Lead IPS Employment Specialist & Team Coach

Connect to Work Lead Employment Specialist

Department: Employability

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Daventry

Reporting To: Alice Massey

Compensation: £30,000 - £32,000 / year

We reserve the right to close this advertisement at any time if we receive suitable applications for the role.

An IPS Team Leader in the Connect to Work programme will lead the team to provide intensive, personalised, employment-focused support to people with complex barriers, working collaboratively across health, employment, and community settings. The role is dynamic, relationship based, and highly impactful, helping clients achieve life changing outcomes through meaningful employment.

• Lead, coach, and supervise a team of IPS Employment Specialists, ensuring high performance and adherence to IPS fidelity standards, hold a caseload of clients
• Provide regular 1:1 supervision, reflective practice sessions, and strengths-based coaching
• Oversee referrals, flow, and allocation of participants across the team
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with health, community, and employer stakeholders
• Ensure timely and accurate reporting, data integrity, and compliance with programme requirements
• Support the development and continuous improvement of the service
• Conduct vocational profiling, identifying skills, aspirations, and employment goals
• Develop personalised action plans, supporting job search, CV writing, applications, interview preparation, and career planning
• Assess clients’ support needs, including:
  Travel planning
  Benefits and welfare advice
  Disclosure support around health conditions
  Budgeting and “better-off” calculations
• Provide in-work support to help clients sustain roles, including frequent early-job check-ins and long-term follow-up
• Support clients at risk of job loss due to ill health, helping them maintain employment
• Source job opportunities
• Promote the service to employers and negotiate reasonable adjustments and phased returns
• Maintain ongoing contact with employers to support job retention and resolve employment challenges
• Champion equality, diversity, and inclusive employment practices
• Work as part of a multidisciplinary team, including Primary Care, training providers, mental health teams, DWP, and referral partners
• Build relationships that generate referrals and strengthen community-based employment support networks
• Maintain accurate case notes, progress reports, and CRM-based documentation.
• Work to IPS fidelity standards and ensure effective monitoring and evaluation of client outcomes
• Collect feedback from service users to support continuous service improvement
• Work independently, reliably, and consistently to deliver high-quality IPS practice.
• Ability to analyse team performance data and take action
• Ability to build relationships with clinical partners and community stakeholders

Qualifications and Specific Training

• GCSE (or equivalent) in English Language and Mathematics (essential)
• Level 2 IT Qualification, such as ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence) (essential)
• Full UK driving licence (often required due to community‑based work) (essential)
• Willingness to undertake IPS‑specific training (e.g., IPS Grow training, Fidelity training) (essential)
• First Aid at Work Certificate (desirable)
• IOSH Health and Safety Qualification (desirable)
• Level 4 qualification or above in a relevant field (e.g., IAG, Health & Social Care, Employability, Psychology, Social Sciences) (desirable)

Experience

• Experience supervising, coaching, or leading staff in employability, health, social care, or similar people‑support settings (essential)
• Experience managing performance against targets (essential)
• Experience building relationships with external partners (e.g., clinicians, employers, community organisations) (essential)
• Experience supporting vulnerable people or individuals with complex barriers to employment (essential)
• Experience working in fast‑paced, target‑driven environments (essential)
• Experience supporting individuals to achieve goals, ideally in employment, skills, health, or social care settings (essential)
• Experience engaging with employers or supporting clients into work…