IPS Retention Specialist; North & East Herts

East and North Herts | Hertfordshire Partnership Foundation Trust

Permanent contract

Could you help people experiencing mental health challenges stay in work, overcome barriers and continue their recovery through employment? Join Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust as an IPS Job Retention Specialist and support people across North and East Hertfordshire to retain, return to and thrive in meaningful employment.

Deadline: 12th October 2026

• East of England
• Full-time

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of ‘Outstanding’ from the Care Quality Commission.

Our family of over 4,000 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:

Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.

You will work as a member of the multi-disciplinary Community Team. As an IPS Job Retention Specialist (ES), you will provide a specialist service, autonomously managing a caseload of service users to enable them to retain their employment using the Individual Placement Support (IPS) model, working with colleagues within HPFT community mental health teams and Primary Care.

You will provide advice and ongoing support on issues including employment rights, reasonable adjustments, and phased return to work plans.

You will support with employment termination applications and provide workplace support to the service user and employer to promote inclusion and reduce discrimination and stigma.

You will deliver the IPS (Individual Placement and Support) approach for those who have been supported out of a job and wish to obtain new employment, for which training will be given should a service user be supported into a new role.

Whilst we welcome all applications from all suitable candidates, unfortunately, we will not be offering sponsorship for this role.

Each Community Services Hub provides a specialist care pathway to Service Users with Non pyschotic disorders and Personality disorder. They also provide specialist care pathways to those with psychotic disorders. Employment Support forms part of the pathways.

You will provide a specialist service, autonomously managing a caseload of service users to enable them to retain their employment using the Individual Placement Support (IPS) model, working with colleagues within HPFT community mental health teams and Primary Care.

You will provide advice and ongoing support on issues including employment rights, reasonable adjustments, and phased return to work plans.

You will support with employment termination applications and
provide workplace support to the service user and employer to promote inclusion and reduce discrimination and stigma.
You will work directly with all relevant stakeholders: the service user, Community Services staff, consultant psychiatrists, partner agencies and employers to support the service users on your caseload to retain their employment.

You will be a fully integrated community team staff member, attending team meetings etc. Supervision will be provided by the IPS Employment Quadrant Lead. You will also be part of the Virtual IPS team receiving support from peers in other Community teams.

• To carry a case load of Service Users with severe mental illness who are currently off work and receiving specialist mental health services and who wish to return to work.
• Provide advice and ongoing support on issues including employment rights, reasonable adjustments, and phased return to work plans.
• Support with employment termination applications and provide workplace support to the service user and employer to promote inclusion and reduce discrimination and stigma.
• Deliver the IPS (Individual Placement and Support) approach for those who have been supported out of a job and wish to obtain new employment, for which training will be given should a service user be supported into a new role.
• Focus on rapid job search with the service user, whilst utilising local support networks to help them overcome their barriers to employment.
• Source job opportunities for service users through tailored job search and regular…