IPS Employment Specialists

NHS Jobs; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 31,000; Full time

Job summary

Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust is recruiting IPS Employment Specialists to assist people with mental health conditions in obtaining and retaining paid work. You will help clients with job searching, CVs, applications, and interview prep, while building links with local employers.

These permanent posts require travel across York, Northallerton, Harrogate, Ripon, Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale. Right to Work in the UK is essential; sponsorship is not offered.

Qualifications

• Numeracy and literacy at level 2 or above.
• Ability to work collaboratively with MDT and external partners.
• Strong communication both verbal and written.
• Evidence of disability awareness and inclusion.
• Willingness to travel across locality and engage with employers.

Responsibilities

• Support clients with job searching, CVs, applications and interviews.
• Develop employment opportunities with local employers and Jobcentre Plus.
• Monitor and review employment outcomes; support employers and clients post-placement.
• Promote inclusive employment and ensure positive integration into the workforce.

Skills

Numeracy and Literacy level 2

Collaborative teamwork

Communication skills

Disability awareness

Group facilitation

Education

Level 4 IPS-related qualification

Job description

Go back Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust

IPS Employment Specialists

The closing date is 29 September 2026

IPS (Individual Placement and Support) is an evidence-based approach to helping people with mental health conditions find and keep a paid job.

Having a job can bring numerous benefits. We know having a job can help people with mental health conditions to recover.

At present, only around 8% of people receiving support from secondary mental health services are in paid employment, while studies suggest almost 90% of people with serious and enduring mental health conditions want to work.

Following further investment and expansion of the IPS service an exciting opportunity has arisen for a number of permanent IPS Employment Specialists in the following area:

York, Northallerton, Harrogate and Ripon, Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale.

The IPS worker will be working with people who have a mental illness and support them into employment and then enabling them to retain that employment. As an IPS worker you will be looking for paid employment opportunities for clients who are currently involved with secondary care adult mental health services. This will involve developing opportunities with local employers and supporting them as well as the client, to ensure the right person is in the right job.

You must have the Right to Work in the UK in order to be successfully appointed to this role. Please note, this role does not meet the required eligibility criteria for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa and therefore the Trust is unable to offer sponsorship for this particular role.

Main duties of the job

The successful postholders will support clients with job searching, completing CV's and application forms and interview preparation. Working with our clients, you will liaise and signpost to a range of employment and training programmes within the local area, to include Job Centre Plus.

Within your role, you will develop your knowledge and networks of employment related support services and inclusive employers within the local area is essential to this role. Employment opportunities would include those within TEWV itself.

This role is part of a wider employment support service, working closely with people with moderate to severe common mental health problems and their clinicians. The postholders will support service users to gain or return to competitive (paid) employment following the Individual Placement and Support process, aiming for fidelity to this delivery model. The role will involve working directly with Jobcentre Plus, employers, trade unions and employment agencies to secure paid employment opportunities, including supporting them and their employers to retain these opportunities for up to one year once gained.

About us

We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby.

From education and prevention, to crisis and specialist care --our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.

We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health.

We're committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it.

We won't rest until everyone in our region has the mental health care they need, to lead their best possible life.

Job responsibilities

The successful applicants will establish ongoing monitoring and support systems for clients once employment is secured. This will include review of employment gained to ensure that this is meeting both clients and employers needs. This will include offering support to employers and clients with any problems that may arise and promoting disability awareness among employers to ensure a positive integration of our clients into the workforce.

The successful candidates will be dynamic and highly motivated, with excellent communication skills to enable you to work/engage effectively with a wide range of agencies and employers, clients and sometimes their families. Innovation, determination and ability to influence assertively are key to the success of this role.

You will apply consistently high standards, have knowledge of relevant legislation and be willing to attend training as required. The successful candidate needs to demonstrate a strong commitment to employment and social inclusion.

IPS supervision and clinical support from community mental health team members will be offered on a regular basis with ongoing training and development opportunities relevant to the post.

Our staff are our most important asset and recognising their excellent work and the vital contributions they make to patient care is very important.

We have achieved the gold Investors in People (IIP) standard and have been commended on great people management practice and demonstrating a commitment to staff development.

We are signed up to the Disability Confident Scheme. This means we have to demonstrate that were taking positive action to attract, recruit and retain disabled people

We have an award-winning system for delivering efficiency through clinician-led quality improvements.

All staff who join us are provided with a comprehensive induction programme, starting on their first day of employment.

Continuous professional development is important to us. Once youre comfortable in your new role, you and your manager will work collaboratively to form a Personal Development Plan (PDP), your personal career aspirations are taken into account and the trust will provide you with the resources you need to develop.

Its important our staff are able to raise concerns about patient safety and let us know when we need to improve services. We have a number of ways people can do this.

Due to the nature of the role, it is essential that applicants are able to travel independently across the locality and have access to a suitable vehicle for business purposes. If necessary, adjustments can be considered in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Numeracy and Literacy level 2 (or above)
• Minimum of level 4 qualification related to IPS practice e.g. Level 4 - Certificate of higher education (CertHE), higher apprenticeship, higher national certificate (HNC), level 4 award, level 4 certificate, level 4 diploma, level 4 NVQ If level 4 award (or higher) is not a health or social care related subject will complete care certificate during first 6 months of employment.
• OR A minimum of 2 years of experience in e.g. o delivering employment support o delivering health/social care support o providing coaching/advice and guidance
• Evidence of additional qualifications relevant to role

Skills

• Ability to work collaboratively with members of the MDT to provide an effective service.
• Ability to deliver employment support interventions competently
• Ability to communicate information (verbal and written) effectively in a manner appropriate to the individual and situation
• Adherence to Trust record keeping standards.
• Ability to adapt intervention using own initiative within own scope of practice.
• Ability to plan and organise a given caseload and prioritise effectively.
• Fully compliant with statutory and mandatory training.
• Completed "Doing What Works" IPS
• Ability to lead a group session. training or equivalent.
• Ability to use employment related software packages/platforms.
• Demonstrate IPS and service specific competencies.
• Ability to lead a group session

Personal Attributes

• Awareness of the needs of individuals from diverse social, ethnic and cultural backgrounds
• Ability to relate to the needs of the patient group
• Compassionate in meeting the needs of vulnerable people and their families and carers
• Ability to work on own in a variety of settings using initiative appropriately
• Ability to work under pressure in a rapidly changing environment
• Able to work flexibly and cooperatively as part of a team
• Committed to continual quality and service improvement
• Committed to promoting a positive image of people with mental health conditions and/or learning disabilities and autism
• Committed to promoting a positive image of IPS and the Trust
• Self-awareness and committed to continual personal development

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.

Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust

£28,392 to £31,157 a yearpro rata, per annum