Employment Specialist Supervisor (Drug and Alcohol IPS Project)

BCP Council; Poole; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

BCP Council in Poole is seeking an Employment Specialist Supervisor to lead the Drug and Alcohol IPS Employment Specialist Team in the BCP area. You will supervise staff, manage a small caseload, and actively support participants to secure and sustain paid employment in line with their goals, while upholding IPS Fidelity principles and working with partner services.

This role offers flexible working arrangements and opportunities to build strong links with local employers to create meaningful

Qualifications

• Experience supervising staff in drug/alcohol or health and social care settings.
• Experience delivering person-centred support and IPS principles.
• Ability to maintain accurate data and reporting.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

Responsibilities

• Supervise the IPS Employment Specialist Team and manage a caseload of participants with disabilities or health needs.
• Allocate caseloads and provide coaching to employment specialists.
• Coordinate workflow processes and ensure accurate data reporting.
• Support participants to understand skills and goals via Vocational Profiles and Action Plans.
• Build relationships with local employers to create job opportunities and reasonable adjustments.
• Deliver person-centred advice and sustain monitoring and in-work training per IPS Fidelity.

Skills

Caseload management

Supervision

Data management

Employer engagement

Interpersonal skills

IT literacy

Tools

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Teams

Job description

Are you passionate about helping people into sustainable employment? Do you have experience working in drug and alcohol services, health and social care settings, and experience of supervising staff in this sector? We are looking for an Employment Specialist Supervisor who can lead the Drug and Alcohol IPS Employment Specialist Team in the BCP area.

If you are enthusiastic and passionate about helping people into meaningful employment and you have the skills and experience to make a difference, we would be keen to hear from you.

Job Overview

As part of this role, you will supervise employment specialists and also have a small caseload of your own. You will actively support individuals to secure and sustain paid employment, in line with their preferences and vocational goals. You will supervise the delivery of the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) for the Drug and Alcohol IPS Service, working closely with internal and external quality assurance staff. In addition, you will also maintain and coordinate accurate data, meeting the requirements of the BCP Commissioners and IPS Grow, who will offer Fidelity support. The role will also include providing person-centred advice and guidance to participants, whilst building positive relationships with local employers to enable participants to move into suitable employment. You will provide support, guidance and coaching to employment specialists and participants, including supporting on-the-job training where appropriate, providing support to both the participant and employer.

• Manage a caseload of participants with disabilities / health support needs and other barriers to employment, employing IPS methods to offer personalised guidance and support
• Allocate and supervise the caseloads of employment specialists
• Provide guidance, supervision and coaching to employment specialists and act as the first point of contact for problem solving
• Co-ordinate processes and systems in relation to workflow management
• Meet, assess and support participants to understand their key skills, aspirations, and goals through completing a Vocational Profile and an Action Plan to help them obtain and sustain competitive employment.
• Provide person-centred advice and guidance to participants
• Maintain a community focus and work collaboratively with multi-disciplinary teams, support services and specific drug and alcohol services in the BCP area.
• Maintain positive and integrated relationships, fostering a holistic approach to support
• Build positive relationships with local employers to enable participants to move into and / or maintain suitable employment including sourcing job opportunities and raising awareness of reasonable adjustments, return to work strategies and ongoing contact, reducing barriers in the workplace and supporting employers to become disability confident
• Provide a quality service through conducting regular visits, completing effective monitoring and in-work training, and supporting participants and employers in accordance with IPS Fidelity principles

Skills And Experience

We’re looking for someone who is motivated, adaptable, and passionate about supporting others into meaningful employment. The ideal candidate will bring relevant experience or transferable skills and a willingness to learn and grow within the role.

You Will Ideally Have

• Experience in caseload management and delivering person-centred support.
• Direct experience of supervision, ideally in a drug and alcohol support setting, or transferable skills from roles involving mentoring, coaching, or advisory work.
• Experience of maintaining accurate data.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively with a wide range of individuals and build positive working relationships. Whether through previous experience in employer engagement, stakeholder collaboration, or community outreach, you should have the negotiation skills needed to create meaningful employment opportunities.
• Excellent IT skills, including confidence using Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) and online communication tools such as Microsoft Teams.
• A solution-focused and outcome-driven approach, with the ability to identify barriers and work collaboratively to overcome them.
• The ability to work independently and as part of a team, managing your time effectively and adapting to changing priorities.
• A flexible, proactive attitude, with a commitment to continuous learning and improvement.
• A strong commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion, ensuring that all participants are treated with respect and supported according to their individual needs.

Why Join Us?

This is your opportunity to be part of a forward-thinking programme that puts people at the heart of everything we do.

As a ‘work first’ intervention, the programme is designed to help people achieve lasting employment outcomes through personalised, person-centred support and strong partnerships with local employers. You’ll be part of a team that makes a real difference in people’s lives by helping them build confidence, develop skills, and thrive in meaningful employment.

We are a flexible employer and provide a variety of working arrangements tailored to the needs of each role. If you would like further information or would like an informal discussion, please contact Julia Brown Learner Experience Manager, [e-mail] or Hannah Ball, Contract and Quality Manager, [e-mail].

About BCP Council

BCP Council provides services to a diverse community of 400,000 residents and employs more than 5,000 people. Our area includes over 15 miles of beautiful world-renowned coastline. We can offer career defining roles to transform and improve services. By working with us, you can help deliver a vision of a thriving, word-class, prosperous and inclusive place for generations to come.

Our Benefits

A Place to Thrive – Join BCP Council

At BCP Council, we’re not just building a workforce— we’re transforming how we recognise and reward our people.

From 1 December 2025, we’re proud to introduce a new Pay and Reward package, shaped through close collaboration with our trade union partners. This marks a significant step forward in how we recognise and reward our colleagues, reflecting our commitment to creating a modern, inclusive, and supportive workplace.

Our enhanced offer includes fair and transparent pay, modernised terms and conditions, and a comprehensive benefits package designed to attract and retain talented individuals. Whether it’s flexible working, wellbeing support, or opportunities for career progression, our new approach puts people first- we’re excited to welcome new colleagues into a Council that’s evolving to meet the needs of both our workforce and our communities.

Check out our attractive enhanced benefits and find out more about the new Pay and Reward package at (Employee benefits | Working for BCP link to careers page)

Be the difference - Join an organisation that values you More About us | Working for BCP