NHS IPS Employment Specialist

Role: NHS IPS Employment Specialist

Salary: £31,767

Contract type: Permanent

Working hours: Full Time (37.5 hrs pw)

Location: Cheshire West- CH2

For over three decades, we have been dedicated to supporting individuals and employers across the UK. As a nationwide market leader, we have assisted over 13,000 people in the past year alone to retrain, embark on new career paths, or establish their own businesses.

Are you passionate about helping people achieve their goals and find meaningful work? As an Employment Specialist, you’ll support individuals with health-related needs to secure sustainable, fulfilling employment that matches their skills and aspirations.

You’ll be trained in the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) approach — a proven model focused on person-centred guidance and practical, empowering support. Working closely with clients, employers, and referral partners, you’ll build strong relationships that open doors to new opportunities.

What you’ll do

Manage a caseload of clients diagnosed with mental health support needs who are motivated to start/return to work
Deliver the IPS approach for which training will be given
Adhere to the 8 key IPS principles that underpin the 25-point Fidelity scale
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
Source job opportunities for clients through tailored and supported job search and regular contact with local employers to explore hidden as well as advertised employment opportunities
Once employment has been secured continue to provide quality service through conducting regular visits, effective monitoring and tailored in-work support to clients and employers to help sustain employment
Work with employers to promote the service, identify support needs, job opportunities and ensure appropriate strategies are in place to reduce barriers in the workplace – this can include exploring ‘job carving’ i.e., carving small slices of work from the duties other staff do not have time to do and reasonable adjustments
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
Work independently, reliably and deliver consistently to deliver effective IPS practice within the community setting.
What you’ll need

Educated to a degree level or equivalent experience
Desirable – trained in IPS approach
An understanding of the employment needs, and challenges faced by people who experience health difficulties
Experience/understanding of working with people with health support needs, or a similar client group within health, social services, or the voluntary sector
Natural ability to build close, trusting, and productive relationships with people
Ability to work independently and use initiative to develop and promote a service
Clean driving licence and full-time access to car as this role requires travel.
Overseas equivalent qualifications will be accepted.

We welcome applicants with lived experience and encourage applications that reflect the relevance to the post.

Benefits

CPD - Broad range of internal training to enhance your knowledge and skills
Generous pension scheme, with the option to opt out
Company health plan subject to successful completion of probation period
25 days annual leave + 8 bank holidays
5-10 sick day per year paid.

Join us at Standguide and be part of a team dedicated to making a meaningful impact on individuals' lives and businesses nationwide.

Standguide is an Equal Opportunities Employer and a Disability Confident Leader. We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity and value the diversity of our staff and customers. We thrive on creating positive working relationships, free from discrimination.

Successful candidates will be subject to satisfactory references and enhanced DBS check.

For the full job description and person specification, please email Itunu at recruitment @standguide couk.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

Disability Confident

About Disability Confident

A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident .