IPS Employment Specialist

IPS Employment Specialist

Grade or equivalent: Band 5 £32,073

Location: South Warwickshire location

Responsible to: Team Leader

Accountable to: Service Manager

Role Purpose:

You will work with clients (managing a caseload) who have mental health support needs, to assist them in securing sustainable paid employment in line with their preferences. You will deliver the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) approach (for which training will be given); providing person centred advice and guidance to clients, whilst building positive relationships with local employers to enable clients to move into suitable employment.

You will work as part of a community mental health team, maintaining positive and integrated relationships, fostering a holistic approach to recovery through employment.

Responsibilities:

• A basic understanding of IPS (Individual Placement Support) gained through experience or self-conducted research.
• Experience in recruitment or employment along with advice and guidance on employment needs 
• Ability to engage with employers and build close, trusting, and productive relationships with people
• Good understanding of the local area and it’s employers
• Strong IT skills with the competency to use a range of complex systems and software

• Good understanding of the principles and practice of supported employment
• Experience of working in supported employment services is desirable
• Good time management, diary organisation, be adaptable/flexible as no two days are the same and to be able to work with minimal supervision
• Experience of working with people with mental health problems or a similar service user group is desirable

As you will be working within the community, we do need you to hold a full UK driving licence.

Core Responsibilities:

• Manage a caseload of around 20 clients who have mental health support needs who are motivated to start/return to work.
• Deliver the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) approach for which training will be given.
• Meet and support clients to understand their key skills, aspirations and goals through completing a Vocational Profile and produce an Action Plan to help them obtain and sustain competitive employment.  This includes support with their job search, CV production, application forms, interview techniques and career development.
• Assess client’s support needs related to work which may include benefits/welfare advice, disclosure of mental health symptoms etc, and provide support & guidance.
• Attend weekly clinical team meetings as an embedded IPS practitioner.
• Source job opportunities for clients through tailored job search and regular contact with local employers to explore hidden as well as advertised employment opportunities.
• Provide education and support to employers, as agreed with the individual, which may include negotiating adjustments, return to work strategy and on-going contact with the employer to ensure job retention.
• Build relationships with colleagues in clinical teams to engage and generate referrals and create collaborative working partnerships with clinical staff (promoting employment as a positive intervention in the recovery journey).
• Once employment has been secured continue to provide quality service through conducting regular visits, effective monitoring and in-work support to clients and employers to help sustain employment.

Relationship Management:

Establish positive and integrated relationships with clinical teams, employers and other service providers. This includes:

• To build and maintain employer relationships and maintain employer engagement database.
• Arrange regular meetings with clients to monitor and review progress pre and post-employment.
• Spend time getting to know local employers, in order to negotiate job opportunities that meet each individual’s strengths, needs, abilities and preferences.
• To challenge inequalities experienced by clients and address existing discrimination, whilst ensuring a process of learning for the organisation
• Work with employers to promote the service, identify job opportunities and ensure appropriate strategies are in place to reduce barriers in the work place – this can include exploring ‘job carving’ i.e. carving small slices of work from the duties other staff do not have time to do.
• To develop effective working relationships with a range of external agencies who can help individuals to achieve their employment goals. This may include local colleges and training providers.

Other:

• To adhere to administrative and data capture protocols which record the progress of individuals, and to keep accurate and complete records of casework.
• To work independently, reliably and deliver consistently to deliver effective IPS practice.
• Ensure that effective monitoring and evaluation systems are adhered to and keep abreast of changing practice within vocational rehabilitation.
• To co-produce service development with service users where possible.
• To collect employment recovery stories from people accessing the service.
• Ensure that all relevant policies are implemented such as information governance, safeguarding etc.
• Partake in continuous learning about mental health conditions, their impact and how they can be managed and undertake mandatory training as required.
• Work flexible hours as required.

Stakeholders:

Team Leader, Service Managers, HR, Occupational Health, Clinical Teams, User Groups, Voluntary Sector and Trust Training and Supported Employment Schemes, Local Colleges, Local Employment Service Disability Service Teams, Local Employers and other NHS User Employment Schemes.

Person Specification

Education and Qualification

Qualifications and training

• Educated to a degree level or equivalent experience

• Trained in IPS approach
• Level 3 Diploma in Employability Services Sector Qualification
• QCF in Advice & Guidance (Level 3)

Experience

• Experience/understanding of working with people with mental health support needs, or a similar client group within health, social services or the voluntary sector
• Experience of working with someone on a one-to-one basis
• Experience of managing multiple tasks at any one time
• Experience of working assertively to influence decision makers

• Experience of supporting people to obtain or keep work
• Experience of working within mental health services
• Own personal lived experience of recovery from mental health difficulties
• Previous experience of delivering a service using the IPS model is a bonus
• Proven experience of meeting and exceeding outcomes and targets

Knowledge

• An understanding of the employment needs, and challenges faced by people who experience mental health difficulties
• Developing a knowledge of a broad range of occupations and jobs
• Able to use IT and tools such as MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel

• Knowledge of the benefits agency and all disability/ employment related benefits

Skills

• Good motivational, communication and listening skills
• Outstanding interpersonal skills and ability to build rapport with a range of people
• Good organisational ability
• Natural ability to build close, trusting and productive relationships with people
• Team orientated and works collaboratively within a mixed-disciplinary team
• Ability to work independently and use initiative to develop and promote a service

Personal qualities

• Non-judgemental and trustworthy
• Empathy with the needs of those with mental health support needs
• Passion and drive to make a positive difference to people's lives
• Highly motivated with a genuine belief that someone with a mental health condition can find paid employment
• Resilient and tenacious to not give up despite setbacks and frustrations
• Self-aware of personal strengths and weaknesses and actively invest in personal and professional development
• Willingness to travel within the region

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