IPS Employment Specialist

EAST LONDON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST; Bedford, Luton; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

EAST LONDON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST is recruiting an IPS Employment Specialist to help people with mental health needs access and sustain paid employment across Bedfordshire and Luton. The role involves outreach, practical supports like CV development and interview prep, and ongoing in-work coaching.

You will work flexibly with service users and employers, travel as needed across local areas, and collaborate within a multidisciplinary team to promote recovery, independence, and meaningful work

Qualifications

• Motivate and build positive relationships with service users
• Strong organisational and time management skills
• Confident communicating and engaging with a range of employers
• Believe that anyone with a mental health condition can work with the right support

Responsibilities

• Support and motivate individuals with mental health needs to access and sustain competitive paid employment.
• Meet regularly with clients to understand goals, identify the right job match, and provide practical support like CV development and interview preparation.
• Provide ongoing in-work support, helping clients manage workplace challenges and return-to-work plans.
• Advocate for clients by engaging with employers and promoting inclusive recruitment practices.
• Source job opportunities through regular contact with local employers and community organisations.
• Work collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team to promote inclusive employment.

Skills

Motivation & relationship building

Organisational skills

Communication with employers

Belief in potential of individuals

Job description

Vacancies covering the following areas: Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Luton (Primary Care Pathways opportunities), We are looking for motivated, passionate self-starters who want to build a career in the mental health sector. These roles offer a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference by supporting people with mental health needs into meaningful employment across Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Luton. As part of our expanding IPS Employment Service, vacancies are available covering Primary Care settings across Bedfordshire and Luton, supporting individuals at different stages of their mental health recovery journey. As anIPS Employment Specialist, you will play a vital role in helping people with mental health needs find and sustain fulfilling, competitive employment. You will receive comprehensive training, ongoing supervision, and access to a wide range of development opportunities within the Bedfordshire and Luton IPS Employment Service. We welcome applications from people of all experience levels and backgrounds. What matters most is that you:

• Can motivate and build positive relationships with service users
• Have strong organisational and time management skills
• Are confident communicating and engaging with a range of employers
• Believe thatanyone with a mental health condition can workwith the right support

What is an IPS Employment Specialist?

This is an exciting and dynamic role where no two days are the same, and you will be making a genuine difference to people's lives. As an IPS Employment Specialist, you will use theIndividual Placement and Support (IPS)model - an evidence-based approach that helps people with mental health needs move into and sustain paid employment.

In this role you will:

• Support and motivateindividuals with mental health needs to access and sustain competitive paid employment.
• Meet regularly with clientsto understand their goals, identify the right job match based on their strengths, skills and aspirations, and provide practical support such as CV development and interview preparation.
• Provide ongoing in-work support, helping clients manage workplace challenges, develop return-to-work plans where needed, and maintain employment through continued contact.
• Advocate for clientsby engaging with employers, raising awareness of the IPS service, and promoting inclusive recruitment practices.
• Proactively source job opportunitiesthrough regular contact with local employers and community organisations.
• Work collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team, promoting the belief that people with mental health needs can and do succeed in paid employment, and helping to break down barriers to work.

Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are:We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive- so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.

We are looking for someone who is passionate about supporting people and wants to help develop our service while transforming lives. This role requires empathy, resilience, and the ability to build positive relationships with a wide range of people. You will be confident engaging both service users and employers, using different approaches such as telephone contact, virtual meetings, and face-to-face engagement in the community.

You will also bring:

• Strong and persuasive communication skills
• Excellent time management and the ability to manage a varied workload
• High levels of organisation and administrative accuracy
• A proactive, solution-focused approach
• A genuine belief that people with mental health needs can achieve paid employment

If you are looking for a career where you can make a meaningful difference to the lives of people who are unemployed and need support to find paid work, and want to contribute to creating a fairer, more inclusive society in a role where no two days are the same - we would love to hear from you. As this is a new and developing service, the successful candidate will need to be flexible and able to travel independently across Bedfordshire and Luton.

Posts may be allocated across any locality within Bedfordshire and Luton Primary Care settings, depending on service needs. The role may involve supporting individuals across a wide geographical area and working flexibly to meet local demand.