methods such as via the telephone or face-to-face in the community.
It would also be helpful, but NOT essential, if you have experience of working with people with mental health support needs (or similar groups) OR have experience working in employment support services (or equivalent), this can include working with people on a one-to-one basis, offering motivation and support, or engaging with a range of stakeholders. We are actively interested in individuals who have experience using a persuasive communication style or promoting a service to a variety of audiences, this can include marketing, recruitment, or sales roles.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Who are we looking for?
Firstly, you will need either a degree-level education or relevant work experience, such as in the health and social care or employment sectors. Alongside having strong and persuasive communication skills, excellent time management and exceptional organisational skills. Also, the ability to initiate and develop relationships with a variety of individuals and be able to engage employers using a variety of methods such as via the telephone or face-to-face in the community.
It would also be helpful, but NOT essential, if you have experience of working with people with mental health support needs (or similar groups) OR have experience working in employment support services (or equivalent), this can include working with people on a one-to-one basis, offering motivation and support, or engaging with a range of stakeholders. We are actively interested in individuals who have experience using a persuasive communication style or promoting a service to a variety of audiences, this can include marketing, recruitment, or sales roles.
Person Specification
Previous experience (paid/unpaid)
Essential
- Experience of communicating and working with people on a one-to-one basis
- Experience of working within diverse communities.
- Experience of building relationships and communicating with a range of different partners/organisations
Desirable
- Experience of working with people with mental health difficulties or a similar client group within the health, social services, or voluntary sector
- Experience of supporting people to obtain or keep work
- Experience and knowledge of the benefits agency and all disability/ employment related benefits
Skills, knowledge and abilities
Essential
- Good verbal and written communication skills.
- Good presentation, negotiation, and marketing skills. negotiation skills
- Ability to initiate and develop relationships with employers and other agencies whilst being astute to their needs.
- Ability to engage with employers using a variety of methods such as face to face contact, social media, phone, and email.
- Ability to work independently, reliably, and consistently
- Working knowledge of a broad range of occupations and jobs.
- Basic word processing/computing skills
- Excellent time management and organisational skills
Desirable
- An understanding of the principles and practices of supported employment or the IPS model.
- An understanding of the Equality Act 2010.
- An understanding of the employment needs and difficulties of people who experience mental health challenges
- Basic counselling and coaching skills.
- Ability to provide vocational assessments and profiling.
Attitudes, aptitudes, personal characteristics
Essential
- Ability to see solutions rather than problems.
- Ability to work in strength-based ways.
- Willingness to participate in supervision.
- Ability to work independently of direct supervision
- A preparedness to work flexible hours through prior arrangement as the needs of the job dictates
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to a degree level (in any sector) OR equivalent workplace experience, this can include one or more of the below: oExperience within the health and social care sector. oExperience within employment support services
Person Specification
Previous experience (paid/unpaid)
Essential
- Experience of communicating and working with people on a one-to-one basis
- Experience of working within diverse communities.
- Experience of building relationships and communicating with a range of different partners/organisations
Desirable
- Experience of working with people with mental health difficulties or a similar client group within the health, social services, or voluntary sector
- Experience of supporting people to obtain or keep work
- Experience and knowledge of the benefits agency and all disability/ employment related benefits
Skills, knowledge and abilities
Essential
- Good verbal and written communication skills.
- Good presentation, negotiation, and marketing skills. negotiation skills
- Ability to initiate and develop relationships with employers and other agencies whilst being astute to their needs.
- Ability to engage with employers using a variety of methods such as face to face contact, social media, phone, and email.
- Ability to work independently, reliably, and consistently
- Working knowledge of a broad range of occupations and jobs.
- Basic word processing/computing skills
- Excellent time management and organisational skills
Desirable
- An understanding of the principles and practices of supported employment or the IPS model.
- An understanding of the Equality Act 2010.
- An understanding of the employment needs and difficulties of people who experience mental health challenges
- Basic counselling and coaching skills.
- Ability to provide vocational assessments and profiling.
Attitudes, aptitudes, personal characteristics
Essential
- Ability to see solutions rather than problems.
- Ability to work in strength-based ways.
- Willingness to participate in supervision.
- Ability to work independently of direct supervision
- A preparedness to work flexible hours through prior arrangement as the needs of the job dictates
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to a degree level (in any sector) OR equivalent workplace experience, this can include one or more of the below: oExperience within the health and social care sector. oExperience within employment support services
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
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).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
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).
