Job summary
- Main area
- Admin
- Grade
- Band 5
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 367-ACMS-101378
- Employer
- Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- 99 Waverley Road
- Town
- St Albans
- Salary
- £33,677 - £40,996 per annum, pro rata (5% HCAS Included)
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 16/07/2026 23:59
Employer heading
IPS Job Retention Specialist (NW)
Band 5
Values Based Screener
At Hertfordshire Partnership Foundation Trust we are looking for people to join us who share our values and those of the NHS. Before your application can be considered please take part on our online values questionnaire, which you can find below. When you have finished you will be sent a 'completion code' by email, which will be valid for 6 months and required to submit your application form.
Job overview
You will work as a member of the multi-disciplinary Community Team. As an IPS Job Retention Specialist (ES), you will provide a specialist service, autonomously managing a caseload of service users to enable them to retain their employment using the Individual Placement Support (IPS) model, working with colleagues within HPFT community mental health teams and Primary Care.
You will provide advice and ongoing support on issues including employment rights, reasonable adjustments, and phased return to work plans.
You will support with employment termination applications and provide workplace support to the service user and employer to promote inclusion and reduce discrimination and stigma.
You will deliver the IPS (Individual Placement and Support) approach for those who have been supported out of a job and wish to obtain new employment, for which training will be given should a service user be supported into a new role.
Whilst we welcome all applications from all suitable candidates, unfortunately, we will not be offering sponsorship for this role.
Main duties of the job
Each Community Services Hub provides a specialist care pathway to Service Users with Non pyschotic disorders and Personality disorder. They also provide specialist care pathways to those with psychotic disorders. Employment Support forms part of the pathways.
You will provide a specialist service, autonomously managing a caseload of service users to enable them to retain their employment using the Individual Placement Support (IPS) model, working with colleagues within HPFT community mental health teams and Primary Care.
You will provide advice and ongoing support on issues including employment rights, reasonable adjustments, and phased return to work plans.
You will support with employment termination applications and
provide workplace support to the service user and employer to promote inclusion and reduce discrimination and stigma.
You will work directly with all relevant stakeholders: the service user, Community Services staff, consultant psychiatrists, partner agencies and employers to support the service users on your caseload to retain their employment.
You will be a fully integrated community team staff member, attending team meetings etc. Supervision will be provided by the IPS Employment Quadrant Lead. You will also be part of the Virtual IPS team receiving support from peers in other Community teams.
Working for our organisation
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of ‘Outstanding’ from the Care Quality Commission.
Our family of over 4,000 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:
Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- To carry a case load of Service Users with severe mental illness who are currently off work and receiving specialist mental health services and who wish to return to work.
- Provide advice and ongoing support on issues including employment rights, reasonable adjustments, and phased return to work plans.
- Support with employment termination applications and provide workplace support to the service user and employer to promote inclusion and reduce discrimination and stigma.
- deliver the IPS (Individual Placement and Support) approach for those who have been supported out of a job and wish to obtain new employment, for which training will be given should a service user be supported into a new role.
- Focus on rapid job search with the service user, whilst utilising local support networks to help them overcome their barriers to employment.
- Source job opportunities for service users through tailored job search and regular contact with employers.
- When placing service users with employers, ensure that the quality of work environments is explored, including potential for workplace adjustments that will accommodate individual strengths, skills symptoms and coping skills.
- To develop effective working relationships with a range of external agencies who might be better able to help individuals to achieve their employment goals for example, local colleges, training providers and external supported employment services
- To provide education and support to employers, as agreed with the individual, which may include negotiating adjustments, return to work strategy and on-going contact with the employer to help with any new or reoccurring issues in relation to mental health and job sustainability.
- To provide individualised support to service users once they have returned to work to assist them in maintaining employment.
- Meet and exceed job outcome targets for service user
For full details of the role and responsibilities please see attached job description and person specification.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Educated to a degree level or equivalent
- Job Retention training or equivalent experience
Desirable criteria
- IPS trained
- Additional relevant training in areas of employment, mental health, coaching
Experience
Essential criteria
- Considerable experience of working with adults with MH difficulties in a health or social care setting
- Significant experience working in a role delivering employment support.
Desirable criteria
- Supervision of junior staff
- Experience of partnership working, negotiation and liaison with other agencies
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Knowledge of disability and special needs issues, policies and legislation in relation to employment
- Understanding of the principles and practice of IPS
- Knowledge of employment law
- Team orientated and work collaboratively within a mixed-disciplinary team
- Experience of partnership working, negotiation and liaison work with other agencies
- Experience of opening up job opportunities with a range of employers
Skills
Essential criteria
- Ability to work with key IT tools such as MS Word, Excel and Powerpoint
- Ability to build rapport with a range of people
- Ability to provide and receive sensitive information regarding services users care and social situation
- Ability to negotiate and persuade appropriately prospective employers of benefits of offering work opportunities to Service Users.
- Active listening skills, ability to ask perceptive questions that tease out important information .
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
- Sarah Pashley
- Job title
- IPS Service Lead
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07811 476977
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