IPS Employment Specialist

AKG UK; Melton Mowbray; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

Intuitive Thinking Skills in Leicestershire is seeking an IPS Employment Specialist to deliver high quality employment support to individuals in community treatment for substance misuse.

You will manage a caseload of up to 25 people, provide regular 1-2-1 support, partner with clinical teams, and help clients access paid work and sustain it.

37.5 hours per week with flexible working where needed; support and supervision provided as part of professional development.

Qualifications

• To promote IPS employment support within clinical teams and with external employers.
• Ability to build relationships with employers and training providers.
• Experience in caseload management and client-centred planning.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of up to 25 people in community treatment services.
• Provide regular 1-2-1 employment support to help clients access paid employment.
• Collaborate with clinical teams to integrate employment support into treatment plans.
• Develop links with local employers to create job opportunities and support job retention.
• Provide advice to clients on benefits, travel, and work-related issues as part of employment support.

Job description

Location: Loughborough / Melton Mowbray (Leicestershire and Rutland IPS)

Hours: 37.5 pw

Background

Intuitive Thinking Skills place a high value on the life experiences of individuals, regardless of their backgrounds. As such, all roles within the organisation are primarily focussed on fostering these experiences, supporting employees to thrive in whatever sector they are working in.

This emphasis on the skills of our workforce is primary to all other activities, as without a relevantly skilled, empowered and highly motivated workforce we will fail to support the needs and aspirations of our customers.

Our IPS Service supports individuals facing drug and alcohol challenges to build a meaningful, sustainable positive future through integrating employment as a part of their recovery. We are committed to embedding the voices, expertise and leadership of people with living & lived experiences in everything we do, from service design to delivery and evaluation.

JOB PURPOSE

As an IPS Employment Specialist you will play a central role in ensuring people referred to our service receive high quality employment support through regular 1-2-1 support in the community. You will embed employment as apart of their recovery by working in partnership with the treatment team to ensure all individuals can access IPS employment support.

Job Summary

Under the supervision of the Senior Employment Specialist, manage a caseload of up to 25 people currently in community based treatment services for drug and/or alcohol dependency and who are unemployed, and who wish to secure paid employment.

Individual Placement and Support

• Managing a caseload of c.25 people in drug and alcohol treatment services who wish to return to, or start, paid employment. Clients will be worked with for up to 9 months, plus up to 4 months of in-work support, as specified in the IPS-AD protocol.
• Building effective working relationships with local employers, training providers to secure employment opportunities for people in community treatment for substance misuse, including ensuring the service is focused on accessing the ‘hidden’ labour market.
• Providing job development and job search activities directed toward positions that are individualized to the interests and uniqueness of the client, following the evidence-based principles and procedures of IPS supported employment.
• Providing ongoing support according to both the employee’s and employer’s needs to enable people who have experienced dependency on drugs and/or alcohol retain employment once secured.

Overview of Main Responsibilities

• To prepare individuals for employment through assessing each person’s individual employment needs through vocational profiling, and then actively support them to achieve their employment goals, in partnership with the clinical team.
• To promote the benefits of supporting clients to access employment within the clinical team and external employers, aiming to raise the profile of IPS services, and raise expectations around the ability of clients to access paid employment.
• To work with client keyworkers and clinical staff, including through case conferencing, to ensure that clients receive appropriate support from everyone involved in their care during the return to work process.
• To provide advice and support to employers, as agreed with the individual, which may include negotiating adjustments and on-going contact with supervisors to ensure job retention.
• To assess individual support needs related to work which might typically include help with welfare benefits, travel to work, managing health at work etc.
• To work flexibly on occasion as required by clients and employers, which may require some working out of normal office hours.

Key Relationships

• Organisation managers, human resources, clinical teams, user groups, VCS organisations, local colleges, local employment services, local employers and Jobcentre Plus.

Professional Development

• To participate in your own IPS and management supervision, objective setting/appraisal, and personal development plan.

Policy and/or service development

• To work with the local IPS Employment Specialist Team Lead and service management to ensure that vocational support services offered continue to develop effectively.
• To participate in effective monitoring and evaluation systems in relation to the contract

Research and Development

• To keep ab...}