IPS Workforce Lead North

The opportunity

We are recruiting a Workforce Lead to support the growth and development of the IPS workforce across the North of England. This is a hands-on regional role focused on helping IPS services attract, recruit and retain Employment Specialists and Team Leaders.

Working closely with IPS Grow regional teams, IPS services and wider stakeholders, the Workforce Lead will provide practical recruitment and workforce planning support. This may include supporting recruitment campaigns, shortlisting and interviews, coordinating assessment activity, identifying training needs, and helping providers overcome barriers where expansion plans, funding or timescales are still being confirmed.

The role would suit someone with experience in recruitment, stakeholder engagement and workforce development, ideally with employment support or healthcare experience. They should be confident working independently, building relationships and supporting services to find practical solutions to workforce challenges.

IPS Grow is a national programme designed to support the expansion of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) services in mental health, primary care, and drug and alcohol teams across England. The programme is led by Social Finance in partnership with the Centre for Mental Health. It is funded by NHS England, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID).

The key requirements or the role are:

• Support recruitment for IPS Employment Specialists and Team Leaders.
• Work with providers to understand staffing needs and develop tailored recruitment approaches.
• Support with shortlisting, interviews, assessment activity and hiring recommendations where needed.
• Help providers plan recruitment where expansion plans, funding, approvals or timescales are still being confirmed.
• Identify opportunities for services to coordinate recruitment activity and share learning.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with IPS services, ICB and NHSE Regional Leads and other key stakeholders.
• Work with the Workforce Manager, regional teams and colleagues to identify barriers and coordinate practical support.
• Attend and contribute to regional and national meetings, sharing updates, insights and learning on workforce development.

• Ensure recruitment, onboarding and training activity aligns with IPS Grow quality standards.
• Collect and analyse accurate and timely workforce development data, providing regular updates to the Workforce Manager.
• Identify recruitment and retention challenges, propose solutions and share good practice across regions.
• Identify training needs and signpost providers to relevant workforce support, tools and resources.

• Work closely with regional teams, the Workforce Manager and wider IPS Grow colleagues to provide joined-up support for services.
• Share learning, updates and good practice across regions to support consistent workforce development.
• Contribute to internal and external communications, including newsletters, reports and presentations.

• Recruitment expertise: Proven experience of recruitment, ideally within health, employment support or a related setting, including shortlisting, interviewing, assessment and hiring recommendations.
• IPS knowledge: A good understanding of Individual Placement and Support, including the IPS workforce and the skills needed to deliver high-quality services.
• Stakeholder engagement: Strong communication and influencing skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships with providers, regional teams, NHS colleagues and other stakeholders.
• Organisation and self-management: Able to manage competing priorities, work independently and deliver results in a remote or geographically dispersed team.
• Problem solving and adaptability: A practical, solution-focused approach, with the ability to understand workforce challenges quickly and support services to identify realistic next steps.
• Learning and improvement: Curious and committed to learning, with the ability to capture insights, share good practice and contribute to tools, guidance or training.
• Reporting and impact: Confidence using data, reports or case studies to evidence activity, progress and impact.
• Shared values and travel: A strong commitment to the value of employment in transforming lives, with willingness to travel across the…