Employment Specialist (Individual Placement and Support)

Change Grow Live; Reading; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 33,000; Full time

Job summary

Join Change Grow Live as an IPS Employment Specialist in Reading. This role focuses on supporting individuals in recovery to achieve meaningful employment through structured IPS services, enhancing your project management and stakeholder engagement skills. Extensive training is provided, and you'll work closely with a supportive team dedicated to making a positive impact.

Benefits

Generous holiday entitlement

Paid 'Wellness' hour each week

Contributory pension scheme

Employee Assist Programme

Training and career development opportunities

Qualifications

• Education to degree level or equivalent experience.
• Strong communication skills for building relationships.
• Aptitude in data collection and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of 25 individuals receiving treatment.
• Deliver IPS employment support and foster employer relationships.
• Help clients sustain their employment while collaborating with treatment staff.

Skills

Communication

Team Management

Data Collection

Education

Degree level education or equivalent work experience

Job description

Join Our Team and Make a Genuine Impact on Others' Lives.

Are you passionate about guiding individuals toward meaningful employment in their recovery journey?

At Change Grow Live (CGL), we're committed to empowering people through Individual Placement and Support (IPS), ensuring sustainable paid work aligned with their preferences.

This is your opportunity to be part of our recently established IPS service across Berkshire.

As an IPS Employment Specialist, you'll continue with the groundbreaking effort, developing project management, stakeholder engagement, and implementation skills. Extensive training and ongoing support will be provided to ensure your success.

Where Wokingham

Full Time Salary Scale £29,529.80 - £32,002.35 Dependent on experience ( pro rata for part time hours)

Hours Full time - 37.5 per week

Service Overview

In this role, you'll manage a caseload of 25 individuals receiving structured treatment for drug and/or alcohol use, helping them secure sustainable paid employment in line with their preferences.

You'll deliver the IPS employment support approach, offering person-centred advice and guidance while fostering positive relationships with local employers to create employment opportunities.

Your focus will be on helping clients sustain their employment while working collaboratively with treatment service staff to identify potential referrals and provide integrated support leading to job acquisition and retention.

IPS is a fundamental commitment in the Government’s Drug Strategy, revolutionising employment support in all treatment services in England. This evidence-based model ensures service users secure preference-led paid work, significantly more effective than any other support.

Join us and play a pivotal role in setting up this integrated service.

You’ll work closely with key stakeholders to promote to ensure continuity of the service across Wokingham, and you’ll be based in our vibrant Reading service. Here, our dedicated team works together to provide personalised support to every individual who comes through our doors, ensuring a welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone.

About You

• Educated to degree level or equivalent work experience
• Strong communication skills for effective relationship building
• Proficient in team management and support strategies
• Aptitude in data collection and reporting for IPS services
• Dedication to assisting individuals secure paid employment
• Proven ability to connect with individuals, especially those affected by substance misuse
  
  
  

What We Offer

• Generous holiday entitlement (+ bank holidays), increasing annually for first five years.
• Paid ‘Wellness’ hour each week, ‘Wellness’ hub, and Employee Assist Programme
• Contributory pension scheme
• Great benefits incl. discounts for shopping, cinema, holidays, etc.
• A supportive team passionate about their work
• Training, career development & progression opportunities
• Refer a friend scheme with generous vouchers for successful candidates
  
  
  

If you're excited about this opportunity, apply now and be part of our transformative journey at Change Grow Live.

Join us in making a profound difference in people's lives.

Please review the attached Job Description and Role Specifics for a detailed outline of responsibilities and Person Specification.

If you require sponsorship, please note that this role is not eligible for a Health and Care Worker visa. You may be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route but must meet the minimum salary requirements for the role. You can find out more here Skilled Worker visa Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Full-time hours at Change Grow Live are 37.5 hours per week. For part-time roles, the salary and payments will be pro rata based on contracted hours.

CGL points 25 to 28 (£29,529.80 - £32,002.35)

N/A - Outside London Weighting Area

22/6/2025

lee savage | [e-mail]

This post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at an enhanced level.