Who Are We Looking For?

Firstly, you will need strong and persuasive communication skills, excellent time management, and exceptional organisational skills. Also, the ability to initiate and develop relationships with a variety of individuals and be able to engage employers using a variety of methods such as via the telephone or face-to-face in the community.

It would also be helpful, but NOT essential, if you have experience of working with people with mental health support needs (or similar groups) OR have experience working in employment support services (or equivalent), this can include working with people on a one-to-one basis, offering motivation and support, or engaging with a range of stakeholders. We are actively interested in individuals who have experience using a persuasive communication style or promoting a service to a variety of audiences, this can include marketing, recruitment, or sales roles.

Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification on this advert for further info.

Outline of Your Main Responsibilities Within These Two Areas:

Client Support:

• Manage a caseload of between 20-25 people who have experienced mental health or substance misuse problems who wish to return to work, and challenge inequalities and discrimination experienced by the service users.
• Prepare individuals for a return to work by supporting people to understand their skills, aspirations, and goals by offering employment profiling, job matching, action planning, and employment case management support.
• Focus on rapid job search with service users, whilst utilising local support networks to help individuals overcome their barriers to employment.
• Assess individual support needs related to work which might typically include help with in-work benefits, travel to work, managing health at work, etc., and continue providing this once in employment to ensure they retain work.
• Deliver and promote employment workshops, employment surgeries, and job clubs to service users who are not able to access the caseload.

Employer Engagement and Service Promotion:

• Source job opportunities for service users through tailored job search and proactive engagement with employers to open-up and secure paid employment.
• Engage employers to access the hidden labour market or ‘carving out’ jobs where specific tasks can be assigned by using a variety of methods such as face-to-face contact, social media platforms (e.g., LinkedIn), phone, and email.
• Build effective working relationships with local training providers, local colleges, and external employers to secure education opportunities and paid employment.
• Provide advice and support to employers, as agreed with the individual, which may include negotiating adjustments and on-going contact with supervisors to ensure job retention.
• Build the profile of the employment service and promote co-production within the clinical team, alongside raising expectations around the ability of service users to access paid work.

Throughout your role, you will be implementing the evidence-based employment practice Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model and its fidelity approach. The model focuses on delivering a person-centred, high-quality service and results, meeting and exceeding sustained job outcome targets for people accessing the service.

Another key part of this role is the administrative aspect, through keeping accurate and appropriate records of casework, providing information for monitoring and evaluation, and recording the progress of individuals. Thus, it is essential that the postholder is efficient, responsible, can maintain a high level of personal organisation, and has strong IT skills of using word processor and data systems.

Person Specification

Previous Experience (Paid/Unpaid)

Essential Criteria

• Significant experience of working with people with mental health difficulties or a similar client group within health, social services, or the voluntary sector.
• Experience of supporting people to obtain or keep work.

Desirable Criteria

• Own personal lived experience of using secondary mental health or addiction services.
• Own personal lived experience of recovery from mental health difficulties.
• Experience and knowledge of the benefits agency and all disability/employment related benefits.

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

Essential Criteria

• A commitment to learning about and working within the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model.
• An understanding of the principles and practices of supported employment.
• Good presentation, negotiation, and marketing skills.
• An understanding of the employment needs and difficulties of people who experience mental health challenges.
• Ability to work independently, reliably, and consistently.
• Basic word processing/computing skills.
• Excellent time management and organisational skills.

Desirable Criteria

• An understanding of the principles and practices of supported employment or the IPS model.
• An understanding of the Equality Act 2010.

Attitudes, Aptitudes, Personal Characteristics

Essential Criteria

• Ability to provide vocational assessments and profiling.
• Ability to see solutions rather than problems.
• Ability to work in strength-based ways.
• Ability to work independently of direct supervision.

Education and Qualifications

Essential Criteria

• Educated to degree level or equivalent workplace experience.