Employment Specialist

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust Employment Specialist

The closing date is 14 July 2026

To provide an effective employment service for people with severe and enduring mental health conditions who want to work.

To work as part of a multi-disciplinary mental health team, working alongside other mental health and social care professionals, providing joined‑up mental health care.

To develop partnerships with employers, local providers and services to ensure that the employment support needs of clients are met.

To work as part of the Work Well network, sharing knowledge and expertise with a range of other employment professionals across Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark.

• Promoting the employment service to mental health professionals, service users and carers, to ensure a steady flow of referrals.
• Helping clients to identify and consider options for obtaining work and staying in work, and set their own personal job goals; assessing their needs and developing appropriate action plans to overcome barriers to work.
• Delivering individually tailored one-to-one employment coaching support to a diverse range of clients, considering their individual needs, using a range of communication methods including face-to-face appointments, video meetings, telephone calls, emails, texts and social media.
• Networking and engaging with local employers to identify job opportunities that meet the needs of clients and the employer.
• Challenging clients, employers, and other professionals when appropriate to reduce negative beliefs, stigma and discrimination (including self‑stigma and self‑discrimination).
• Working as part of a team, sharing knowledge and expertise, and contributing to team meetings, service development activities and the wider Work Well network.
• Typing clear and concise session notes, entering data onto electronic databases, and obtaining written evidence of outcomes (e.g. job starts) in a timely manner, ensuring that files and systems are always up-to-date and accurate.
• Working independently to manage own time and workload and keeping track of own progress towards targets.

Work Well is a department within South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust that supports people to find work.

• Mission:
  To support people who are unemployed in achieving their own career goals. We believe everyone can work, and people should have choice about the type of work they want to do, and when to do it.
• Vision: A society where everyone can work, if they want to.
• Values:
  • Person-centred: we don't tell people what to do, we give them information so they can make their own career decisions.
  • Empowering: we don't do things for people, we give them tools so they can do things themselves.
  • Inspiring: we don't just help people find a job, we help them set long term career goals for the life they want to live.

• Educated to degree level or equivalent level of knowledge gained through relevant work experience.
• Training or qualification in Individual Placement and Support (IPS).
• Accredited qualification in coaching or career guidance.
• Training or qualification in Job Retention Support.

• Recent experience of supporting or coaching individuals on a one-to-one basis (in a voluntary role or paid role), verified by an employer reference.
• Experience of delivering employment advice or coaching to people who are unemployed or have a disability or mental health problem.
• Experience of engaging employers to identify job opportunities.
• Experience of delivering training courses or workshops in person or online.
• Lived experience of mental health problems or caring for someone with a mental health problem.

• Demonstrates clear understanding of what the Employment Coach role involves.
• Have an understanding of how employer engagement enhances the IPS offer to patient.
• Have knowledge of local areas/South London or can demonstrate a commitment to best support our patients in building local knowledge.
• Demonstrates an understanding of Primary and Secondary Care Health Services.
• Demonstrates clear understanding of the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model.

• Excellent interpersonal skills, including…