Mental Health Employment Specialist

Somerset Nhs Foundation Trust; Wells; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 44,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working options

NHS pension scheme

Generous annual leave

Career development

Blue Light Card

Job summary

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Band 6 Mental Health Employment Specialist to join the Mental Health Employment Support Service. The role focuses on vocational assessment, planning and employment support for service users with severe mental health issues, mainly in the Mendip area and county-wide.

You will supervise unregistered colleagues, work with NHS partners, and travel across Somerset. The NHS environment offers training and opportunities for career development within a

Qualifications

• A degree or equivalent in social work, occupational therapy, or psychiatric nursing.
• Professional registration to practice in the UK.
• Masters degree in a relevant field is desirable.
• Must be a car driver with a valid driving licence to travel across the county.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of service users with complex mental health needs, providing vocational assessment and work-related planning.
• Provide reports and professional advice to clinical colleagues, employers and partner agencies.
• Provide supervision, appraisal and leadership to Mental Health Employment Support Officers.
• Travel across Somerset and work across community locations with a suitable vehicle for business use.
• Contribute to service development, governance, and training of students and colleagues.

Skills

Supervisory skills

Collaboration

Communication skills

Risk assessment

Education

Degree in social work/occupational therapy/psychiatric nursing

Professional registration (UK)

Masters degree (Desirable)

Job description

Job summary

Are you a registered Mental Health Nurse, Social Worker, or Occupational Therapist looking for the next step in your career? Do you want to make a real difference in the lives of individuals facing mental health challenges? If so, this could be the role for you! Due to the retirement of a long serving colleague, a band 6 vacancy has arisen.

The Mental Health Employment Support Service is a dedicated team of mental health professionals, supporting people who want to work and are under the care of Somerset NHS Foundation Trust mental health services. Employment that suits an individual can be integral to their recovery and conversely, risk of job loss can have a significant negative impact on mental health.

The main focus of this role is to help mental health service users navigate problems they may face at work. This will mainly be in the Mendip area but the role is part of a county-wide Mental Health Employment Service to provide specialist vocational assessment, planning and services, within Community Mental Health Teams in Somerset NHS Foundation Trust.

Main duties of the job

Training provided: You don't need to be an Employment Specialist already! You will have the opportunity to attend specialist training and shadow experienced colleagues.

Lead with impact: You'll provide clinical supervision and leadership to unregistered colleagues, supporting them in their roles as needed.

Collaborate for success: Work alongside other Band 6 Employment Specialists and the Employment Support Service Manager to ensure consistency and contribute to the strategic development of the service.

Work directly with service users: Manage a caseload, providing tailored vocational assessment, action planning, employer engagement, the assessment of work-related risk, development of collaborative risk management plans, worksite assessment and in work support. Your work will support the aspirations of service users with severe mental health issues who want to retain their work.

Build partnerships: Collaborate with clinical colleagues and external agencies such as Job Centre Plus, CAB, probation services, local employers, and NACRO, supporting our service users to sustain their paid employment.

What we're looking for:

• A passion for helping others achieve their goals and improve their lives through employment.
• Strong supervisory skills and a desire to support Employment Support Officer colleagues.
• The ability to work collaboratively with partners and stakeholders across the NHS and local community.

About us

At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:

• Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
• NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
• Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
• A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential

Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.

We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.

Why Somerset?

Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.

The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.

Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.

Job responsibilities

You will manage a caseload of service users with complex mental health needs, offering specialist, recovery focused vocational interventions. This includes identifying barriers to employment, undertaking in depth vocational and worksite assessments, and supporting individuals to achieve realistic and meaningful employment goals.

You will actively support service users through and mental health difficulties they are facing at work, such as graded returns to work from sick leave, support to discuss reasonable adjustments, ongoing in work support or support to leave a job. Where required, you will provide reports and professional advice to clinical colleagues, employers and partner agencies.

As a senior member of the Mental Health Employment Service, you will provide professional supervision, appraisal and leadership to Mental Health Employment Support Officers, contributing to a consistent and highquality service across the locality. You will also be involved in service development, clinical governance activity and the training and support of students and colleagues.

The role requires excellent communication and organisational skills, the ability to manage risk confidently in employment settings, and the flexibility to work across community locations. Regular travel across Somerset is required, and access to a vehicle for business use is essential.

At all times, you will work in line with Trust values, policies and procedures, maintaining a strong focus on safeguarding, confidentiality, equality and diversity, and high standards of professional practice.

Qualifications

Essential

• A degree or equivalent in social work, occupational therapy, or psychiatric nursing
• Professional registration to practice in the UK

Desirable

• Masters degree in a relevant field

Experience

Essential

• Working with adults with complex needs, both mental and physical, in employment related programmes covering assessment, placement and support
• Working with people with severe mental health issues in at least a band 5 role or equivalent
• Mental Health risk assessment and management
• Working closely with a range of service providers

Desirable

• Working with people with severe and enduring mental health issues in a band 6 role or equivalent
• Employment specialist experience
• Forensic mental health experience

Additional Criteria

Essential

• Knowledge of clinical effectiveness and clinical governance
• Understanding of the role of employment in recovery
• Supervisory skills
• Must be a car driver with a valid driving licence with appropriate business insurance in order to travel throughout the county, to meet the needs of the service

Desirable

• Knowledge of evidence based vocational rehabilitation and related legislation
• Vocational assessment and worksite assessment
• Graded return to work or in work support planning
• Cognitive assessment and functional assessment

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.

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).