Employment Specialist Ref: 0187ZS

We Are With You; Torquay; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

We Are With You in Torquay is seeking an IPS Employment Specialist to help people in recovery move into sustainable work. You will deliver supported employment within a multi-disciplinary team and partner with employers to create meaningful opportunities for clients with complex needs.

The role requires a degree-level education, driving licence, and the ability to manage a small caseload while working across community services in Torbay.

Qualifications

• Experience of recruitment processes and employability skills development.
• Experience supporting individuals with complex needs to gain and/or maintain employment.
• Ability to develop relationships with employers, partner agencies, clients and their family/carer.
• Sound knowledge of best practice in addictions and/or employability and employment services.
• Ability to lead and motivate others, nurture and encourage clients.
• Understanding the importance of employment for those facing multiple challenges.
• Confident working with a range of employers and multi-agency partnerships.

Responsibilities

• Deliver supported employment to people in community treatment for substance use.
• Based at Shrublands House, Torquay, working with Torbay Drug and Alcohol Service.
• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to help service users move into employment opportunities.

Skills

Recruitment & employability

Stakeholder relationship building

Addictions & employability knowledge

Leadership & motivation

Google Workspace proficiency

Time management

Full UK Driving Licence

Education

Degree level education

Tools

Google Workspace

Job description

Join our team as an IPS Employment Specialist in Torquay.

Do you believe you have the skills to help people return to employment, do you take pride in what you do, and can you think creatively about how different organisations can work together to deliver a better service? Are you happy to talk with employers and help match people into meaningful work? Are you a compassionate and motivated individual who wants to change peoples lives? Our team in Torquay is looking for an individual who is passionate about supporting people into work, to join them in providing high-quality recovery support to a diverse client group. If you are enthusiastic, creative and have a genuine desire to help others, wed love to hear from you.

As a leading charity supporting people with drug, alcohol, and mental health challenges, we operate over 80 services across England and Scotland, providing free and confidential support to more than 100,000 people each year.

Closing date: Sunday 12th November 2026.

We have an exciting opportunity for an IPS Employment Specialist to join our team.

Our Individual Placement and Support (IPS) team aims to increase the number of people moving into employment from our drug and alcohol support service. This is an exciting opportunity to help make a real difference to people's lives.

The role will deliver supported employment to people in community treatment for substance use. You will be based at Shrublands House, Torquay working alongside the Torbay Drug and Alcohol Service, an established integrated community service supporting people aged 18 and over with substance misuse issues in Torbay. The team is a friendly, supportive, multidisciplinary team made up of recovery workers, nurses, social workers, doctors, peer supporters, and volunteers. You will work closely with the recovery team to support a small caseload of service users into employment opportunities.

Main duties of the job

As an IPS Employment Specialist, we offer a starting salary of £29,325 rising each year in line with our pay progression salary bands to £33,960 per year (This includes a Cornwall allowance of £1,000). For further details please reach out to a member of the recruitment team.

About us

As an organisation, we continue to build an inclusive culture that encourages, supports and celebrates the diverse voices and experiences of our staff. We know that representing the communities we serve is key to us meeting our vision of a future where everyone lives a life free from the harm associated with drugs and alcohol. We welcome the unique contributions that you can bring and we encourage people from underrepresented communities and backgrounds to apply to join our team, including people with lived experience, people with disabilities, people from racialised communities, LGBTQ+ people, people of all ages and armed forces veterans.

As part of our commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant we provide a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates that are veterans and meet all the essential criteria for a role. With You is also a Disability Confident Employer and we offer a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates with a disability and meet all the essential criteria for a role.

If you have a disability, a learning difficulty such as dyslexia or a medical condition which you believe may affect your performance during any aspect of our selection process, well be happy to make reasonable adjustments to enable you to perform at your best.

Internal Applicants - please note that fixed term roles will be offered as secondments.

Experience

• We're excited to receive applications from those with:
• Experience of recruitment processes and employability skills development. Experience of supporting individuals with complex needs to gain and or maintain employment.
• Have the ability to develop relationships with multiple stakeholders, including employers, partner agencies, clients and their family/carer. Have experience of multi-agency partnership working.
• Have sound knowledge of best practice in the provision of addictions and/or employability and employment services. Knowledge and understanding of issues faced by people in treatment/ recovery in the job market, and in employability and employment services.
• Be able to lead and motivate others, nurture and encourage clients. Have strong IT skills - ideally in Google Workspace. Be organised and have excellent time management skills.
• We are looking for someone with relevant work experience or who is educated to degree level.
• You will understand the importance of good employment and the role it can play in the lives of those with multiple challenges and substance misuse issues.
• You will be confident working with a range of employers and have excellent multi-agency and partnership-working skills.
• Good communication skills are key, as is a non-judgmental, empathetic approach. You will have experience working with people from a variety of backgrounds, including those facing additional challenges in gaining employment.
• Have the flexibility to work from different locations in order to deliver the services required, and the ability to work flexible and unsocial hours as required.
• Have a Full UK Driving Licence and access to a car.

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.