Employment Specialist – IPS ; Drug and Rehabilitation

Employment Specialist – IPS Re:

Work (Drug and Rehabilitation)

Basingstoke & Aldershot | Portsmouth City Council

Fixed term contract

Are you passionate about helping people rebuild their lives through meaningful employment? Portsmouth City Council is seeking an IPS Employment Specialist to support individuals in structured drug and alcohol treatment across Basingstoke and Aldershot.

Deadline: 22nd February 2026

• South East
• Full-time

Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act.

We are committed to our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity and being people-focussed. These values set out how we can contribute to the success of the council and our own success as individuals.

Working within Portsmouth City Council’s IPS ‘Individual Placement and Support re-Work’ model contract, the role will include managing a caseload of clients in structured treatment for drug and / or alcohol use; 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 drug & alcohol treatment service, maintaining positive and integrated relationships, fostering a holistic approach to recovery through employment support. IPS is a ‘work first’ intervention designed to support people into sustained employment.

Working within Portsmouth City Council’s IPS ‘Individual Placement and Support’ model contract, the role will include managing a caseload of clients in structured treatment for drug and / or alcohol use; 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 drug & alcohol treatment service, maintaining positive and integrated relationships, fostering a holistic approach to recovery through employment support. IPS is a ‘work first’ intervention designed to support people into sustained employment.

• You will have experience of talking to employers and helping people into work.
• You will conduct employer engagement to negotiate job opportunities that meet each individual’s strengths, needs, abilities and preferences.
• You will be able to manage and support a caseload of clients and review progress, pre and post-employment.
• You will also have the proven ability to build rapport with people and especially understanding issues for people affected by substance misuse or similar conditions.
• You will maintain an equality & diversity approach at all times.
• You will have the ability to work on own initiative and within a team, flexibility to cope with the varying demands of the role and be driven to succeed and set high personal standards so that targets are met.

• Driving Licence and use of a car for business travel is required – this is because you will be regularly visiting employers, work placements hosts and customers to carry out employment engagement, placement host reviews and customer in work reviews as well as on occasion to accompany clients to interviews
• Due to the diversity of our customer base, the need for regular one to one meetings and the flexibility required in delivering our contracts a basic DBS Check will be required.