IPS Employment Specialist

IPS Grow; Killamarsh; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 days annual leave + bank holidays

Free car parking

Yearly appraisal

Training opportunities

Maternity/paternity/adoption benefits

Health service discounts

Employee assistance programme

Networking groups (LGBT+, BAME, etc)

Health and wellbeing

Structured learning and development

Job summary

Derbyshire Healthcare in Killamarsh seeks an IPS Employment Specialist to support people with mental health needs to obtain and sustain paid work. You’ll engage with clients, help with CVs and interviews, and provide in-work support while coordinating with local employers.

The role requires experience in employment advisory work, IPS knowledge, and the ability to work autonomously. A driving licence and access to a vehicle are preferable, with ongoing professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience in employment advisory work.
• Understanding of work as a recovery tool.
• Working knowledge of IPS concepts.
• Experience with mental health clients, or employment support.
• Experience with employers and DWP is desirable.
• Ability to work autonomously.
• IPS training is advantageous.
• Mental health knowledge and employability experience.
• Record data accurately and manage admin tasks.
• Strong organisational and presentation skills.
• Motivated to help service users achieve vocational goals.
• Able to engage diverse audiences and build rapport.
• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle.

Responsibilities

• Support and motivate individuals with mental health needs to access paid employment.
• Meet clients regularly to identify best job matches and help with CVs and interview techniques.
• Provide in-work support and plan return-to-work strategies for retention.
• Educate and engage employers about the IPS service.
• Source job opportunities through local employer contact.
• Promote employment within the Derbyshire Healthcare team and raise expectations.

Skills

Employment advisory experience

IPS knowledge

Mental health understanding

Autonomy

Employer engagement

Data recording

Communication skills

Organisational skills

Presentations

Motivational interviewing

Relationship building

Driving licence & access to vehicle

Job description

Join Derbyshire Healthcare as an IPS Employment Specialist in Killamarsh , supporting people with mental health needs to find and sustain meaningful paid employment.

Deadline: 12th November 2026

• East Midlands
• Full-time

Job overview

Join ‘Team Derbyshire Healthcare’ and become part of a talented, compassionate and enthusiastic workforce committed to a vision of ‘making a positive difference in people’s lives’.

CQC rated us as ‘GOOD’ overall, commenting on how our colleagues “treated patients with compassion and kindness” and “felt positive and proud about working for the trust.”

Benefits include:

• 27 days annual leave/year plus bank holidays, increasing to 29 days after 5 years & 33 days after 10 years’ service pro rata for part time
• Free car parking
• Yearly appraisal and commitment to ongoing training
• Good maternity, paternity and adoption benefits
• Health service discounts and online benefits
• Incremental pay progression
• Free confidential employee assistance programme 24/7
• Access to our LGBT+ network, BAME Network and Christian Network
• Health and wellbeing opportunities
• Structured learning and development opportunities

Role

We are looking for an individual who is passionate in joining us to develop the service and transform’s someone’s life. This role calls for empathy and the ability to initiate and develop relationships with a variety of individuals and be able to engage employers using a variety of methods such as via the telephone or face-to-face in the community. Alongside having strong and persuasive communication skills, excellent time management, and exceptional IT and administration skills.

It is essential, to have experience of working with people with mental health support needs or similar groups, OR experience working in employment support services or equivalent, including working with people on a one-to-one basis, offering motivation and support.

We are also actively interested in individuals with transferrable skills for this role such as experience in using a persuasive communication style, data collection, motivational interviewing or promoting a service to a variety of audiences, this can include, but not limited to, coaching, recruitment, sales, education, training, mentoring, or sales roles.

If you’ve got any questions about the role, feel free to email [e-mail] and we’ll be happy to discuss it with you.

Responsibilities

This is an exciting and dynamic role, where no one day is the same and you’ll be making a genuine difference to people’s lives. Using the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model you’ll be:

• Supporting and motivating individuals with mental health needs to access and sustain paid employment.
• Regularly meeting with clients to listen, help them identify their best job match, reflecting on their skills and aspirations, providing support including CV production, interview techniques
• Provide in-work support, assessing each client’s work-related needs, designing a return-to-work strategy, and ensuring job retention with ongoing contact.
• Advocating for your clients by educating and engaging with employers regarding the IPS service.
• Sourcing job opportunities for your clients through regular contact with local employers within the community.
• Work as part of the Derbyshire Healthcare mental health team to promote employment and raise expectations around the ability of service users to access paid employment, breaking down the barriers for them.

The person

Experience/Knowledge

• Employment advisory experience
• Understanding of the impact of work as a recovery tool
• Working knowledge of IPS
• Experience of working with people with mental health problems * Implementing individual programmes and interventions
• Experience of working with employers and DWP
• Able to work autonomously
• IPS training
• Mental health knowledge
• Employability experience
• Supporting disadvantaged people into employment
• Accurately recording data
• Excellent organisational skills
• Excellent presentation skills
• Enthusiasm & understanding towards supporting people with mental health problems find employment
• Engage service users towards vocational goals
• Strong administrator
• Ability to plan and prioritise
• People person who builds rapport
• Understands the importance of audits
• Full UK Driving Licence & Access to a vehicle