Employment Specialist

The Methodist Church in Britain; Hampstead; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

The Methodist Church in Britain is seeking an Employment Specialist to join the Workways IPS team. Based in Exminster, the postholder will work with local mental health teams to help people with mental health problems find and keep paid work, managing a caseload up to 20 per FTE and travelling to community settings.

The role delivers evidence-based IPS employment support, builds employer links, and provides guidance and in-work assistance to service users and employers.

Qualifications

• Degree in occupational therapy, careers guidance, vocational rehabilitation or a related subject, or equivalent experience.
• Experience in employment support, mental health or social care, community engagement and IPS values.

Responsibilities

• Deliver IPS employment support as part of Workways team, following evidence-based practice
• Manage a caseload of up to 20 people per whole-time equivalent who have mental health problems and want paid work
• Carry out IPS vocational assessments for new applicants
• Co-write, review and monitor action plans with each person using the service
• Build and maintain employer contacts, aiming for one new employer each week, and promote employing people with mental health problems
• Advise and support employers to help people sustain their jobs, including guidance and training on specific situations
• Provide advice and support to individuals, employers and mental health workers, including by phone
• Provide in-work and ongoing support to help people keep their jobs
• Liaise with colleges, training providers, supported employment services and mental health teams, acting as linked specialist to one or two teams
• Plan and run recovery courses, employer and staff training, and talks promoting Workways
• Keep accurate clinical records and statistics, and report caseload outcomes monthly to the team lead
• Cover admin and reception duties when needed, supervise placement students and help induct new staff

Skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

Recovery-focused

Mobility across area

Education

Degree in occupational therapy

Degree in careers guidance

Degree in vocational rehabilitation

Equivalent experience

Job description

This Employment Specialist post sits within the Workways Individual Placement and Support (IPS) team, which is administered from Exminster, though the postholder spends most days in local mental health teams. The work centres on helping people with mental health problems find and keep paid work, using a caseload capped at 20 per whole-time equivalent, alongside building links with employers. The role is community-based, with frequent travel, lone working and some hours outside office times. Experience of supporting employers and helping people with a health condition into work is essential.

What the job involves

• Deliver IPS employment support as part of the Workways team, following evidence-based practice
• Manage a caseload of up to 20 people per whole-time equivalent who have mental health problems and want paid work
• Carry out IPS vocational assessments for new applicants
• Co-write, review and monitor action plans with each person using the service
• Build and maintain employer contacts, aiming for one new employer each week, and promote employing people with mental health problems
• Advise and support employers to help people sustain their jobs, including guidance and training on specific situations
• Provide advice and support to individuals, employers and mental health workers, including by phone
• Provide in-work and ongoing support to help people keep their jobs
• Liaise with colleges, training providers, supported employment services and mental health teams, acting as linked specialist to one or two teams
• Plan and run recovery courses, employer and staff training, and talks promoting Workways
• Keep accurate clinical records and statistics, and report caseload outcomes monthly to the team lead
• Cover admin and reception duties when needed, supervise placement students and help induct new staff

Qualifications

• Degree in occupational therapy, careers guidance, vocational rehabilitation or a related subject, or equivalent experience
• Equivalent experience in employment support, mental health or social care, community engagement and transferable skills, showing IPS competencies and values

Experience

• Knowledge of the IPS approach to supported employment
• Knowledge of the employment needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems
• Understanding of mental health conditions and current mental health services
• Understanding of current research on vocational rehabilitation
• Experience of supporting employers
• Experience of helping people with a health condition into paid employment

Skills & knowledge

• Highly developed verbal communication for building relationships with service users, clinical staff and employers
• Good written communication, including report writing, helping people with job applications and letter writing
• Demonstrable recovery focus
• Mobility across the geographical area to meet the requirements of the post

Nice to have

• Practical experience of IPS and of helping people into paid work, ideally in a mental health or employment specialist role
• Experience of a range of jobs
• Experience of running groups or delivering training, with knowledge of groupwork theory
• Personal experience of mental health issues
• Understanding of recovery principles and risk assessment
• Current awareness of benefits and government employment and training schemes
• Working knowledge of the Equality Act, employment law and health and safety at work
• NVQ 4 in Advice and Guidance, a coaching certificate, or willingness to work towards an IPS or vocational rehabilitation qualification

What’s offered

• Monthly professional, clinical and managerial supervision
• Yearly personal development and review meetings
• Six-monthly reviews
• Access to Trust core training and team learning opportunities
• Part-time and flexible working considered and supported where possible