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Job summary

Main area
Employment Support
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 5
Contract
Fixed term: 11 months (Until 31st March 2026)
Hours
37.5 hours per week (Full time)
Job ref
285-3210B-CORP
Employer
Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Wolverhampton
Town
Wolverhampton
Salary
£29,970 - £36,483 Per Annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
22/05/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust logo

Talking Therapies Employment Advisor

NHS AfC: Band 5

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides specialist mental health, learning disability, and community healthcare services for the population of the Black Country.

Across the whole of the region we provide:

  • Adult and older adult mental health services
  • Specialist learning disability services
  • Mental health services for children and young people
  • Community healthcare services for children, young people and families in Dudley

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was formed on 1 April 2020, with the merger of Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust. Combining resources, strategies and talented workforce enables us to deliver a wider variety of outstanding services that are based on best practice and are continually improving.

We currently employ over 4,000 people and just like the population we serve, we are made up of diverse cultures and backgrounds. Whatever your role, working in a NHS Foundation Trust, like ours, is a demanding and extremely rewarding experience. Knowing that every day you can help to make a positive difference to someone’s life is a very powerful feeling. We know that our Trust runs on this desire to help and support people, and our Trust vision expresses this. Our vision is to improve health and wellbeing for everyone, especially our colleagues to achieve the best possible work/life balance.

We proudly offer supportive, inclusive and family friendly employment and flexible working policies. We have a wide range of professional services and employee networks to help our colleagues be at their best - and find support if they need it. To find more about our staff benefits, please visit our website: blackcountryhealthcare.nhs.uk. 

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and ethnic minority candidates are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Black Country Healthcare we recognise and value all forms of knowledge and expertise, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification or criteria in the job description/person specification, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

For further supporting information to help you apply for this role please see documents attached under ‘Additional documents’.

Job overview

Placement Locations - 

1 post available - Wolverhampton

This role is part of the employment service, working closely with clinicians working to provide psychological therapies to people with common mental health problems. The post holders will support service users with common mental health problems to gain, return to or retain employment. The role will involve working directly with Jobcentre Plus, employers, trade unions and employment agencies to keep people in employment and secure employment opportunities.  The post holder is expected to work with between 120 -144 people each year.

Main duties of the job

The service will assist targeted participants to progress their journey towards gaining, returning to or retaining employment.  The service will consist of a variety of skills-mix to ensure that individuals are offered support and advice that meets their needs. The service will provide advice and training to potential employers on reasonable adjustments and retention of employees where necessary. This service will reduce health inequalities as employment is evidenced as a way of maintaining good health and well-being. 

Flexibility and adaptability is required due to the unpredictability of the environment and resource availability under which work will need to be carried out.  

Staff will work to the Trust’s lone worker policy and ensure that they have a mobile phone in working order so that communications can be achieved at all times

Working for our organisation

This service started November 2023, there are 4 different teams covering Walsall, Wolverhampton, Dudley and Sandwell. Each team comprises of a 4 Senior Employment Advisor and  4-5 Employment Advisor's. 

This service will sit under the wider Employment Services 

Employees, workers, and / or contractors will be expected to uphold the values of the Trust and exhibit the expected Trust behaviours aligned to the Trust’s values.  Individuals have a responsibility to ensure that they display the Trust values and behaviours in carrying out their job and that individuals feel able to challenge (or raise a challenge) when other colleagues’ behaviours breach the spirit of Trust values.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Manage a caseload of clients who have experienced common mental health problems or long term conditions who wish to retain, return to or regain employment.

Carry out a vocational assessments, to identify vocational needs and develop action plans 

Maintain detailed and accurate  notes and upload these on to the management information system within the allocated timeframe

Provide information, advice guidance & support to individuals about the pathways of opportunities available to them 

Provide in work support to those who require it so that they may sustain or retain their job.

Support individuals to gain accurate benefits advice, complete paid job applications, compile CVs and to practically prepare for interviews.

Liaise and arrange meetings with health professionals, partner agencies (voluntary and statutory sectors) and/or employers concerning the individual’s needs, including partner organisations that work with diverse groups to develop joint working that will enhance service delivery and increase opportunities for individuals.

Deliver training and workshops (as required) to clients on job applications, CV writing and interview skills to increase their chances of moving into employment.

Take part in informal training with colleagues from external organisations to help raise awareness and improve their knowledge on the service, as well as supporting them to understand common mental health problems and LTCs.

Ensure that the service eligibility is adhered to, providing information on alternative employment support services for those who are not eligible, and monitoring progress and outcomes of those supported ensuring that stringent monitoring deadlines are adhered to, and any KPI evidence is gained regularly.

Liaise and communicate regularly with the referrer and other relevant healthcare staff to ensure that all parties are kept informed and co-operate in helping the individual achieve, return to and retain employment.

Collect and collate statistics that supports the ongoing monitoring of service delivery/ quality as part of the Talking Therapies minimum data set. To provide information for service reports as required and participate in regular audits and evaluations.

Work with the Senior Employment Advisor and as part of a team, to further develop quality standards to continue to improve service delivery and the implementation of employment in new health pathways

Offer advice and guidance to the Administrator and training and support to new team members

Along with your main duties, you will also be expected to carry out any other duties that are reasonably asked of you

Person specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Degree level or equivalent level of experience
Desirable criteria
  • L4 Information, Advice and Guidance

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Good interpersonal skills
  • Good negotiation skills and persuasive style
  • An ability to initiate and develop relationships with partners including local clinicians, employers and JCP staff
  • Good report writing and information management skills
  • Working with individuals experiencing complex barriers and health conditions
  • • Vocational assessment and profiling skills
Desirable criteria
  • Basic counselling skills

Knowlege

Essential criteria
  • Knowledge of the 2010 Equality Act
  • Knowledge of the barriers faced by individuals who may be socially excluded and furthest from the labour market.
  • Experience of working with and supporting people who a number of barriers
  • Working knowledge, understanding and experience of motivating individuals and developing their skills in line with their individual action plans

Skills/ Personal Qualities

Essential criteria
  • Commitment to empowering the individual to make informed choices

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyAge positiveDisability confident leaderCare quality commission - GoodArmed Forces Covenant Bronze Award

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

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Louise Davey
Job title
Senior Employment Advisor
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07552 864781
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