Job Description

As an IPS Employment Specialist you will play a vital role in helping people with mental health needs on their recovery journey. By working with a range of different people with mental health needs who wish to return to work to help them find fulfilling paid employment.

You will be working as part of a Somerset wide Employment Support Service and within a local multi-disciplinary community mental health service.

The IPS process operates alongside the clinical treatment team to ensure that an effective referral and liaison takes place as needed.

Outline of your main responsibilities:

The Employment Specialist role is dynamic and varied, where no day is the same, and you have a measure of autonomy to structure tasks within your working day. You will be focusing on supporting your clients, engaging with employers, and engaging with other mental health professionals or other relevant agencies.

Client support:

• Manage a caseload of between 20-25 people who have experienced mental health problems who wish to return to work.
• 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.

Employer engagement:

• Source job opportunities and time limited work experience 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.
• 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.
  Liaison with clinical colleagues and other agencies:
• 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.
• Build effective working relationships with the job centre, local training providers, local colleges and employers to secure work-related education opportunities, time limited work experience and paid employment.
• Develop knowledge of local and national agencies that can advise or meet needs of clients to reduce their barriers to work and sustain their successful return to employment, such as Mind in Somerset, Citizens Advice Bureau and more.

Administration

Another key part of this role is the administrative aspect, through keeping accurate records of casework and individual’s progress, and providing information for service monitoring and evaluation. 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.

Once you begin the role you will have:

• Induction to the employment support service including shadowing opportunities
• Training in the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model of practice
• Professional supervision and support from your Employment Team Leader
• Access to the Trust’s training and development opportunities that are relevant to the Employment Specialist role

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust expects the postholder to act in a way which shows an understanding of our core values which are kindness, respect and teamwork, and is active in putting them into practice with service users, family and carers, colleagues and employers.