IPS Employment Specialist - Leeds and surrounding areas

Shaw Trust; Leeds; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

2 volunteering days annually

Enhanced pension after 6 months

Life assurance at 3x salary

Funded qualifications including/appren

Inclusive colleague networks

Health & wellbeing support

Job summary

Shaw Trust in Leeds is seeking an IPS Employment Specialist to support individuals with health needs in finding sustainable work and to collaborate with local employers to create meaningful opportunities. The role involves delivering IPS with full training provided, building tailored support plans, and championing wellbeing in employment.

You will work across Leeds and surrounding areas, supporting clients from referral to placement while engaging health professionals and service providers to

Qualifications

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are essential.
• Experience working with people with health needs is advantageous.
• Knowledge of employment services or recruitment is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Deliver the IPS model (full training provided).
• Provide person-centred advice and vocational guidance.
• Build strong relationships with local employers to identify suitable roles.
• Support clients through every step: from referral and job search to placement and in-work support.
• Champion social inclusion and wellbeing through employment.

Skills

Excellent communication

Interpersonal skills

Solution-focused mindset

Health needs experience

Recruitment knowledge

Job description

At Shaw Trust we believe everyone has the right to live a decent and dignified life and an opportunity for rewarding work. We are a social purpose organisation challenging inequality and breaking down barriers to enable social mobility.

For us being part of the solution is about creating the conditions for this to happen, advocating and delivering services that make a real difference. Working in partnership not competition, we are part of an eco-system of purpose-led organisations, striving for a fairer, more equal society centred on opportunity for all.

Are you passionate about helping people with mental and /or physical health support needs find meaningful, sustainable employment? Do you want to be part of a service that transforms lives through work, inclusion, and wellbeing?

We're looking for enthusiastic and driven IPS Employment Specialists to join our team — subject to the successful award of new contract in Leeds and across West Yorkshire.

About The Role

As an IPS Employment Specialist, you will support individuals seeking work and the employers who need their talents. You'll manage a caseload of clients, providing tailored, one-to-one support to help them find, and keep, jobs that align with their individual goals and aspirations.

You'll Work Closely With

• Clients, to understand their strengths and ambitions
• Health professionals and service providers, to ensure holistic support
• Employers, to build inclusive workplaces and create job opportunities

This is a performance-focused role, with clear targets around referrals, job starts, and sustained employment. But more than that, it’s about changing lives.

We welcome applicants from local residents in the areas of delivery.

Areas of Delivery

• Leeds and surrounding areas

This is a community-based role. You'll work peripatetically across your chosen area(s), supporting clients where they are.

Recruitment Timeline

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend an Assessment Centre on:

27th and 28th November - Leeds

What You'll Do

• Deliver the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model (full training provided)
• Provide person-centred advice and vocational guidance
• Build strong relationships with local employers to identify suitable roles
• Support clients through every step: from referral and job search to placement and in-work support
• Champion social inclusion and wellbeing through employment

What You'll Bring

• A genuine passion for helping others achieve their potential
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• A proactive, solution-focused mindset
• Experience working with people with health needs
• Knowledge of employment services or recruitment (a plus, but not essential)

Download The Job Description For More Details.

Please note that all successful candidates will be subject to pre-employment checks, including an enhanced adult & Child DBS check, employment references, and verification of the right to work in the UK.

Why Join Us

• 25 days annual leave (plus bank holidays), rising to 28 with service - plus the option to buy more
• 2 paid volunteering days each year
• Enhanced pension after 6 months
• Life assurance at 3x your salary
• Funded qualifications including apprenticeships
• Inclusive colleague networks (LGBTQ+, Disability, Neurodiversity, Women's, Menopause, and more)
• Health & wellbeing support, including EAP and a health cash plan

A Place Where You Belong

We're proud to be a National Equality Standard employer, a Disability Confident Leader, and Menopause Friendly accredited. We actively welcome applications from all backgrounds, especially those with lived experience of disability or social exclusion.

Need adjustments or more info? Contact us at [e-mail].

We may close this vacancy early if we receive enough applications.