Employment Specialist – Band 5

IPS Grow; Leicester; Remote; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust is seeking an Employment Specialist to join the Employment Support Service and help people on mental health pathways achieve meaningful employment using the IPS model. You will be embedded in a Neighbourhood Mental Health Team and support individuals to plan, search and secure jobs that fit their strengths and goals.

Full training, flexible working, and collaboration with clinical colleagues will enable you to deliver personalised support, track progress, and

Qualifications

• Experience of supporting people to achieve goals and positive change.
• Experience working directly with individuals on a one-to-one basis.
• Understanding of mental health, recovery-focused practice or employment support.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills for engaging others.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of individuals seeking employment and career progression.
• Deliver IPS-based employment support and fidelity to the model.
• Build trusting relationships with clients to understand goals and support needs.
• Identify suitable employment opportunities and develop personalised action plans.
• Provide practical CV, application, interview preparation and job-search support.
• Support health and wellbeing in work and liaise with care teams.
• Collaborate with Neighbourhood Mental Health Teams to integrate employment support.
• Develop relationships with local employers and promote inclusive recruitment.

Skills

Empathy

Communication

Interpersonal skills

One-to-one support

Motivation & resilience

Job description

Permanent contract

Could you help people experiencing mental health challenges achieve their career ambitions and transform their lives through meaningful employment? Join Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust as an Employment Specialist and support people across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland to find, secure and sustain paid work through the evidence-based Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model.

Deadline: 2nd October 2026

• East Midlands
• Full-time

Job overview

Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) provides a range of community health, mental health and learning disability services for people of all ages. Delivered through over 100 settings from inpatient wards to out in the community, our 6,500 staff serve over 1 million people living in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

We aim to develop a workforce that reflects our community. We actively implement equal opportunities in employment and service delivery and seek people who share our commitment. We strongly encourage applications from all sections of the community, particularly from underrepresented groups.

Interviews: 27th-30th October 2026
Details of our benefits, leadership behaviours and other important information including AI in our recruitment process can be found in the Information for Applicants document attached

We will consider requests to work alternative hours or varied working patterns in line with our flexible working policy.

For all substantive roles, new staff (excluding medical staff) are appointed subject to a 6-month probationary period (see Probation Policy).

All jobs will require permission to work in the UK.

For all jobs the cost of any DBS disclosure required will be met by the individual. This will be deducted from salary once started.

Applicants at risk within the local NHS who meet essential criteria will have preference for interview.

Role

You Don’t Have To Be A Doctor To Change Someone’s Life – Join a Growing Service Transforming Lives Through Meaningful Employment

Employment Specialist – Band 5

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our established and expanding Employment Support Service (ESS) as an Employment Specialist within Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust.

This is a rewarding opportunity to support people receiving mental health services to achieve their employment goals through the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model. IPS is an internationally recognised, evidence-based approach that helps people find and sustain paid employment as part of their recovery journey.

Since 2019, our Employment Support Service has continued to grow, supporting increasing numbers of people into sustainable employment and demonstrating the powerful connection between work, recovery and improved health outcomes.

As an Employment Specialist, you will be embedded within a Neighbourhood Mental Health Team and work alongside clinical colleagues to support individuals to identify, secure and retain employment that matches their aspirations, strengths and preferences.

No previous IPS experience is required as full training and ongoing support will be provided, although an understanding of recovery-focused practice, vocational rehabilitation or employment support would be advantageous.

Employment can be a powerful part of recovery. As an Employment Specialist, you will support individuals receiving secondary mental health services to achieve their employment ambitions through person-centred, tailored support.

You will manage a caseload of clients and work directly with them to understand their strengths, skills and career goals. Using IPS principles, you will support individuals with every stage of their employment journey, from career planning and job searching through to interview preparation, in work support and career development.

You will work collaboratively with members of the Neighbourhood Mental Health Team, ensuring employment support is fully integrated into recovery planning and care provision.

A key part of the role involves developing relationships with local employers and understanding local labour market opportunities. You will proactively engage employers, promote the benefits of inclusive recruitment, and identify opportunities within both the open and hidden job market to help people access meaningful employment. Employer engagement is a fundamental element of the IPS model and a key driver of successful outcomes.

The role offers the opportunity to work within a supportive multidisciplinary environment whilst making a genuine difference to people’s lives, recovery and wellbeing through employment.

Please note that although the base listed on the advert may be Trust Headquarters, Employment Specialists are embedded within Neighbourhood Mental Health Teams across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. Every effort will be made to accommodate location preferences; however, this cannot be guaranteed.

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities will include:

• Managing a caseload of individuals receiving mental health services who wish to gain, return to or retain employment.
• Delivering employment support in line with the IPS model and fidelity standards.
• Building trusting relationships with clients to understand their employment aspirations, strengths and support needs.
• Supporting individuals to identify suitable employment opportunities based on their preferences, skills and career goals.
• Developing personalised employment action plans to support people into paid employment.
• Providing practical support with CV development, job applications, interview preparation, career planning and job searching.
• Supporting individuals to manage their health and wellbeing in work, enabling them to sustain employment and progress in their careers.
• Working closely with Neighbourhood Mental Health Teams to ensure employment support is fully integrated into treatment and recovery planning.
• Developing positive working relationships with local employers and promoting employment opportunities for service users.
• Educating and supporting employers regarding mental health awareness, workplace adjustments and inclusive employment practices.
• Identifying opportunities within local labour markets and the hidden job market to maximise employment opportunities.
• Supporting clients to understand how employment may affect benefits and signposting to specialist welfare advice where appropriate.
• Maintaining accurate records, outcome measures and activity data in accordance with service requirements.
• Contributing to the ongoing development and success of the Employment Support Service and promoting the IPS approach across partner services.
• Working collaboratively with colleagues, stakeholders and community partners to improve employment outcomes for people receiving mental health support.

The person

We are looking for passionate, resilient and motivated individuals who believe that everyone has the right to work if they choose to do so.
The successful candidate will have:

• Experience of supporting people to achieve goals, overcome barriers or make positive changes in their lives.
• Experience of working directly with individuals on a one-to-one basis, providing encouragement, motivation and practical support.
• An understanding of mental health, recovery-focused practice or supporting vulnerable individuals.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage and motivate others.
• The ability to build effective relationships with a wide range of people, including service users, employers, carers and healthcare professionals
• Excellent organisational and time management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities.
• Confidence working independently whilst remaining an active and supportive member of a wider team.
• A commitment to person-centred, recovery-focused practice.
• A passion for helping people achieve their employment aspirations and improve their wellbeing through work.
• Experience in any of the following sectors may apply to you – employment support, recruitment, sales, customer service, supported employment, health and social care, housing, education, welfare-to-work or vocational rehabilitation but it is not essential.