Employment Specialist, IPS Service

Employment Specialist, IPS Employment Service

People with severe mental health issues face huge barriers when it comes to employment. Over 75 per cent of them would like paid work, but only 6-8 per cent achieve it.

Could you be part of the team that's dedicated to addressing this injustice? Berkshire Healthcare's Individual Placement and Support (IPS) employment service, now in its tenth anniversary year, is looking for employment specialists to champion our mission and support people with severe mental health issues – your clients – to gain, sustain and retain paid work.

Our diverse team brings together a wide range of strengths and skills. We'll train you in the IPS approach so you can support clients effectively, build relationships with employers, and help change perceptions of mental health. Experience in supported employment or working with severe mental health issues is beneficial, but empathy, hope, and determination are essential.

Based at Prospect House in Reading you would be expected to travel across Berkshire occasionally.

It's a highly varied job where you'll spend most of your week in the community, meeting clients and employers, and making a vital contribution to the team's activities.

You will support a caseload of up to 20 people with severe mental health issues who are unemployed or struggling in the workplace.

Working directly with all relevant stakeholders – including clients, clinicians, consultant psychiatrists, employers and Job Centre Plus – you'll aim to enable your clients to gain, sustain and retain paid employment.

• Transform the lives of your clients, giving them hope, direction and supporting their recovery journey.
• Demonstrate perseverance, empathy and dedication to finding the right role for each client.

• Deliver supported employment services to achieve employment outcomes.
• Build and maintain relationships with employers and stay up to date on local job opportunities.
• Partner with clinical teams to support clients’ mental health and employability.
• Conduct assessments, including vocational, health and occupational evaluations.
• Provide motivation, communication and listening skills to help clients and employers.
• Use Microsoft packages to advanced level.

• Degree or equivalent experience.
• Experience in supporting people with mental health issues (or other disadvantaged groups) into employment.
• Experience supporting individuals on a one-to-one basis.
• Proven experience of meeting and exceeding outcomes and targets.
• Experience of partnership working, negotiation and liaison with other agencies.
• Experience of opening up job opportunities with a range of employers.
• Experience of working alongside clinical teams within mental health.

• Empathy, tenacity and hope when working with severe mental health clients.
• Knowledge of employment policy, practice and legislation in disability, equalities and mental health.
• Good numeracy, information management and organisational skills.
• High level of perseverance with a commitment to see plans through within agreed timescales.
• Excellent motivation, communication, listening, rapport building and trust building.
• Confident working independently with own caseload and using initiative to identify and capitalize on new opportunities.
• Collaborate within a mixed-disciplinary team.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office packages.
• Good knowledge of the local employment market.
• Understanding of work-related benefits and successful job search strategies such as CV building, employer presentations and interview preparation.

• Ability to commute to different localities across Berkshire.
• Personal experience of mental health issues.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a submission for Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

• Flexible working options to support work-life balance.
• 27 days annual leave rising with service, plus the opportunity to buy and sell.
• Excellent learning and career development opportunities.
• 'Cycle to Work', car…