Employment Specialist, IPS Employment Service

NHS

  • Bracknell, Berkshire
  • £32,602-39,686 per year
  • Permanent
  • Full-time
  • 4 days ago
Help us close the gap: 80% of people with severe mental health issues want paid work, but only 8% achieve it.Join Berkshire Healthcare's Individual Placement and Support (IPS) team, now in its 10th year, and make a real difference. We're looking for anEmployment Specialist to support clients with severe mental health issues to find and keep meaningful work, while building relationships with employers to break stigma and create opportunities.We'll train you in the IPS approach, so experience in supported employment or mental health is helpful but both are not essential. What matters most is your passion, empathy, and drive to help people succeed.There will be atwo-stageinterviewprocess: * By telephone-informal discussion
  • Face to Face (please note we do not offer interviews online)
At interview, you'll need to show examples of:
  • Empathy, tenacity, and hope when working with people facing severe mental health challenges
  • Excellent motivational, communication, and listening skills
  • Strong organisation and perseverance (also shown in your application)
Applications for this role will be reviewed in the order they are received. The role may close early if the right applicant is found. If you're ready to fight inequality and champion opportunity, apply now and help us change lives.Main duties of the jobWe have 1 full time role available (37.5 hours) within our East Berkshire Mental Health Integrated Community Services (MHICS) team, and you would be expected to travel across East Berkshire, to include Windsor & Maidenhead, Slough and Bracknell.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'll 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 and employers and Job Centre Plus - you'll aim to enable your clients to gain, sustain and retain paid employment.
  • You'll have the opportunity to transform the lives of your clients, to give them hope, direction and support their recovery journey. It's also challenging, so you'll need to be able to demonstrate perseverance, whilst being empathic and dedicated to finding clients a role that's right for them.
About usBerkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we're committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:
  • Caring for and about you is our top priority
  • Committed to providing good quality, safe services
  • Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions
Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:
  • Flexible working options to support work-life balance
  • 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
  • Generous NHS pension scheme
  • Excellent learning and career development opportunities
  • 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
  • Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
  • Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
  • Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
  • Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
  • Free parking across Trust site
DetailsDate posted29 August 2025Pay schemeAgenda for changeBandBand 5Salary£32,602 to £39,686 a year per annum (Incl. of HCAS)ContractPermanentWorking patternFull-timeReference number371-TAPMHS725-CJob locationsChurch Hill House51-52 Turing DriveBracknellRG12 7FRJob descriptionJob responsibilitiesThe must haves for this role: * Degree or evidence of equivalent relevant experience.
  • Experience of working with and supporting people who have mental health issues, (or other disadvantaged groups) into employment .
  • A Car Driver with access to a vehicle that can be used for work purposes.
For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.Please note: We are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.While we are a licensed sponsor, we must follow the criteria set by UK Visas and Immigration for sponsoring overseas nationals under the Skilled Worker route. After reviewing this position, we believe it does not meet the requirements for sponsorship.For more information on Skilled Worker visa eligibility, please visit the GOV.UK website: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visaWere committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed. Job descriptionJob responsibilitiesThe must haves for this role: * Degree or evidence of equivalent relevant experience.
  • Experience of working with and supporting people who have mental health issues, (or other disadvantaged groups) into employment .
  • A Car Driver with access to a vehicle that can be used for work purposes.
For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.Please note: We are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.While we are a licensed sponsor, we must follow the criteria set by UK Visas and Immigration for sponsoring overseas nationals under the Skilled Worker route. After reviewing this position, we believe it does not meet the requirements for sponsorship.For more information on Skilled Worker visa eligibility, please visit the GOV.UK website: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visaWere committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.Person SpecificationEducation/qualifications/trainingEssential
  • Degree or equivalent experience
Continuous professional developmentDesirable
  • A good understanding of the principles and practice of supported employment
  • Trained in the IPS approach
  • Additional employability/careers counselling qualification, such as: Level 3 Diploma in Employability Services Sector Qualification, QCF in Advice & Guidance (Level 3)
Previous experienceEssential
  • Experience of working with and supporting people who have mental health issues (or other unemployed disadvantaged groups) into employment
  • Experience of supporting individuals on a one-to-one basis
  • Proven experience of meeting and exceeding outcomes and targets
Desirable
  • Experience of carrying out assessments (eg vocational, health, occupational)
  • 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
Knowledge, skills and abilitiesEssential
  • Able to demonstrate empathy, tenacity and hope when working alongside people with severe mental health issues
  • Knowledge of policy, practice and legislation in relation to employment, disability, equalities and mental health
  • Good numeracy and information management skills
  • A high level of perseverance; committed to seeing plans through to their conclusion within agreed timescales
  • Excellent motivational, communication and listening skills; able to build rapport and trust with a range of people, especially clients and employers
  • Well organised and confident working independently with own caseload and using initiative to identify and make the most of new opportunities
  • Able to collaborate successfully within a mixed-disciplinary team
  • Able to use Microsoft packages to advanced level
Desirable
  • Good knowledge of the local employment market
  • Understanding of work-related benefits
  • Understanding of successful job search strategies - eg creating a compelling CV, presenting clients to hiring managers, preparing for interviews
Additional requirementsEssential
  • Ability easily to commute to different localities across Berkshire
Desirable
  • Personal experience of mental health issues
Person SpecificationEducation/qualifications/trainingEssential
  • Degree or equivalent experience
Continuous professional developmentDesirable
  • A good understanding of the principles and practice of supported employment
  • Trained in the IPS approach
  • Additional employability/careers counselling qualification, such as: Level 3 Diploma in Employability Services Sector Qualification, QCF in Advice & Guidance (Level 3)
Previous experienceEssential
  • Experience of working with and supporting people who have mental health issues (or other unemployed disadvantaged groups) into employment
  • Experience of supporting individuals on a one-to-one basis
  • Proven experience of meeting and exceeding outcomes and targets
Desirable
  • Experience of carrying out assessments (eg vocational, health, occupational)
  • 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
Knowledge, skills and abilitiesEssential
  • Able to demonstrate empathy, tenacity and hope when working alongside people with severe mental health issues
  • Knowledge of policy, practice and legislation in relation to employment, disability, equalities and mental health
  • Good numeracy and information management skills
  • A high level of perseverance; committed to seeing plans through to their conclusion within agreed timescales
  • Excellent motivational, communication and listening skills; able to build rapport and trust with a range of people, especially clients and employers
  • Well organised and confident working independently with own caseload and using initiative to identify and make the most of new opportunities
  • Able to collaborate successfully within a mixed-disciplinary team
  • Able to use Microsoft packages to advanced level
Desirable
  • Good knowledge of the local employment market
  • Understanding of work-related benefits
  • Understanding of successful job search strategies - eg creating a compelling CV, presenting clients to hiring managers, preparing for interviews
Additional requirementsEssential
  • Ability easily to commute to different localities across Berkshire
Desirable
  • Personal experience of mental health issues

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