IPS Employment Specialist

NHS; Uxbridge; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 44,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in Uxbridge is seeking a Peer Employment Specialist to help individuals with mental health conditions secure and maintain meaningful employment. The role requires lived experience of recovery, strong communication skills, and the ability to engage with various stakeholders. This permanent, part-time position offers a salary of £35,763 - £43,466 pro-rata and a variety of staff benefits.

Benefits

Attractive pension scheme

Employee assistance programme

Travel discounts

Qualifications

• Experience maintaining recovery for a substantial period.
• Experience working with clients on a one-to-one basis.
• Experience in employment support services is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Motivating individuals to access and sustain paid employment.
• Assisting clients with CV production and interview techniques.
• Building relationships with local employers.

Skills

Verbal and written communication skills

Presentation and negotiation skills

Ability to engage with diverse communities

Understanding of employment needs for mental health challenges

Education

Degree level education or equivalent work experience

Job description

IPS Employment Specialist

Go back Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 19 October 2025

This is an exciting opportunity for someone with lived experience of mental health recovery who is passionate about supporting others to achieve their employment goals.

As a Peer Employment Specialist, you will:

• Use your own lived experience to inspire hope and provide strengths-based support.
• Work one-to-one with clients to help them secure and maintain meaningful employment.
• Build strong relationships with local employers, colleges, and training providers.
• Be part of a supportive, values-driven team that places compassion, respect, empowerment, and partnership at its heart.

Location: Hillingdon - Mill House, 38 Riverside Way, Uxbridge, UB8 2YF (with community work)

Contract: Permanent, part-time (22.5 hours per week)

Salary: Band 5, £35,763- £43,466 pro-rata

Main duties of the job

What is an IPS Employment Specialist?

This is a rewarding and dynamic role where no 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 conditions to access and sustain paid employment.
• Regularly meeting with clients to listen, offer support and help them identify their best job match, reflecting their skills and aspirations.
• Supporting the clients through CV production, interview techniques and managing their health at work.
• 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.
• Promoting employment and raising expectations around the ability of service users to access paid employment, breaking down the barriers for them.

About us

Working for Central North West London NHS Trust

You will also be part of the Trustwide Employment Services Team which comprises of over 40 people.

You will receive a number of staff benefits working for CNWL Trust, this includes an attractive pension scheme, a range of staff networks, travel discounts, employee assistance programme and discounts at hundreds of retailers nationwide.

This role is an excellent opportunity to start a long-term career within the mental health sector, develop your skills and a gateway to the vast number of opportunities within CNWL.

Apply today to become an IPS Employment Specialist and make a real difference!

Please note: Salary is negotiable as per our salary variation guidance dependant on experience.

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.

Job responsibilities

Who are we looking for?

Firstly, you will need either a degree-level education or relevant work experience, such as in the health and social care or employment sectors and lived experience of mental health. Alongside having strong and persuasive communication skills, excellent time management and exceptional organisational skills. Also, 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.

It would also be helpful, but NOT essential, if you have experience of working with people with mental health support needs (or similar groups) OR have experience working in employment support services (or equivalent), this can include working with people on a one-to-one basis, offering motivation and support, or engaging with a range of stakeholders. We are actively interested in individuals who have experience using a persuasive communication style or promoting a service to a variety of audiences, this can include marketing, recruitment, or sales roles.

Person Specification

• Own personal lived experience of using secondary mental health services or other mental health inpatient services
• Own personal lived experience of recovery from mental health difficulties
• Experience of maintaining (selfdefined) recovery for a substantial period
• Experience of communicating and working with people on a one-to-one basis
• Experience of working within diverse communities
• Experience of building relationships and communicating with a range of different partners/organisations
• Experience of supporting people to obtain or keep work or achieve other recovery and inclusion goals
• Experience of working with people with mental health difficulties or a similar client group within the health, social services, or voluntary sector
• Experience of supporting people to obtain or keep work
• Experience and knowledge of the benefits agency and all disability/ employment related benefits

Skills, knowledge and abilities

• Good verbal and written communication skills.
• Good presentation, negotiation, and marketing skills. negotiation skills
• Ability to initiate and develop relationships with employers and other agencies whilst being astute to their needs.
• Ability to engage with employers using a variety of methods such as face to face contact, social media, phone, and email.
• Working knowledge of a broad range of occupations and jobs.
• An understanding of the principles and practices of supported employment or the IPS model.
• An understanding of the Equality Act 2010.
• An understanding of the employment needs and difficulties of people who experience mental health challenges
• Basic counselling and coaching skills.
• Ability to provide vocational assessments and profiling.
• Ability to see solutions rather than problems.
• Ability to work in strength-based ways.
• Willingness to participate in supervision.
• Ability to work independently of direct supervision

Education and Qualifications

• Educated to a degree level (in any sector) OR equivalent workplace experience, this can include one or more of the below:
• Experience within the health and social care sector.
• Experience within employment support services
• Full UK Driving licence and access to a vehicle
• Mentorship or clinical supervision training

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.

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

£35,763 to £43,466 a yearPro rata per annum incl. HCAS