Individual Placement & Support Employment Specialist

Integrated Care System; Plymouth; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A community health organization in Plymouth is seeking an Employment Specialist to support individuals with mental health challenges in finding suitable jobs. The role involves managing a caseload, building relationships with employers, and delivering tailored support. Ideal candidates are empathetic, motivated, and possess strong communication skills. Flexibility in work schedules is available.

Benefits

Protected CPD time

Training pathways

Leadership programs

Qualifications

• Experience working with people with mental health support needs.
• Experience managing multiple tasks efficiently.
• Understanding of the benefits agency and disability-related benefits.

Responsibilities

• Assist clients in securing sustainable paid employment.
• Build relationships with local employers for job opportunities.
• Collect evidence required for Fidelity Reviews.

Skills

Empathy

Motivational skills

Communication

Organizational ability

Interpersonal skills

Education

Degree level education or equivalent experience

Trained in IPS approach

Tools

MS Word

PowerPoint

Excel

Job description

Individual Placement & Support Employment Specialist

For people who need mental health support, getting back intowork is a vital step on their recovery journey. The evidence backs this up, butalthough 90% of people with severe mental illness want to work, only 8% of themare in paid employment. That's why were looking for people to join our IPSEmployment Support Service to work with the community mental health teams, asan Employment Specialist, to champion our mission and help people who needmental health support - your clients - get back into paid work.

This is an incredibly rewarding role - you will have theopportunity to transform the lives of your clients, to give them hope,direction and support their recovery journey. This is also a challenging role,so you will need to be resilient, empathetic, and dedicated to finding clientsa role that's right for them. As a people person, you will build a good rapportwith your clients, gaining a real understanding of their key skills, theiraspirations and their career goals and finding them opportunities to match.

We welcome people from a range of backgrounds and with avariety of experience for this role - you don't need any specificqualifications or clinical experience. Well train you on the IndividualPlacement & Support (IPS) approach, giving you the tools, you need toprovide expert support and advice to clients, while also building positiverelationships with employers, opening doors, and changing perceptions aroundmental health.

Main duties of the job

Inthis role you will work with clients (managing a caseload) who have mentalhealth support needs, who are unemployed, to assist them in securingsustainable paid employment in line with their preferences. You will deliverthe Individual Placement and Support (IPS) approach (for which training will begiven), providing person centred advice and guidance to clients, whilstbuilding positive relationships with local employers to enable clients to moveinto suitable employment. This post requires to meet the employment outcomes inline with the individual and teams KPIs and to produce and collect evidencefor the Fidelity Reviews.

Youwill work as part of a community mental health team, maintaining positive andintegrated relationships, fostering a holistic approach to recovery throughemployment. You will demonstrate an excellent motivational, communication andlistening skills. This role requires a positive mindset with the ability tomotivate, engage and inspire to make a positive difference to people's lives.

Please see job description for full details.

This role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route; please refer to the Direct Gov website for more information with regards to eligibility.

Please note that Livewell may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline.

All staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7 day service.

About us

Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning socialenterprise delivering integrated health and social care services acrossPlymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts ofDevon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sportscentres, and health hubs.

As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values,kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, andcollaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, whileempowering staff and those we serve.

We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, inshaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the righttime and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people leadhealthy, independent lives.

We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, trainingpathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the CareCertificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorshipprograms ensure a smooth transition into our organisation.

Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from allsections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mentalhealth, neuro-diverse conditions and learning disabilities. If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during theapplication process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.

Job responsibilities

Assist in thetraining of newly appointed IPS staff and supporting them during theirassimilation.

The post holder willparticipate in interview panels for specified jobs.

Adhere to the expenses policy.

Observe a personal duty of care when usingequipment and resources

Maintaining a safe environment in accordance withHealth and Safety Policies

Source jobopportunities for clients through tailored job search and regular contact withlocal employers to explore hidden as well as advertised employmentopportunities.

To adhere toadministrative and data capture protocols which record the progress ofindividuals, and to keep accurate and complete records of casework.

To workindependently, reliably and deliver consistently to deliver effective IPSpractice.

To collect employmentrecovery stories from people accessing the service.

To collect andprovide the evidence required in the Fidelity Review.

To build and maintainemployer relationships and maintain employer engagement database.

Arrange regularmeetings with clients to monitor and review progress pre and post-employment.

Spend time getting toknow local employers, in order to negotiate job opportunities that meetindividuals strengths, needs, abilities and preferences.

Attend weeklyclinical team meetings as an embedded IPS practitioner.

Provide education andsupport to employers, as agreed with the individual, which may includenegotiating adjustments, return to work strategy and on-going contact with theemployer to ensure job retention.

Build relationshipswith colleagues in clinical teams to engage and generate referrals and createcollaborative working partnerships with clinical staff (promoting employment asa positive intervention in the recovery journey).

Once employment hasbeen secured continue to provide quality service through conducting regularvisits, effective monitoring and in-work support to clients and employers tohelp sustain employment.

Establish positiveand integrated relationships with clinical teams, employers and other serviceproviders.

Work with employersto promote the service, identify job opportunities and ensure appropriatestrategies are in place to reduce barriers in the workplace this can includeexploring job carving i.e. carving small slices of work from the duties otherstaff do not have time to do.

To develop effectiveworking relationships with a range of external agencies who can helpindividuals to achieve their employment goals. This may include local collegesand training providers.

Work flexible hoursas required.

To challengeinequalities experienced by clients and address existing discrimination, whilstensuring a process of learning for the organisation

Assessclients support needs related to work which may include benefits/welfareadvice, disclosure of mental health symptoms etc, and provide support &guidance.

To co-produceservice development with service users where possible.

Ensure that effective monitoring and evaluationsystems are adhered to and keep abreast of changing practice within vocationalrehabilitation.

Ensure that all relevant policies are implemented such asinformation governance, safeguarding etc.

Partake in continuous learning aboutmental health conditions, their impact and how they can be managed andundertake mandatory training as required.

Undertakemandatory training as required, including training in the IPS approach

Activelyparticipate in own continuous professional development

Implement theTrust/organisations policies and procedures as required

To workindependently, reliably and deliver consistently to deliver effective IPSpractice.

To developeffective working relationships with a range of external agencies who can helpindividuals to achieve their employment goals. This may include local collegesand training providers.

Identify barriersfor service excellent and work with internal and external stakeholders toimplement solutions to ensure a high-fidelity service.

Person Specification

Additional Requirements

• Non-judgemental and trustworthy
• Empathy with the needs of those with mental health support needs
• Passion and drive to make a positive difference to people's lives
• Highly motivated with a genuine belief that someone with a mental health condition can find paid employment
• Resilient and tenacious to not give up despite setbacks and frustrations
• Self-aware of personal strengths and weaknesses and actively invest in personal and professional development
• Willingness to travel within the region

Experience

• Experience/understanding of working with people with mental health support needs, or a similar client group within health, social services or the voluntary sector
• Experience of working with someone on a one-to-one basis
• Experience of managing multiple tasks at any one time
• Experience of working assertively to influence decision makers
• Experience of supporting people to obtain or keep work
• Experience of working within mental health services
• Own personal lived experience of recovery from mental health difficulties
• Previous experience of delivering a service using the IPS model is a bonus
• Proven experience of meeting and exceeding outcomes and targets

Knowledge

• An understanding of the employment needs, and challenges faced by people who experience mental health difficulties
• Developing a knowledge of a broad range of occupations and jobs
• Able to use IT and tools such as MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel
• Knowledge of the benefits agency and all disability/ employment related benefits

Qualifications

• Educated to a degree level or equivalent experience
• Trained in IPS approach
• Level 3 Diploma in Employability Services Sector Qualification
• QCF in Advice & Guidance (Level 3)

Specific Skills

• Good motivational, communication and listening skills
• Outstanding interpersonal skills and ability to build rapport with a range of people
• Good organisational ability
• Natural ability to build close, trusting and productive relationships with people
• Team orientated and works collaboratively within a mixed-disciplinary team
• Ability to work independently and use initiative to develop and promote a service

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.

Full-time,Part-time,Job share,Flexible working