Employment Specialist

Devon Partnership Trust; Tiverton; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

Workways IPS team in Mid Devon is seeking an Employment Specialist to work in the community with clients seeking paid employment using IPS principles. You will engage with employers, provide specialised vocational assessment, and receive supervision from Workways.

The role involves managing a caseload up to 20 per WTE, delivering tailored support, building links with local organisations, and promoting recovery-focused employment outcomes. Some travel and lone working may be required.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of the IPS approach to supported employment.
• Understanding of mental health conditions and employment needs.
• Ability to build relationships with employers and agencies.
• Experience in providing recovery-focused support and supervision.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of up to 20 people per full-time equivalent.
• Provide IPS vocational assessment and tailored employment support.
• Develop links with employers and learning/work organisations.
• Offer information and advice to individuals and employers.

Skills

IPS knowledge

Employer engagement

Mental health awareness

Verbal communication

Education

Degree in occupational therapy / careers guidance / vocational rehabilitation

Tools

IT systems

MS Office / word processing

Job description

An exciting new opportunity has arisen to join the Workways- IPS team (Individual Placement and Support) in Mid Devon.

Workways admin base is in Exminster, nearExeter, but day to day work for the postholder will be based within MentalHealth teams within Mid Devon.

You will be working predominantly in the community workingwith clients and engaging with employers. The postholders will receivemanagement and clinical supervision from Workways.

The post holder will beinvolved in assisting Workways clients to find and receive support while inpaid employment using the evidenced based Individual Placement &Support(IPS) approach.

Experience of supportingemployers and helping people with a health condition (preferably mentalhealth-related) to find employment are essential to the role.

Main duties of the job

The postholderworks as part of the Workways team in line with the Individual Placement andSupport (IPS) evidence based best practice.

The postholder also providesspecialised vocational assessment of individuals work needs. The postholderwill manage a caseload of no more than 20 people (per wte) who are experiencingmental health problems and wish to enter or remain in employment in line withIPS principles.

Working with people in an individualised way to help themachieve their own employment goals, the postholder will be pro-active in their engagementwith people on their caseload.

The postholder will provide advice,information and support to the individual and to their employer and mentalhealth worker.

The postholder is responsible for establishing and maintaininglinks with relevant organisations, employers and individuals to enable peoplewho have mental ill health to obtain paid work.

This post mayinvolve lone working, working away from base frequently and working withoutdirect supervision.

About us

We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.

We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose

The postholder works as part of the Workways teamin line with the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) evidence based bestpractice in VRS. The postholder also provides specialised vocational assessmentof individuals learning and work needs. The postholder will manage a caseloadof no more than 20 people (per wte) who are experiencing mental health problemsand wish to enter or remain in employment in line with IPS principles. Workingwith people in an individualised way to help them achieve their own employmentgoals, the postholder will be pro-active in their engagement with people ontheir caseload. The postholder will provide advice, information and support tothe individual and to their employer and mental health worker. The postholderis responsible for establishing and maintaining links with relevantorganisations, employers and individuals to enable people who have mental illhealth to obtain paid work.

This post may involve lone working, working awayfrom base frequently and working without direct supervision.

Duties and Responsibilities

Communication and Working Relationship Skills

• Be the linked Employment Specialist to one or two mental health teams,in line with IPS fidelity
• Develop effective working relationships with a range of other agencieswho might be better able to help individuals to achieve their employment goalsfor example, local colleges, training providers and external supportedemployment services.
• Liaise regularly with mental health services workers, users and carersgroups and other health related agencies over learning and work issues.
• Establish, maintain and nurture employer contacts with the aim ofincreasing options for people to find employment. Aim to contact at least onenew employer every week.
• Promote the benefits of employing and supporting people with mentalhealth issues to employers
• Support employers to enable the person using the service to sustaintheir position. This will involve regular communication with employers andothers to provide advice, guidance and training on how to manage a particularsituation.
• Be available on the end of the phone for advice and support to employersand others as required
• Promote and publicise Workways to learning and work providers and thewider community by giving talks or presentations as agreed with servicemanager.
• Be able to sensitively deal with confidential and complex informationregarding an individuals health and employment history.
• Work closely with the person using the service ensuring appropriate,prompt, pro-active and clear communication at all times.
• Following DPT policies, respond to requests for general informationregarding mental health and employment, this may be from employers and membersof the public
• Keep the Workways team informed of current work to ensure continuity ofwork at times of absence.
• Work closely with the whole Workways team and cover others work asneeded, this may include covering admin and reception duties at times of staffshortages.

Analytical and Judgemental Skills

• Following assessment of a new applicant to the service, offer the mostrelevant interventions in line with the IPS approach.
• Monitor progress with clinical outcomes of own caseload and reportmonthly to team lead on these to ensure accurate onward reporting.

Planning and Organisational Skills

• Ensure effective use of resources within own work.
• Be responsible for organising and planning own caseload and managingclinical/non clinical time effectively to fit with service needs and demands
• Working with another team member, prepare, organise and run training foret employers, others in learning and work organisations and care staff aboutlearning, work and mental health issues.
• As required take a lead in planning and running of recovery courses andgroups for people who use the service such as Preparing For Work.
• Work flexibly to meet individuals needs and this may require someworking out of normal office hours.

Responsibility for Patient/Client Care, Treatmentand Therapy

• At all times work in a recovery-focussed way.
• Manage a caseload of people (of no more than 20 people per whole timeequivalent worker) who have mental health issues and who wish to find paid work.
• Work pro-actively with the person using the service with the ultimategoal of helping them find and retain paid work.
• Provide IPS vocational assessment for individual applicants to Workways.
• Work with the person using the service to explore their areas ofstrength, development needs, barriers to progression, learning and work needsand so on to draw up a plan of action and their next best step.
• Co-write all action plans with the person using the service, thenmonitor and evaluate these plans in order to measure progress and effectivenessof all interventions.
• Regularly review the agreed action plan with the person using theservice, seeking to assist them to progress with their vocational goals.
• Provide interventions to assist the individual in problem solving,confidence building and improving work related skills
• Provide support in the work place for each person using the service toenable them to have the best possible chance of succeeding in the position.
• Provide individualised, on-going support and advice to individuals oncethey have secured employment to assist them in sustaining employment.
• Maintain a professional relationship with the people using the servicewith VRS staff, with mental health staff, employers and with particularattention to confidentiality and maintenance of professional boundaries.
• Plan and implement recovery courses or groups as required. This involvesrunning group sessions on topics such as interview techniques, c.v. writing orassertiveness, for example.
• Be able to work with people who have additional problems such aslearning difficulties, physical conditions or injuries.

Responsibility for Policy and Service DevelopmentImplementation

• Ensure up to date knowledge of, and adherence to, the IndividualPlacement and Support approach to helping people find employment.
• Keep Workways informed of current VR issues and keep up to date withexamples of evidence-based practice and government initiatives and mandates.
• Ensure there is easily accessible written and electronic informationforall the team and people using the service about learning and work relatedissues and services.
• Be involved in developing local policies
• Assist as requested in producing documents of good practice about theemployment of people with mental health difficulties.
• Increase engagement of employers through providing support for employersin recruitment & retention of staff with mental health issues.
• Network with peers to maintain professional links across the Trust

Responsibility for Finance, Equipment and OtherResources

• Ensure all resources are used safely, efficiently and effectively,bringing to the service managers attention any areas where this might beinproved
• May handle small amounts of petty cash on occasion.
• May be a purchase card holder

Responsibility for Human Resources, e.g.Supervision, Training, HR Advice and Management

• Provide informal and ad-hoc clinical support and supervision to theadministration team as required
• Supervise students on placement as agreed with service manager.
• Assist with the induction of new staff

Responsibility for Information Resources andAdministrative Duties

• Maintain up to date and accurate statistics, clinical records, servicedeficits, training given, outcomes of contact, and any other information neededfor the ongoing evaluation of the service.
• Regularly use IT systems for inputting of data,e-mailing, internet and word processing.
• Assist in reviewing the teams administrationprocesses to ensure they are fit for purpose, raising any concerns with teamlead or service manager.

Responsibility for Research and Development

• Take an active part in reviewing and developing new working practices inline with current evidence based practice
• Participate in staff surveys
• Take an active role in conducting clinical audits

Freedom to Act

• In line with policies and procedures, work under the general supervisionof the appointed supervisor making independent decisions on a day to day basis.

Any Other Specific Tasks Required

• Using the Trusts core training requirements and the Workways teamdevelopment checklist, participate in a range of learning opportunities toensure own skills and knowledge are up to date.
• Have monthly professional, clinical and managerial supervision of work
• Have yearly personal development and review meetings and six monthlyreviews.

Person Specification

Experience

• Knowledge of the IPS approach to supported employment
• Knowledge of the employment needs and possible difficulties of people who experience mental health problems.
• Understanding of mental health conditions
• Understanding of current mental health services
• An understanding of the current research and thinking about vocational rehabilitation services
• Ability to demonstrate highly developed verbal communication skills in order to develop on-going relationships with people who use the service, clinical team workers and employers.
• Good written communication skills for example for report writing, assisting people to complete job applications and letter writing
• Can demonstrate a recovery focus.
• Mobility throughout the geographical area to meet the requirements for the post.
• Some experience of specifically assisting people to find paid employment
• Some experience of working in a mental health and/or employment specialist role.
• Has practised the IPS approach to supported employment Experience of working in a range of jobs
• Experience of running groups/delivering training Personal experience of mental health issues
• Understanding of Recovery principles Understanding of practice and principles of risk assessment
• Current awareness of relevant Benefits Current awareness of Government employment/training schemes
• Working knowledge of Equality Act Working knowledge of employment law
• Good understanding of health and safety at work issues
• Knowledge of groupwork theory

Qualifications

• Degree in either occupational therapy, careers guidance, vocational rehabilitation or related subject and/or Educated to degree level or equivalent experience
• Equivalent experience should demonstrate knowledge, skills, and behaviours aligned with IPS competencies and values:
• a) Employment Support Experience
• b) Mental Health or Social Care Experience
• c) Community Engagement
• d) Transferable Skills and qualities
• NVQ 4 in Advice and Guidance Certificate in Coaching skills Willing to work towards a specific level Vocational Rehabilitation / IPS qualification

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.

Address

Workways

Silverlea - Tiverton Community mental health team

£32,073 to £39,073 a yearpro rata (30 hours per week)

Contract

Permanent

Reference number

C9369-26-0794

Job locations

Workways

Silverlea - Tiverton Community mental health team