Community Manager – Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Services

Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust; Gloucester; On-site; GBP 49,000 - 57,000; Full time

Job summary

Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Community Manager for the IPS Services. The role leads a team of Lead Employment Specialists and Employment Specialists to deliver high-quality, person-centred employment support for people with severe mental health challenges.

You will supervise, coach and model IPS practices across the team, ensuring fidelity to the IPS approach. The post emphasizes leadership, service development, partnership working and accountability for

Qualifications

• Experience leading IPS services and teams.
• Budget management and KPIs.
• Strong collaboration with internal/external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Provide effective management, leadership and clinical guidance for the IPS Service.
• Lead on service development and expansion to meet referral/access targets.
• Manage the budget and be accountable for service KPIs.
• Lead IPS Fidelity Reviews and Guided Self Assessments.
• Foster a positive team environment with open communication.
• Monitor team performance and submit data monthly to NHS England and partners.
• Liaise with internal/external stakeholders and support clients with mental health needs.

Skills

Leadership

Budget management

Stakeholder management

IPS model knowledge

Coaching & mentoring

Education

Masters Degree

Accredited post-registration training

Coaching/mentoring qualification (level 5+)

Relevant professional qualification (Nursing, Social Work, OT)

Job description

Community Manager – Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Services

Band 7

Main area IPS Employment Grade Band 7 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday-Friday 9-5) Job ref 327-26-721

Site Pullman Place Town Gloucester Salary £49,387 - £56,515 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 27/09/2026 23:59

We love what we do and we think you will, too!

At Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust (GHC), we provide joined-up mental health, physical health and learning disability services to people of all ages across Gloucestershire. We run community hospitals and provide care and support in people’s own homes and in a range of other locations across the county .

We are on a mission to enable people to live the best life they can and we have a vision to work together to provide outstanding care . We put people at the heart of our services, focusing on personalised care by asking ‘what matters to you ’.

We’re passionate about making sure that everyone can contribute to achieving our mission and w e are continually working to support healthy and happy high-quality team s in all areas of the Trust .

Our application process aims to understand each candidates knowledge, skills and experience. We have found that candidates that use AI to generate their answers can lack specificity and fail to address key criteria outlined in the job description.

It is really important to personalise your application to convey your individual skills, knowledge, and experiences effectively and for us to understand why you are applying for this role with GHC. We discourage over reliance on AI-generated applications as it will lessen your chances of success in securing an interview with us .

Job overview

Are you looking for a career where you can make a positive difference to the lives of people with mental health difficulties?

Do you believe you have the leadership skills to manage a team of Lead Employment Specialists and Employment Specialists, to support people to retain, find and sustain employment?

If so, this role may be just what you're looking for!

We are seeking a motivated and experienced individual to manage the IPS Service, which supports people experiencing severe mental health challenges and other barriers to employment, to retain existing employment, return to work, or secure competitive paid employment.

The role combines leadership, service development, partnership working and ensuring high-quality, person-centred interventions that improve employment outcomes.

90% of people with Severe mental illness want to work, but currently only 8% are in work. Getting into employment can be a critical part of a recovery journey, so as a Community Manager, you will be supporting a team of Lead Employment Specialists and Employment Specialists, providing supervision, training and role modelling of the IPS approach. This is a dynamic and diverse role, where you will also work as part of mental health teams to promote employment and raise expectations around the ability of service users to retain and access paid employment. The ability to network in the local community and build strong relationships is essential.

Main duties of the job

You will be required to:

• Provide effective management, leadership and clinical guidance for the IPS Service
• Lead on service development and continued expansion to meet ambitious referral/access targets set by NHS England.
• Be responsible for managing the budget and take accountability for service KPIs
• Lead the team during IPS Fidelity Reviews and Guided Self Assessments and help build adherence to the IPS model
• Promote and nurture a positive team environment with open communication, collaboration and a shared goal
• Work within the principles of the IPS model; to monitor the team's performance and collated and submitted data monthly (this will be shared with NHS England, IPS Grow and other stake holders).
• Liaise closely with key internal/external stakeholders
• Have experience both in the field of employment support and with clients experiencing mental ill health

The qualification, training & experience requirements for the role are underlined in the Job Description/Person Specification.

Working for our organisation

We have a skilled and dedicated workforce of over 5000 colleagues working in a diverse range of services over 55 sites and within people’s homes. We strive to enable a welcoming workplace culture that builds and celebrates civility, inclusivity and diversity, while providing a sense of belonging and trust.

Annual staff surveys, regular Pulse surveys and other engagement opportunities provide our people with lots of opportunity to tell us about their experiences of working with us. In the latest staff survey, 61% of colleagues gave us their views. It was great to hear that:

• 72% of colleagues would recommend the Trust as a place to work, ranking us 1st for Provider Trusts in the South West region on this question.
• 76% would recommend the standard of care provided in our services if a friend or relative needed treatment, also ranking us 1st in the South West region.
• 81% said that care of patients and service users is the Trust’s priority, compared with an average in comparable NHS Trusts in England of 64%.

This high-level overview shows we are in a healthy position, with higher scores than average for comparable organisations, alongside a great response rate, indicating good staff engagement. However, we also know we have plenty of room for improvement in many areas. To that end, we continue to prioritise and invest in our commitment to genuinely becoming a Great Place to Work with consistent top-quartile performance in the annual staff survey and Pulse surveys.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the attached job description and person specification in documents for full details of the role.

• Relevant professional Qualification; Nursing, Social Work, Occupational Therapy
• Accredited post registration training/qualification (equivalent to Masters level) relevant to people with mental health difficulties
• Management Qualification
• Masters Degree
• Coaching and Mentoring qualification at level 5 or above

Experience

• Experience of working with service users with complex care needs requiring higher levels of expertise
• Leadership/management experience in a health or social care setting
• Significant experience of working with individuals with severe and enduring mental health difficulties
• Experience of service development, change management and service expansion
• Experience of audit, research and the application of evidence-based practice
• Experience of budget management and meeting service targets and KPIs
• Significant experience of recruitment/employment/retention and supporting individuals with mental health difficulties to find/sustain work
• Trained in IPS model and IPS Supervisors Course

Knowledge

• Knowledge of relevant legislation and best practice in relation to employment and mental health
• Knowledge of HR processes, equality and diversity and performance management
• Understanding of commissioning/contract management
• Broad understanding of national vocational policies and local implementation.
• A good understanding of the principles and practice of supported employment including vocational assessment and profiling skills

When joining us, as well as becoming part of a team that makes a difference, we also offer:

• Free car parking at many of our sites
• 27 days leave plus bank holidays, increasing up to 33 days with long service
• A broad range of training and development opportunities, including apprenticeships up to Level 7 qualification.
• A multi-professional preceptorship programme for all Newly Qualified; Nurses, Nursing Associates, Internationally Educated Practitioners, Allied Health Professionals and Return to Practice Practitioners.
• Generous NHS pension and enhanced pay when if you work unsocial hours
• Flexible, family friendly and agile working opportunities
• Recognition and long service awards
• Fast Track physiotherapy
• Access to discounts and salary sacrifice schemes; including Cycle to Work, Car scheme and discounts on travel, leisure and retailers.

Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.

If you are aged 16-30, you may be eligible for financial and pastoral support from the King’s Trust, with who we are in partnership with to support your first 6 months in role. We will pass on your details to the King’s Trust who will be in touch with you if you are eligible. If you would rather not be contacted, please let us know.

For more information please see the attached 'Additional Information for Applicants' document.

Good luck with your application.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Name Jessica Gane Job title Operational Manager Community Mental Health Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 07807059518

Additional information: If you would like an informal discussion about the role please contact Jessica via email to arrange a convenient time.