IPS Employment Team Leader

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an IPS Team Leader in Milton Keynes to lead a team of Employment Specialists and deliver high-quality Individual Placement and Support services. You will embed IPS best practice, build strong employer links, supervise staff, monitor performance and ensure to help people secure and maintain meaningful paid work through collaborative partnerships.

Ideal candidates will show leadership, dedication to inclusion and the ability to work in

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent industry experience.
• Extensive experience with people with drug and alcohol or mental health problems or a similar client group within health, social services or the voluntary sector.
• Well developed experience of helping people to obtain or keep work.
• Experience of joint working and working in multi-agency partnerships.
• Experience of staff supervision and coaching.

Responsibilities

• Lead, motivate and develop the IPS team to deliver excellent employment support.
• Embed the principles of IPS best practice and the Fidelity quality framework.
• Provide supervision, coaching, training, field mentoring and observations to support staff development.
• Monitor performance and support the team to achieve contractual targets and employment outcomes.
• Build partnerships that strengthen referrals and increase opportunities for the people using the service.
• Develop strong relationships with local employers, including accessing the hidden job market.
• Work closely with commissioners, funders and other key stakeholders.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement and co-production.
• Maintain an active caseload, supporting people to identify their employment goals, develop vocational profiles and move towards meaningful paid employment.
• Support people and employers once employment has been secured to help sustain successful outcomes.

Skills

Leadership

Staff supervision

IPS model knowledge

Stakeholder engagement

Communication skills

Time management

Education

Degree level or equivalent experience

Job description

Job Overview

The opportunity to change minds. The power to change lives.

Are you passionate about helping people achieve their employment goals and ready to lead a team that can genuinely change lives? We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated IPS Team Leader to lead and develop our Individual Placement and Support (IPS) service in Milton Keynes.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who combines strong leadership with a real belief in employment as part of recovery and inclusion. You will support and inspire a team of Employment Specialists to deliver a high-quality service, while building strong relationships with employers, partners and stakeholders.

Main duties of the job

• Lead, motivate and develop the IPS team to deliver excellent employment support.
• Embed the principles of IPS best practice and the Fidelity quality framework.
• Provide supervision, coaching, training, field mentoring and observations to support staff development.
• Monitor performance and support the team to achieve contractual targets and employment outcomes.
• Build partnerships that strengthen referrals and increase opportunities for the people using the service.
• Develop strong relationships with local employers, including accessing the hidden job market.
• Work closely with commissioners, funders and other key stakeholders.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement and co-production.
• Maintain an active caseload, supporting people to identify their employment goals, develop vocational profiles and move towards meaningful paid employment.
• Support people and employers once employment has been secured to help sustain successful outcomes.

Working for our organisation

You will be joining a well-established Employment Service. We provide training throughout the year to ensure we continue to deliver a high-fidelity service. You will have the tools you need to provide expert support and advice to clients whilst also building positive relationships with employers, opening doors and changing perceptions around mental health.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

• Lead, motivate and develop the IPS team to deliver excellent employment support.
• Embed the principles of IPS best practice and the Fidelity quality framework.
• Provide supervision, coaching, training, field mentoring and observations to support staff development.
• Monitor performance and support the team to achieve contractual targets and employment outcomes.
• Build partnerships that strengthen referrals and increase opportunities for the people using the service.
• Develop strong relationships with local employers, including accessing the hidden job market.
• Work closely with commissioners, funders and other key stakeholders.Promote a culture of continuous improvement and co-production.
• Maintain an active caseload, supporting people to identify their employment goals, develop vocational profiles and move towards meaningful paid employment.
• Support people and employers once employment has been secured to help sustain successful outcomes.

About You

We are looking for someone who can bring energy, credibility and a collaborative leadership style to the role.

You will ideally have:

• Experience of supervising, managing or mentoring staff.
• Experience of employment services or a comparable environment.
• A track record of achieving and exceeding outcomes and targets.
• Strong relationship-building and networking skills.
• Excellent leadership and interpersonal skills.
• A motivational and adaptable communication style.
• An understanding of the needs of people affected by mental health, disability, social exclusion or other vulnerabilities.
• Strong written, reporting, record-keeping and IT skills.
• A commitment to inclusive, strengths-based practice and helping people fulfil their potential.

Person specification

Education And Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Educated to degree level or equivalent industry experience.

Previous Experience

Essential criteria

• Extensive experience of working with people with drug and alcohol or mental health problems or a similar client group within health, social services or the voluntary sector.
• Well developed experience of helping people to obtain or keep work.
• Experience of joint working and working in multi-agency partnerships.
• Experience of staff supervision and coaching.

Desirable criteria

• Experience of working within an IPS service.
• Experience of delivering training.
• Experience of managing a budget.

Skills and knowledge

Essential criteria

• An understanding of the principals and practices of the Individual Placement and Support Model.
• An ability to provide advice and support to care co-ordinators in relation to the employment needs of service users.
• An understanding of the employment needs and difficulties of people who experience mental health problems.
• Able to work in a complex environment and can demonstrate a high level of perseverance, being committed to seeing plans through to their conclusion with agreed time-scales.
• Capacity to appreciate the strategic service context.
• An ability to negotiate diplomatically and effectively with staff at all levels and users of mental health services.
• Ability to support clients/managers at all levels when a clients job is at risk.
• Good verbal and written communication skills
• Basic counselling skills.
• An ability to develop relationships with employers and other agencies whilst being astute to their needs.
• Ability to develop relationships with clients, staff and carers
• Time management and organisational skills.

Desirable criteria

• An understanding of the Disability Discrimination Act.

Personal Attributes

Essential criteria

• Ability to work independently, reliably and consistently.
• A preparedness to work flexible hours through prior arrangement as the needs of the job dictate.
• Ability to see solutions rather than problems