Individual Placement and Support; IPS Operational Manager

Job Summary

As the Operational Manager of the Employment and Individual Placement Service (IPS) you are required to have excellent knowledge and understanding of the evidence-based model and fidelity scale and evidence this within your application and  will be required to demonstrate your experience of working within an Employment and Individual Placement Service (IPS) at a senior level.

You will be responsible for the management and leadership of the IPS service. You will be responsible for ensuring safe and effective management of all operations in the team, managing the core team responsibilities and troubleshooting operational problems.

You will lead the team to ensure that service delivery adheres to the IPS model and operates to sound fidelity standards. You will ensure that all work across the team is recovery focused, socially inclusive and person centred.

• Manage the effective delivery of all functions of the team, ensuring robust arrangements are in place to support service users, carers and partner organisations, and that the effective management of human, financial and estate resources is in place to achieve Trust objectives.
• Ensure appropriate reporting systems are in place to capture KPI performance data required.
• Participate in mandatory IPS Fidelity Reviews ensuring full participation from IPS staff, clinicians, information governance, DWP and service users, and develop a responsive action plan and review to ensure continuous service improvement.
• Work with external partners, NHSE, ISS, IPS Grow, DWP, local authorities and public health.
• Line manage and provide supervision to the IPS Team Leads.
• Lead and manage the IPS Employment Service team to ensure service delivery across the relevant clinical teams covering Northamptonshire.
• Be fully conversant with all aspects of IPS evidence based practice and maintain an understanding of all aspects of related policy and research and communicate this to a range of stakeholders.

NHFT is an integrated primary care and mental health Trust, providing physical, mental health and specialty services in both hospital settings and out in the community. Because we put the person at the centre of all we do, we focus on delivering care that is as easy to access as possible. This means many of our services can be provided at home, work or in schools.

We also provide health services to various prisons and detention centres in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. NHFT promotes a culture of learning to improve the care and safety of our patients and staff, which focuses on people who enable our Trust to be ‘outstanding’ by supporting opportunity, innovation, development and growth.

Date posted: 18 February 2026

Pay scheme:
Agenda for change

Band:
Band 7

Salary: £47,810 to £54,710 a year per annum

Contract:

Permanent

Working pattern:
Full-time

Reference number: 270-TF845-MH-D

Job locations:
Campbell House, Campbell Square, Northampton, NN1 3EB

• Bachelors Degree qualification in a relevant area or demonstrable equivalent experience.

• Specialist knowledge and training at postgraduate level in an employment related area or demonstrable equivalent experience.

• Previous experience of working within IPS supported employment services.

• Previous experience of working within the NHS and with senior health professionals, internal and external stakeholders.

• Excellent knowledge and understanding of the IPS evidence based model and Fidelity Scale.

• Sound knowledge of current and relevant local and national agendas that impact upon community mental health services and the wider health and social care system and the ability to understand and disseminate this knowledge to others.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer name:
Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Address:
Campbell House, Campbell Square, Northampton, NN1 3EB

Website: