Employment Specialist

Recovery Focus; Bradford; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 days’ annual leave

Pension scheme with employer contrib.

Life assurance

Birthday leave

Job summary

Waythrough is seeking an IPS Employment Specialist to support people in Bradford who are recovering from drug or alcohol use to gain meaningful paid employment. You’ll manage a caseload of around 20–25, deliver IPS-based employment support, build employer relationships and help with job searching, CVs and interviews.

You’ll work primarily in the community across Bradford, travel as needed, and receive full training in IPS.

Qualifications

• Previous experience of supporting vulnerable people and/or delivering employability or employment support.
• Non-judgemental, empathetic and person-centred approach.
• Confident building relationships with employers and partners.
• Good IT skills including CRM systems, Word and Excel.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of around 20–25 people who are motivated to start or return to paid employment.
• Deliver high-quality employment support in line with the IPS model and Fidelity Scale.
• Identify skills and employment goals; develop vocational profiles and action plans.
• Provide practical support with job searches, CVs, applications, interviews and career development.
• Build strong relationships with local employers and create opportunities.

Job description

IPS Employment Specialist – New Vision Bradford

Location: New Vision Bradford, Pelican House, Bradford

Working Arrangement: Community-based role, with office and community working across Bradford

Working Hours: 37 hours per week

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary: £25,877.80–£34,240.03 per annum

Please note: The salary listed reflects the full earning potential for this role. Starting salaries depend on experience and progression within the band.

About Waythrough

About Waythrough Waythrough was formed in 2024 following the merger of Humankind and Richmond Fellowship. Together, we’ve created one of the largest mental health and social support charities in England. Every year, we support around 125,000 people through nearly 200 services – and it’s all made possible by our 3,500 brilliant staff and volunteers.

Make a real difference in your community Are you passionate about helping others live safer, healthier, more independent lives? Join our team at Waythrough and support people facing challenges around mental health, substance use, housing or domestic abuse. This is more than just a job – it’s a chance to build meaningful relationships and create lasting change.

We are looking for an Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Employment Specialist to join our team at New Vision Bradford, supporting people who are recovering from drug or alcohol use to find and sustain meaningful paid employment. Employment can play an important part in someone’s recovery, providing greater independence, confidence, purpose and financial stability.

This is primarily a community-based role, so you’ll need to be comfortable working independently and travelling across Bradford to meet the people you support, employers and partner organisations.

About the Role

As an IPS Employment Specialist, you'll manage an active caseload of around 20–25 people who are recovering from drug or alcohol use and are motivated to start or return to work. Using the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) approach, for which full training will be provided, you'll offer person-centred employment support tailored to each individual's circumstances, preferences and ambitions. You'll work with people to identify their skills and employment goals, develop vocational profiles and action plans, and provide practical support with job searching, CVs, applications, interview preparation and career development. A key part of your role will also be building strong relationships with employers across Bradford. You'll proactively identify both advertised and hidden employment opportunities and work with employers to understand their recruitment needs and create opportunities for the people you support. Your support won't stop when someone gets a job. You'll continue working with individuals and employers to help people settle into employment, overcome any barriers and sustain their role for the longer term.

What You’ll Do

• Manage a caseload of approximately 20–25 people who are motivated to start or return to paid employment.
• Deliver high-quality employment support in line with the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model and Fidelity Scale.
• Work with individuals to understand their skills, strengths, aspirations and employment preferences through vocational profiling and action planning.
• Provide practical support with job searching, CV writing, applications, interview preparation and career development.
• Build strong relationships with local employers and proactively identify suitable advertised and hidden job opportunities.
• Maintain regular and meaningful employer engagement to understand recruitment needs and create opportunities for the people you support.
• Work collaboratively with drug and alcohol recovery colleagues, health professionals and community partners to generate referrals and provide joined-up support.
• Help individuals understand how employment may affect their benefits, including providing or signposting to appropriate in-work benefit calculations and financial support.
• Support employers and individuals with reasonable adjustments, return-to-work strategies and overcoming barriers within the workplace where appropriate.
• Provide ongoing in-work support to individuals and employers to help people sustain employment.
• Develop positive working relationships with external organisations, including colleges, training providers and other community services.
• Maintain accurate and timely records of your work, outcomes and progress using our CRM systems.
• Contribute to service development, including co-production with people accessing the service and capturing positive employment and recovery stories.

To Succeed in This Role, You’ll Need

• Previous experience of supporting vulnerable people and/or delivering employability or employment support.
• A genuine passion for helping people overcome barriers and make positive changes in their lives.
• A non-judgemental, empathetic and person-centred approach to supporting people affected by drug and alcohol use.
• The confidence to build positive relationships with employers, professionals, partner organisations and the people you support.
• A good understanding of employment sectors and the labour market.
• Strong communication, organisation and relationship-building skills.
• The ability to manage your own caseload, priorities and workload effectively.
• Confidence working independently and away from direct supervision, particularly as this is primarily a community-based role.
• Good IT skills, including Microsoft Word and Excel, and the ability to use CRM systems to maintain accurate client records.
• The ability to work collaboratively as part of a wider recovery service while also managing your own responsibilities.
• A commitment to safeguarding, confidentiality, information governance and professional boundaries.
• A full UK driving licence would be desirable due to the community-based nature of the role.
• Previous experience of working with people recovering from drug or alcohol use would be advantageous but is not essential.

What We Offer

We value the people who make a difference every day. Alongside meaningful work, you’ll enjoy a comprehensive benefits package:

• 27 days’ annual leave, rising to 32 after 1 year (plus bank holidays)
• Pension scheme with 4.5% employer contribution, matched up to 6.5%
• Life assurance (3× annual salary)
• Enhanced sick pay and family-friendly pay
• Birthday leave and the option to buy up to 5 extra days’ annual leave
• Professional fee reimbursement for relevant qualifications
• 24/7 online GP access and Employee Assistance Programme
• Recognition and long service awards via our Way to Go and Aspirations portals
• £500 Recommend a Friend bonus
• Cycle to Work scheme and Credit Union membership
• Discounts via Blue Light Card, Charity Discounts, Extras and Tickets for Good
• Free will writing service and wellbeing initiatives throughout the year

Inclusion and accessibility

Waythrough is proud to be an equal opportunities employer.

We welcome applications from all backgrounds and communities, especially those with lived experience of the issues we support.

We have signed up to the Disability Confident Scheme - all applicants are welcome, and adjustments can be made to enable fair participation.

Closing Date: 2026-10-24

Waythrough launched in October 2024 following the merger of Humankind and Richmond Fellowship. In April 2026, Aquarius, our former subsidiary partner, merged with Waythrough. Our vision is to break down the barriers that stop people getting the support they need to live a life they value. We tackle poverty and disadvantage in communities, through mental health, drug and alcohol, housing and related support. We have 260 services around England – and nearly 3,500 amazing staff and volunteers who run them. Every year our services support around 130,000 people.