Job summary
- Main area
- IPS Specialist
- Grade
- Band 4
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 222-EAL-037
- Employer
- West London NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Armstrong Way
- Town
- Southall
- Salary
- £32,199 - £34,876 Per Annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 13/11/2025 23:59
Employer heading
IPS Employment Specialist
Band 4
West London NHS Trust provides a full range of mental health, community and physical healthcare services for children, adults and older people living in the London boroughs of Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham and Hounslow.
We also provide some specialist services that are commissioned regionally, such as our medium secure services; and nationally, such as the Cassel Hospital for people with complex and severe personality disorder and our high secure services at Broadmoor Hospital.
Job overview
Do you want to be part of a friendly & dynamic team of Employment Specialists delivering excellent employment support to our clients in Ealing? If you believe passionately that anyone with mental health difficulties can work and would like to be part of that journey, then this could be the role for you.
Individual Placement & Support is an internationally-recognised model for supporting people with Serious Mental Illness back into employment, as part of their recovery and wellbeing. As a national priority, our IPS team is currently expanding and working towards achieving high IPS fidelity. We are a friendly and dynamic team, committed to supporting each other to deliver the best outcomes for our clients. We offer a full and comprehensive induction programme and the opportunity to engage in training and development to build your skills.
Our team of Employment Specialists work with caseloads of up to 25 clients in the community, helping them to decide what work they want to do, building their confidence to start looking for work, ensuring they have an up to date CV and providing guidance, support and coaching to enable them to find the right job. Employment Specialists also provide advice on benefits and contact potential employers.
Main duties of the job
The role of Employment Specialist is extremely varied and rewarding. You will be part of an IPS team, ensuring the right package of support for clients and keeping detailed and accurate records. You will also be building relationships with employers and other partners in the community, to get the best outcomes for your clients.
We need people who are flexible, assertive and adaptable, with a positive attitude about employment for all and excellent networking and interpersonal skills. Ideally you will have experience in employment support, but you do need to be willing to learn new skills, with a positive and supportive attitude and a passion for working with people. You also need to be confident with IT, keeping detailed and accurate records of your client work.
For more information about the role of Employment Specialist visit www.ipsgrow.org.uk and watch this video What is an IPS employment specialist? - YouTube
Working for our organisation
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’re rated 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
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached
The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Higher education qualification in a related subject (eg. career guidance, information advice and guidance, human resources, counselling, training etc.), psychology, or equivalent experience
Desirable criteria
- Evidence of recent and ongoing relevant further training and professional development
Experience
Essential criteria
- Developing partnerships with other individuals or organisations
- Managing own workload
- Working collaboratively within a team
- Recording accurate data in electronic format
Desirable criteria
- Working within an employment service
- Providing information, advice and guidance
- Experience of working in a mental health setting
- Experience of working within the IPS model
Skills
Essential criteria
- 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
- Accuracy and attention to detail
- Ability to work under pressure and maintain concentration
Desirable criteria
- Able to work flexibly to meet deadlines and prioritise greatest need
Knowledge
Desirable criteria
- Education and Training – basic knowledge of different types of courses and qualifications available in the UK
- 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)
- Knowledge about employment/health related benefits (e.g. ESA, UC, etc.)
- Employment law – basic knowledge of the Equality Act 2010 and employment rights
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Ian Merrick
- Job title
- Professional Lead for Occupational Therapy
- Email address
- [email protected]
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