NHS IPS Employment Specialist Cheshire & Wirral

Role: NHS IPS Employment Specialist

Salary: £31,767 per annum

Contract type: Permanent

Working hours: Full-time (37.5 hrs pw)

Location: Cheshire & Wirral must have car to travel between sites

Standguide is an employee-owned organisation, which means our employees have a voice in the business and a shared interest in its long-term success.

Alongside a rewarding role where you can make a genuine difference, we offer:

• 33 days paid annual leave, including bank holidays, increasing to 38 days after five full years' service

• An additional paid day off for your birthday

• Workplace pension scheme

• Company health plan following successful completion of probation

• Online GP access

• Employee Assistance Programme, including counselling and wellbeing support

• Death in service cover

• Will-planning support and access to a secure digital vault

• Cycle to Work scheme

• Company sick pay, subject to eligibility

• A broad range of internal training and continuing professional development opportunities

• Access to employee-owner benefits, subject to eligibility and qualifying service

Make a difference through meaningful employment

Job Summary Employment Specialists work with clients (managing a caseload) who have severe mental health (SMI) diagnosis, to assist them in securing and retaining sustainable paid employment in line with their vocational preferences. Employment Specialists deliver the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) approach (for which training will be given); providing person centred advice and guidance to clients, whilst building positive relationships with local employers to enable clients to move into suitable employment. Employment Specialists work as part of an integrated service with secondary Mental Health teams, Primary Care Networks (PCN) and voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) services to deliver a holistic approach in aiding recovery and increase wellbeing through employment support.

About Standguide

For more than three decades, Standguide has supported individuals and employers across the UK. We provide employment, skills and support services that help people overcome barriers, develop their potential and move towards sustainable employment.

As an employee-owned organisation, we're committed to investing in our people, delivering high-quality services and creating positive outcomes for the communities we support.

What you'll do

As an NHS IPS Employment Specialist, you'll:

• Manage a small caseload of clients diagnosed with mental health support needs who are motivated to start/return to work when required
• Deliver and embed the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) approach throughout the team
• Adhere to the 8 key IPS principles that underpin the 25-point Fidelity scale
• Effectively manage a high-quality service that adheres to the principles of IPS best practice
• Monitor and manage performance of the IPS Employment Specialists and Senior Employment Specialists through mentoring, observations, supervisions and as part of a vocational unit
• Set individual and team access KPI's, job outcome and retention targets in line with contractual and fidelity requirements
• Create a culture of continuous improvement and sharing of best practice
• Identify training needs for staff and arrange appropriate training to support with continuous professional development
• Support the design and delivery of in-house staff training and development (including facilitating peer learning and best practice)
• Involve clients in co-production of service developments where possible, supported by the Line Manager
• Build strategic relationships with clinical/medical leaders and colleagues within secondary Mental Health, PCN and VCFSE teams to create and embed a referral process
• Support your team to create a collaborative working partnerships and integration with all referral partners promoting employment as a positive intervention in the recovery journey
• Promotion of service to ensure zero exclusion and self-referrals
• Coordinate the work of Employment Specialists to build relationships with employers to effectively access the hidden labour market, external agencies and delivery of job seeking groups

What you'll need

We're looking for someone who has:

• Educated to a degree level or equivalent experience
• Desirable – trained in IPS approach
• Level 3 Diploma in Employability Services Sector Qualification.
• QCF in Advice & Guidance (Level 3)
• An understanding of the employment needs, and challenges faced by people who experience mental health difficulties
• Developing a knowledge of a broad range of occupations and jobs • Able to use IT and tools such as MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel
• Experience/understanding of working with people with mental health support needs, or a similar client group within health, social services or the voluntary sector
• Experience of working with someone on a one-to-one basis
• Experience of managing multiple tasks at any one time
• Experience of working assertively to influence decision makers.
• Knowledge of the benefits agency and all disability/ employment related benefits
• Experience of supporting people to obtain or keep work
• Experience of working within mental health services
• Own personal lived experience of recovery from mental health difficulties
• Previous experience of delivering a service using the IPS model is a bonus
• Proven experience of meeting and exceeding outcomes and targets.

Overseas equivalent qualifications will be considered.

We welcome applications from people with relevant lived experience and recognise the valuable insight this can bring to the role.

Equality and accessibility

Standguide is an Equal Opportunities Employer and a Disability Confident Leader. We're committed to equality of opportunity and value the diversity of our employees, applicants and customers.

We'll consider reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process. Please contact recruitment_at_standguide_co_uk if you need the advert or application information in another format or require an adjustment at any stage.

All applicants will be assessed fairly against the published criteria for the role.

Pre-employment checks

Any offer of employment will be subject to satisfactory references, confirmation of the applicant's right to work in the UK and an Enhanced DBS check.

Having a criminal record will not necessarily prevent you from working with us. Any information disclosed will be considered fairly and individually, taking account of its relevance to the role and the circumstances involved.

For a copy of the full job description and person specification, please email recruitment_at_standguide_co_uk

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