Job summary
The post-holder will support unemployed service users in the Specialist Community Forensic Team (SCFT) and rehabilitation inpatient wards, helping them explore and achieve personalized vocational goals. They will also assist individuals in retaining employment by working with employers. The role involves both individual and group interventions and close collaboration with the occupational therapy team to review functional capacity and create vocational profiles. Additionally, the post-holder will provide consultation and training to team members, offering guidance on employment-related issues like disclosure and legal rights.
The post involves conducting assessments and interventions on a commercial basis to generate income, aligned with the individual's expertise. The role also includes developing a service user apprenticeship program, supporting employment pathways, creating databases, and building connections with local community businesses. A deep understanding of employment barriers, particularly for individuals with disabilities, neurodiversity, and other challenges, is essential.
Main duties of the job
1) Vocational: To provide a range of vocational and profession specific input across the range of service users accessing the service.
Ensure all interactions with service users should be underpinned with empathy and a clear understanding of the effects of disability in the area of vocational rehabilitation.
Ensure all interventions are recovery-focused.
Ensure all interactions are sensitive and responsive to the service users' ethnic, cultural and social background, using a range of communication and engagement skills as appropriate to the context.
To assist with critically evaluating referrals to the vocational service for intervention, particularly identifying priorities for intervention.
To provide comprehensive vocational assessments, including functional capacity evaluations with the support of occupational therapy and job demands and transferable skills analysis, as appropriate.
Interpret a range of complex clinical findings to develop appropriate intervention plans, intervention and evaluation of the vocational programme that includes risk
assessment with particular reference to service user need within the speciality and the requirement to promote personal recovery.
Further information is available via the candidate pack attached to this vacancy.
About us
West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse providers of mental health, community and social care in the UK.
Our 3,982 staff care for people in hospital and in the community, helping them to recover and go on to lead full and productive lives. We aim to be the best organisation of our kind in the country.
We provide care and treatment for more than 800,000 people living in the London boroughs of Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham and Hounslow, delivering services in the community (at home, in GP surgeries and care homes), hospital, specialist clinics and forensic (secure) units.
We'rerated good overall by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Together, we're committed to promoting hope and wellbeing, working with patients, service users, carers, families and partners across the communities we serve.
We are keen to ensure that our workforce reflects the community it serves, particularly in terms of ethnicity, gender, disability, LGBTQ+ and experience of mental illness.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Vocational Support Specialist will assist unemployed service users in the Specialist Community Forensic Team (SCFT) and rehabilitation inpatient wards by helping them explore and achieve personalized vocational goals. The role involves individual and group interventions, collaboration with the occupational therapy team, and support for individuals in retaining employment through employer engagement.
Key Responsibilities:
- Conduct individual and group sessions to identify and pursue vocational aspirations.
- Collaborate with occupational therapists to assess functional capacity and create vocational profiles.
- Assist individuals in retaining employment by working with employers.
- Provide consultation and training to team members on employment-related issues, including disclosure and legal rights.
- Monitor and evaluate progress, adjusting strategies as necessary.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Vocational Support Specialist will assist unemployed service users in the Specialist Community Forensic Team (SCFT) and rehabilitation inpatient wards by helping them explore and achieve personalized vocational goals. The role involves individual and group interventions, collaboration with the occupational therapy team, and support for individuals in retaining employment through employer engagement.
Key Responsibilities:
- Conduct individual and group sessions to identify and pursue vocational aspirations.
- Collaborate with occupational therapists to assess functional capacity and create vocational profiles.
- Assist individuals in retaining employment by working with employers.
- Provide consultation and training to team members on employment-related issues, including disclosure and legal rights.
- Monitor and evaluate progress, adjusting strategies as necessary.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Higher education qualification in a related subject (eg. career guidance, information advice and guidance, human resources, counselling, training etc.), OT/psychology, or equivalent experience.
Desirable
- Evidence of recent and ongoing relevant further training and professional development
Experience
Essential
- Developing partnerships with other individuals or organisations
- Managing own workload
- Recording accurate data in electronic format
- Helping others to make their own decisions
- Working collaboratively within a team
Desirable
- Carrying out employment needs assessments with individuals
- Providing information, advice and guidance
- Experience of working in a mental health setting
- Working within an employment service
- Liaising with employers to sustain employment including identifying reasonable adjustments in line with the equality act
Knowledge
Desirable
- Knowledge about employment/health related benefits (e.g. ESA, UC, etc.)
- Employment law - knowledge of the Equality Act 2010 and employment rights
- Recruitment - professional knowledge of effective job search including creating an effective CV, applying for jobs in a variety of ways, answering interview questions, and job searching in the local area (London)
- Education and Training - basic knowledge of different types of courses and qualifications available in the UK
- Knowledge and skills in Motivational Interviewing
Skills
Essential
- Computer skills - MS Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
- Communication skills including presenting information in a range of formats for users and stakeholders, including the creation of presentations and reports
- Building confidence in others
- Building and maintaining effective relationships
- Accuracy and attention to detail
- Ability to work under pressure and maintain concentration
- Problem solving and solution focused in approach
- Self-motivated to work autonomously and independently with confidence when required
Desirable
- Able to work flexibly to meet deadlines and prioritise greatest need
Other Requirements
Essential
- Open to continuously developing and improving practice
- Exercise initiative, flexibility, tact and self-awareness
- Willing to use peer group supervision creatively
- Be aware of own limitations and seek appropriate senior advice and leadership
- Willing and able to travel within and potentially outside the catchment area in a timely manner in the course of the working day
- Personal experience of mental health conditions
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Higher education qualification in a related subject (eg. career guidance, information advice and guidance, human resources, counselling, training etc.), OT/psychology, or equivalent experience.
Desirable
- Evidence of recent and ongoing relevant further training and professional development
Experience
Essential
- Developing partnerships with other individuals or organisations
- Managing own workload
- Recording accurate data in electronic format
- Helping others to make their own decisions
- Working collaboratively within a team
Desirable
- Carrying out employment needs assessments with individuals
- Providing information, advice and guidance
- Experience of working in a mental health setting
- Working within an employment service
- Liaising with employers to sustain employment including identifying reasonable adjustments in line with the equality act
Knowledge
Desirable
- Knowledge about employment/health related benefits (e.g. ESA, UC, etc.)
- Employment law - knowledge of the Equality Act 2010 and employment rights
- Recruitment - professional knowledge of effective job search including creating an effective CV, applying for jobs in a variety of ways, answering interview questions, and job searching in the local area (London)
- Education and Training - basic knowledge of different types of courses and qualifications available in the UK
- Knowledge and skills in Motivational Interviewing
Skills
Essential
- Computer skills - MS Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
- Communication skills including presenting information in a range of formats for users and stakeholders, including the creation of presentations and reports
- Building confidence in others
- Building and maintaining effective relationships
- Accuracy and attention to detail
- Ability to work under pressure and maintain concentration
- Problem solving and solution focused in approach
- Self-motivated to work autonomously and independently with confidence when required
Desirable
- Able to work flexibly to meet deadlines and prioritise greatest need
Other Requirements
Essential
- Open to continuously developing and improving practice
- Exercise initiative, flexibility, tact and self-awareness
- Willing to use peer group supervision creatively
- Be aware of own limitations and seek appropriate senior advice and leadership
- Willing and able to travel within and potentially outside the catchment area in a timely manner in the course of the working day
- Personal experience of mental health conditions
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
