Employment Specialist

Job overview

Are you passionate about supporting individuals to achieve their employment goals? Do you believe in the transformative power of work and its impact on health and wellbeing? If so, we want to hear from you!

We are looking for dedicated Employment Specialists to join our team and deliver the Individual Placement Support (IPS) model, helping people with mental health conditions find and sustain meaningful employment.

What we’re looking for:

• A commitment to empowering individuals to reach their full potential.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Experience in employment support (preferred but not essential).
• Knowledge of the local job market and the ability to build relationships with employers.
• A positive, proactive, and compassionate attitude.
• A strengths-based perspective, focusing on clients’ abilities.

If you’re ready to make a lasting impact and help change lives through employment, we’d love to hear from you!

Please note, the role requires travel for meetings with colleagues, service users and local employers.

We have vacancies across Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens, Warrington

Interviews planned for 19th and 20th November 2026

Main duties of the job

The Employment Specialist will join an Individual Placement and Support Team (IPS) working under the direction of the IPS Employment Services Manager to deliver IPS as part of the holistic recovery plan for mental health service users.

The post holder will work directly with employers to secure employment opportunities for people who have experienced mental health problems, and subsequently provide ongoing support depending on employee’s and employer’s needs. The aim will be to enable people who have experienced mental health problems to gain and retain paid employment.

The Employment Specialists will be responsible for:

• Work closely with individuals to identify their skills, aspirations, and career goals.
• Build strong partnerships with local employers to promote the service and secure employment opportunities.
• Collaborate with healthcare professionals and community organisations to provide integrated support.
• Offer coaching, advice, and guidance to help individuals navigate recruitment processes and thrive in their new roles.
• Champion the IPS model, demonstrating a person-centred, strengths-based approach to employment support.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Employment Specialist will be expected to deliver the IPS approach, working directly with all relevant stakeholders.

The Employment Specialist will maintain a professional relationship with the service users of the IPS service, key internal and external stakeholders, with particular attention to confidentiality and the maintenance of professional boundaries.

To adhere to mandatory administrative and data capture protocols when recording the progress of individuals. To keep accurate and complete records of casework, using the appropriate electronic clinical notes systems.

To act independently, using own judgement, knowledge and initiative to develop and understanding of the needs and potential career aspirations of job seekers.

To sensitively gather information, to develop a shared vocational profile and an agreed Job Notion or Curriculum Vitae, for each individual job seeker. On occasion complex, sensitive and contentious information will need to be provided and/or received. To deal with sometimes emotional and distressing behaviour and difficult situations and circumstances.

To commence rapid job search within 30 days of receiving a referral for a service user, whilst utilising local support networks to help them overcome their barriers to employment.

To research the labour market and spend time getting to know local employers in order to negotiate job opportunities that meet everyone’s strengths, needs, abilities and preferences. Meeting KPI target of 6-8 quality employer contacts each week.

It is the responsibility of the Employment Specialist to source meaningful paid job opportunities for service users through tailored job search and regular contact with employers. Spend time getting to know local employers, in order to negotiate job opportunities in the hidden labour market that meet each individual’s strengths, needs, abilities and preferences.

It is the responsibility of the Employment Specialists to undertake job analyses and workplace assessments, 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 provide specialised advice to employers concerning employment to job seekers with a range of different clinical needs.

To provide specialist 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 ensure job retention.

To develop workplace introduction strategies together with a comprehensive package of individualised support to service users once they have returned to work.

To provide individualised support to service users once they have returned to work to assist them in sustaining employment.

To appropriately monitor the longer-term career development of individuals supported into employment offering ongoing input as required.

Build relationships with clinical teams to generate referrals and create collaborative working partnerships with clinicians where employment support is integrated into mental health treatment.

Build a multi-disciplinary approach to the return to work. For example, involve clinical staff (where relevant) in managing symptoms at work, medication reviews and supporting rehabilitation needs e.g., social skill development, budgeting, travel training etc.

With appropriate consent, to communicate and liaise with carers, families, employers and other professionals on behalf of the service user as required.

Employment Specialist will ensure all mandatory training is completed and up to date. Additional training will be offered and with the expectation that all staff will complete all role specific training provided by external organisations.

The post holder will make themselves familiar with their obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act, always ensuring their safety and the safety of others.

To ensure that all relevant policies are implemented such as information governance, safeguarding etc.

To regularly collect and promote service user employment recovery stories.

The post holder will be involved in highly innovative positive approaches designed to challenge assumptions and discriminative recruitment practices.

To provide cover/support to localities with high levels of referrals, complex cases, or where there is a disruption to service due to illness or vacancies.

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.