Job summary
- Main area
- Vocational Specialist
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 5
- Contract
- Fixed term: 8 months (until 30th November 2025)
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (37.5 hours)
- Job ref
- 285-5291A-CORP
- Employer
- Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Civic Centre
- Town
- Wolverhampton
- Salary
- £29,970 - £36,483 pa
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 18/06/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Thrive into Work Neurodiversity Vocational Specialist
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
To support a caseload of clients who are neurodivergent, to achieve and sustain employment. Providing practical support in terms of compiling CVs, application forms, preparing for interviews and engaging with employers to source vacancies. Our Vocational Specialists will be creative self-starters who are confident when to speaking to employers. Having the right value base is essential for this role.
Please note this role requires you to travel across the West Midlands
Main duties of the job
Vocational Specialist, Band 5, £29,970 - £36,483, fixed term contract until 30th November 2025.
Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is recruiting 1 WTE Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Vocational Specialists to be based in our Thrive into Work Neurodiversity service, which supports individuals who are aged 16 plus and have a neurodiverse condition in the West Midlands.
The roles will support individuals across the West Midlands and will form a key part of individuals’ recovery and health care plans. The successful candidates will support a caseload of individuals who are unemployed, or employed but require retention support. This is an exciting opportunity to be a part of a well-established and further expanding IPS team.
This role requires you to see clients face to face across the West Midlands
Working for our organisation
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
- CAMHS
Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was formed on 1 April 2020, after NHS England and NHS Improvement approved 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 3,000 members of staff and just like the population we serve, we are made up of diverse cultures and backgrounds.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Post Title: Thrive into Work IPS Vocational Specialist
Department: Employment Service
Location: Across the West Midlands
Band: 5
Hours: 37.5
Contract Type: Fixed term contract
You will need to be able to travel around the West Midlands in order to see clients, network and build referral pathways.
Person specification
Interview
Essential criteria
- Educated to degree level or equivalent
- Able to build relationships with participants and partners
- Good report writing skills
- Experience of supporting people with health conditions and other barriers into work
Desirable criteria
- L4 IAG
- Vocational assessment skills
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
- Kirsty Manley
- Job title
- Thrive into Work Team Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07551 109 823
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