Help make employment part of someone’s recovery
For someone living with serious mental illness, the right job can provide far more than an income.
It can restore confidence, create structure, strengthen independence and become an important part of their recovery. As an IPS Employment Specialist, you will work alongside NHS clinical teams to help people experiencing serious mental illness find and sustain meaningful paid employment.
You will have a manageable caseload, allowing you to understand each person’s strengths, preferences and circumstances and provide genuinely individualised support.
This is an excellent opportunity for someone with experience in employability, careers advice or information, advice and guidance who wants to develop specialist skills within mental health employment support.
Full training in the Individual Placement and Support model will be provided.
A different kind of employment suppor
tIPS stands for Individual Placement and Support. It is an internationally recognised, evidence-based approach to helping people experiencing serious mental illness move into competitive paid employment
.The principle is straightforward: if someone wants to work, they should receive practical support to begin looking for the right job without being held back by lengthy assessments or assumptions about whether they are “ready”
.This is not classroom-based employability provision and it is not about directing people towards any available vacancy
.You will work with each person to understand the job they want, begin a rapid and personalised job search and provide continued support once employment starts
.Your focus will be the right job, for the right person, with the right support
.The real j
obYou will be integrated within an NHS clinical team, working alongside mental health professionals as part of a person’s wider recovery suppor
t.You will attend clinical meetings, develop trusted relationships with NHS colleagues and ensure employment is considered as an important part of recovery plannin
g.You will also spend considerable time in the communit
y.You might meet someone in a clinical setting, community venue or another agreed locatio
n.You will visit employers, identify suitable opportunities and support people before and after they enter wor
k.A day in the
roleYou may start your day attending an NHS clinical meeting, discussing referrals and identifying people who want support to return to w
ork.You could then meet a participant to complete a vocational profile, exploring their skills, experience, interests and preferred type of employm
ent.Later, you might approach local employers to understand their workforce needs and identify opportunities that will not necessarily appear on job boa
rds.In the afternoon, you could help someone prepare for an interview, discuss whether and how they want to disclose a health condition, or visit a participant who has recently started work to provide in-work supp
ort.You will also maintain accurate case records, track progress and plan the next action for every person on your casel
oad.No two days will be identical, but every day must move people closer to meaningful employm
ent.What you wi
- will:Manage a manageable caseload of people experiencing serious mental il
- lnessDeliver individual advice and guidance to adults and young a
- dultsComplete detailed vocational profiles and employment action
- plansUnderstand each person’s skills, experience, aspirations and job prefer
- rchesSupport CV development, applications and interview prepar
- ationHelp people make informed decisions about disclosing a health cond
- itionExplore workplace adjustments and strategies for managing health at
- workBuild relationships with local empl
- oyersApproach employers directly to identify advertised and hidden opportun
- itiesMatch people with jobs that reflect their individual goals and stre
- ngthsWork as an integrated member of an NHS clinical
- teamAttend clinical and multidisciplinary mee
- tingsMaintain effective communication with clinicians about wellbeing and
- riskProvide continued in-work support to participants and empl
- oyersHelp people sustain employment when difficulties
- ariseTrack job starts, sustainment and progre
- ssionMaintain accurate, timely and fidelity-compliant case re
- cordsWork towards clear individual and service outcome ta
- rgetsFollow safeguarding, confidentiality and data-protection require
mentsEmployer engagement is an important part of th
e roleSuitable opportunities will not always be found by searching online job b
oards.You will need to develop relationships with local employers, understand their workforce needs and introduce the support available through the IPS se
rvice.This will in
- volve:Contacting employers who do not already kn
- ow youVisiting businesses across Mid
- EssexAsking employers about current and future opportu
- nitiesPromoting inclusive recru
- itmentExploring job carving and flexible working arrang
- ementsDiscussing reasonable workplace adjus
s workYou must be comfortable initiating employer conversations, handling rejection and continuing to build new relation
ships.This is not a traditional sales role, but it requires confidence, persistence and many of the same relationship-building s
kills.The parts people can undere
stimateYou will need to be comfortabl
- e with:Working with people experiencing serious and sometimes fluctuating mental ill
- healthHearing difficult personal information while maintaining professional bou
- ndariesSupporting people whose confidence or engagement may
- changeBeginning job search quickly rather than placing people into lengthy pre-employment a
- ctivityApproaching employers directly and creating opport
- unitiesWorking towards job-start and sustainment
- targetsManaging a caseload and maintaining momentum for each
- personRecording activity and evidence acc
- uratelyWorking closely with clinical profes
- sionalsTravelling throughout Mid Essex on a dail
- y basisPlanning your own diary across different community lo
- cationsWorking independently while remaining connected to yo
ur teamThis role requires empathy, but empathy alone is not
enough.You will also need organisation, resilience, initiative and the determination to keep moving forward when the first approach does not s
suceed.What you need
to bringEssential experience and capa
bilitiesYou must be able to e
- vidence:Experience providing one-to-one advice and guidance to adults or youn
- g adultsThe ability to build trust and motivate people towards a practical
- outcomeExperience managing competing priorities, appointments or a
- caseloadStrong written and verbal commu
- nicationConfidence working independently in community
- settingsThe ability to establish effective professional bo
- undariesResilience when dealing with setbacks, changing circumstances or challenging conve
- rsationsAccurate record keeping and reliable follow
- -throughConfidence using Microsoft Office and digital case-management
- systemsA willingness to approach and build relationships with e
- mployersThe ability to work towards clear targets and
xperienceIt would be an advantage if you have exper
- ience in:Employability or employme
- nt adviceCareers information, advice and
- guidanceWelfare-to-work or supported e
- mploymentMental health, recovery or wellbeing
- servicesSupporting people with disabilities or health c
- onditionsRecruitment, resourcing or employer e
- ngagementSocial care, housing or community
- servicesDelivering the
- IPS modelWorking alongside NHS or clini
cal teamsPrevious IPS experience is helpful but not essential. We are particularly interested in experienced employability and advice professionals who want to expand their skills and develop a career in specialist mental health employment
support.Full IPS training, fidelity guidance and ongoing development will be
provided.Driving and travel re
quirementsThis is a mobile, community-based role covering Mid Essex. It is not a home-based position and it is not based permanently at o
ne office.Due to the geography of the service and the frequency of travel required
- , you must:Hold a valid driv
- ing licenceHave reliable access to a vehic
- le for workHold appropriate business-us
- e insuranceBe willing and able to drive and travel across Mid Essex on a
daily basisRegular travel throughout the delivery area is an essential part of the role and cannot
be removed.Get Set UK will consider reasonable adjustments relating to how the role is performed and throughout the recruitme
nt process.However, any adjustment must still enable the successful candidate to fulfil the essential travel and community-delivery re
Get Set UK?You will have the opportunity to move from broader employability or advice work into a recognised specialist emplo
mment.You
- will receive:Full IPS training and fide
- lity guidanceStructured management support and regula
- r supervision25 days’ annual leave plus
- bank holidaysPension
- contributionsEmployee ownership
- and HeadspaceDiscounts and salary-sacrifice optionsEnhanced benefits
- with serviceLearning, development and progression
out Get Set UKGet Set UK delivers employment, skills, apprenticeships, health and justice programmes and is part of Palladium, a global group operating across more than
90 countries.We help people overcome barriers, recognise their potential and move towards meaningful, sustainab
le employment.Get Set to help someone build their future through wor
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