Employment Specialist Mental Health Services

St Georges Hospital, Stafford | Step-On

Permanent contract

Are you passionate about helping people move forward in life through meaningful employment?

Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT) is recruiting an Employment Specialist (Band5) to join the award‑winning Step On IPS team in Stafford.

Deadline: 19th February 2026

• West Midlands
• Full-time

Come and work with us at our award-winning NHS Trust, leading the way for trying new and better ways of working to help improve life for our local communities.

We have around 9,000 staff who provide physical and mental healthcare, support for people with learning disabilities, and adult social care across Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Shropshire, and Telford & Wrekin. We also run regional and national services, including help for new parents (perinatal care), eating disorders, forensic services, sexual health, and support for people in prison with mental health, drug, or alcohol problems.

We offer great career development for both clinical and non-clinical roles, with ongoing training and support to help you learn and grow.

We are ‘United in our Uniqueness’ and committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels welcome and can be themselves, no matter their background or identity. We want our staff to feel supported and valued, and we aim to build a team that reflects the communities we serve. Together, we can make sure every voice is heard, and every difference is respected.

This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship. If it is identified that you require sponsorship to undertake this role your application may be withdrawn

Are you an Employment Specialist looking to make a difference in peoples lives? Do you wish to help people who are under our Secondary Mental Health Services get back into paid employment? If so you’re in luck! Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust have an opportunity to join our Step On team.

You will champion of the Trust’s Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Service via the Step On Team and effectively manage a caseload of 20-25 people in receipt of secondary mental health services, in order to facilitate individuals to gain and retain paid employment and/or engage in Higher Education.

A key to success will be enabling these clients to successfully make the transition into the labour market and reducing the number of service users who are not engaged in any form of vocational activity. You will work directly with mainstream employers to secure employment opportunities for service users whilst providing on-going support according to needs therefore to enable people who have experienced mental health problems to gain and retain education/employment.

You will be trained in Individual Placement and Support (IPS) or be willing to train to diploma level.

As an Employment Specialist you will effectively manage a caseload of people in receipt of secondary mental health services.

As parts of this role, you will be expected to:

• Receive complex and sensitive information in the form of referrals from Care Coordinators, to meet regularly with Case Managers to co-ordinate and integrate vocational services into mental health treatment.
• Communicate effectively with clients, giving empathy when disclosing sensitive or contentious information, providing reassurance, training and the motivation to move forward and to overcome any barriers to understanding.
• Understand a range of work procedures and practises following the Centre for Mental Health’s intensive IPS Training course, Motivational Interviewing training and benefits advice programme.

Qualifications Essential criteria

• Educated or relevant work experience to degree level or equivalent.
• Trained in IPS or willingness to train to diploma level

Experience Essential criteria

• Significant experience of working with people who have experienced mental health problems within health, social services.
• An understanding of the employment needs and difficulties of people who experience mental health problems.
• Experience of helping people to obtain or keep education / work
• Experience and knowledge of welfare benefits and all disability / employment related benefits.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, able to engage service users, their families/friends. Good facilitation skills
• Basic counselling skills
• An ability to work independently, reliably and consistently

Please see full Job Description and Person Specification.