Job summary
We have a great opportunity for 2 Employment Specialist to join our Individual Placement and support Employment Services Team in Milton Keynes. The post will be based in the community Mental Health Hub which operates across 3 sites in the area.
We are looking for an individual who is highly motivated, has experience of supporting people to access paid employment (or employability skills which could be transferred to this role) along with the right qualities and aptitudes. These include a passionate belief that anyone with a mental health condition can work, is a self-starter with initiative, a commitment to team work and strong organisational skills.
You will have the tools you need to provide expert support and advice to clients whilst also building positive relationships with employers, opening doors and changing perceptions around mental health.
Your role will involve being an Employment Specialist in a mental health team. You will need to promote employment and raise expectations that people accessing the mental health service can find and keep paid employment. You will have individual and team targets and will receive professional supervision and support from an Employment Team Leader, a clinical supervisor and local peers. You will also be expected to spend time in the community providing intervention to our clients, negotiating job opportunities via the hidden labour market, as well as networking with local agencies.
Main duties of the job
Motivating and supporting a caseload of service users to access and sustain paid employment. This will include enabling service users to identify their best job match, approaching employers, and providing effective in work support to both the service user and employer where appropriate.
Working within Multi-Disciplinary Teams in secondary mental health services to achieve these aims.
Implementing evidenced based employment practice, with a commitment to the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model fidelity and practice.
Building effective working relationships with local training providers, local colleges and external employers to secure paid employment and education opportunities. This will often involve job carving and developing opportunities within the hidden labour market by using a variety of methods such as face to face contact, social media platforms (e.g. LinkedIn) phone and email
Providing on-going support according to both the employee's and employer's needs to enable people who have experienced mental health difficulties to gain and retain employment.
Building the profile of employment within the clinical team, and raising expectations around the ability of service users to access paid work.
Working in partnership with the Recovery and Wellbeing College to co-produce and co-deliver employment modules for service users of CNWL
Keeping accurate records of work in line with Trust and Employment Services Operating policies and procedures.
About us
Values Central and North West London NHS Trust expects the postholder to act in a way which shows an understanding of our core values and is active in putting them into practice with service users, their friends, family and carers and also other staff members.
COMPASSION: contribution to a caring and kind environment and recognition that what you do and say can help to improve the lives of others
RESPECT: acknowledge, respect and value diversity of each individual, recognition of uniqueness.
EMPOWERMENT: commitment to providing information, resources and support to help others make their own decisions and meet their own needs. The Trust endeavours to support all staff to enable them to develop and grow.
PARTNERSHIP: work closely with others and behave in a way that demonstrates understanding that commissioners and users of our services are the people who generate and fund our work.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To manage a caseload of between 20-25 people who have experienced mental health problems who wish to return to work. This will include challenging inequalities experienced by mental health service users and to address existing discrimination, whilst ensuring a process of learning for the organisation
- To provide individualised support with a focus on multi-disciplinary interventions to service users once they have returned to work
- To have an understanding of evidenced based IPS employment practice, with a focus on delivering a person-centred, high quality service which results in meeting and exceeding sustained job outcome targets for people accessing the service.
- Building relationships and marketing the service with clinical teams to generate referrals and create collaborative working with clinical staff
- To support the team in promoting a recovery orientated environment by identifying recovery-focused activities and imparting information and education as required. This would involve promoting courses being delivered by Recovery and Wellbeing College as well as supporting the development of employment modules and local information sessions
- To prepare individuals for a return to work by supporting people to understand their skills, aspirations and goals by offering employment profiling, job matching, action planning and employment case management support.
- Source job opportunities for service users through tailored job search and proactive engagement with employers to open up and secure paid employment. This may involve accessing the hidden labour market or carving out jobs where specific tasks can be assigned. Contact with employer will be carried out face to face as per the IPS model as well as via social media platforms such as Linked In.
- To provide advice and support to employers, as agreed with the individual, which may include negotiating adjustments and on-going contact with supervisors to ensure job retention
- To assess individual support needs related to work which might typically include help with in work benefits, travel to work, managing health at work etc and to continue providing this once in employment to ensure they retain work.
- To develop effective working relationships with a range of external agencies who are able to help individuals to achieve their employment goals for example, local colleges and training provider
- To maintain a professional relationship with the clients of the programme and with other staff, with particular attention to confidentiality, trust policies and maintenance of professional boundaries.
- To contribute to the on-going improvement and development of Trust-wide employment services.
- To work independently, reliably and deliver high quality IPS practice with a focus and commitment to ongoing professional development
- To work flexibly as required by the individual and employer which may require some working out of normal office hours.
- To adhere to administrative and data capture protocols which record the progress of individuals, and to keep accurate and complete records of casework.
- Be efficient, responsible and maintain a high level of personal organisation; keeping accurate and appropriate records and providing information for monitoring and evaluation as required
- To adhere to CNWL Employment Services policies and service standards.
- To undertake mandatory training as required including training in the IPS approach
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To manage a caseload of between 20-25 people who have experienced mental health problems who wish to return to work. This will include challenging inequalities experienced by mental health service users and to address existing discrimination, whilst ensuring a process of learning for the organisation
- To provide individualised support with a focus on multi-disciplinary interventions to service users once they have returned to work
- To have an understanding of evidenced based IPS employment practice, with a focus on delivering a person-centred, high quality service which results in meeting and exceeding sustained job outcome targets for people accessing the service.
- Building relationships and marketing the service with clinical teams to generate referrals and create collaborative working with clinical staff
- To support the team in promoting a recovery orientated environment by identifying recovery-focused activities and imparting information and education as required. This would involve promoting courses being delivered by Recovery and Wellbeing College as well as supporting the development of employment modules and local information sessions
- To prepare individuals for a return to work by supporting people to understand their skills, aspirations and goals by offering employment profiling, job matching, action planning and employment case management support.
- Source job opportunities for service users through tailored job search and proactive engagement with employers to open up and secure paid employment. This may involve accessing the hidden labour market or carving out jobs where specific tasks can be assigned. Contact with employer will be carried out face to face as per the IPS model as well as via social media platforms such as Linked In.
- To provide advice and support to employers, as agreed with the individual, which may include negotiating adjustments and on-going contact with supervisors to ensure job retention
- To assess individual support needs related to work which might typically include help with in work benefits, travel to work, managing health at work etc and to continue providing this once in employment to ensure they retain work.
- To develop effective working relationships with a range of external agencies who are able to help individuals to achieve their employment goals for example, local colleges and training provider
- To maintain a professional relationship with the clients of the programme and with other staff, with particular attention to confidentiality, trust policies and maintenance of professional boundaries.
- To contribute to the on-going improvement and development of Trust-wide employment services.
- To work independently, reliably and deliver high quality IPS practice with a focus and commitment to ongoing professional development
- To work flexibly as required by the individual and employer which may require some working out of normal office hours.
- To adhere to administrative and data capture protocols which record the progress of individuals, and to keep accurate and complete records of casework.
- Be efficient, responsible and maintain a high level of personal organisation; keeping accurate and appropriate records and providing information for monitoring and evaluation as required
- To adhere to CNWL Employment Services policies and service standards.
- To undertake mandatory training as required including training in the IPS approach
Person Specification
Education
Essential
- oEducated to degree level or equivalent workplace experience.
Previous Experience
Essential
- oSignificant experience of working with people with mental health difficulties or a similar client group within health, social services or the voluntary sector
- oExperience of supporting people to obtain or keep work
- oExperience of working within diverse communities
Desirable
- oExperience and knowledge of the benefits agency and all disability/employment related benefits
Person Specification
Education
Essential
- oEducated to degree level or equivalent workplace experience.
Previous Experience
Essential
- oSignificant experience of working with people with mental health difficulties or a similar client group within health, social services or the voluntary sector
- oExperience of supporting people to obtain or keep work
- oExperience of working within diverse communities
Desirable
- oExperience and knowledge of the benefits agency and all disability/employment related benefits
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).
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).
