Employment Specialist
At a glance
- Band
- Band 5
- Contract
- Permanent
- Pattern
- Full-time, Part-time
- Posted
- 11/09/2026
- Closes
- 27/09/2026
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Role summary
This role involves supporting individuals with mental health conditions to find and sustain meaningful employment using the Individual Placement Support (IPS) model. The specialist will work directly with service users to identify their skills and goals, build partnerships with local employers to secure job opportunities, and provide ongoing support to both employees and employers. The aim is to empower individuals to achieve their employment goals and improve their health and wellbeing.
Essential criteria
- Naturally interested in and energised by working with and talking to people
- Non -judgemental and trustworthy
- Passion and drive to make a positive difference to people's lives
- Belief that people with mental illness can gain and sustain meaningful work
- Responds positively to failure and is able to translate it into a valuable learning experience
- Patient and empathetic to others' situations without imposing own experiences or beliefs onto others
- Ability to work unsupervised
- Ability to listen and make grounded judgements
- Ability to use tact and diplomacy and negotiation skills when dealing with and seeking to new employers
- Reaching shared agreement, effective group/meeting skills
- Ability to learn and assimilate quickly into a variety of situations
- Ability to keep effective records both verbal and written in a timely and accurate fashion
- Educated to degree level or equivalent or demonstrable experience
Desirable criteria
- Level 3 Diploma in Employability Services Sector
- Trained in IPS Delivery Model
- Mental Health First Aid qualification
- NVQ level 3 in Care or Learning Disability related
- Knowledge and understanding of teaching principles.
- Training in Systematic Instruction
- Counselling
- Person Centred Planning
- Adult education/training
- Sales & marketing
- Knowledge and Experience
- Experience of working with people with complex mental health needs or a similar service user group
- Knowledge and experience of recovery and social inclusion principals
- Experience of utilising IT systems
- Experience of working within diverse communities
- Ability to engage with employers across all industries using a variety of methods
- Understanding and experience of working across a range of recruitment/ employment sectors
- Understanding of employment and challenges/barriers for people with complex mental health needs
- Knowledge of disability and special needs issues, policies and legislation in relation to employment
- Knowledge of the labour market and a demonstrated understanding of 'market positioning
- Understanding of financial implications between benefits/pay structure and advising service user's accordingly
- Experience of working in supported employment services
- Understanding of principals and practices of the Individual Placement and Support model (IPS)
- Experience of caring for someone experiencing mental ill health
- Personal experience of using mental health services
- An understanding of self employment or business start up
- Naturally interested in and energised by working with and talking to people
- Non -judgemental and trustworthy
- Passion and drive to make a positive difference to people's lives
- Belief that people with mental illness can gain and sustain meaningful work
- Responds positively to failure and is able to translate it into a valuable learning experience
- Patient and empathetic to others' situations without imposing own experiences or beliefs onto others
- Ability to work unsupervised
- Ability to listen and make grounded judgements
- Ability to use tact and diplomacy and negotiation skills when dealing with and seeking to new employers
- Reaching shared agreement, effective group/meeting skills
- Ability to learn and assimilate quickly into a variety of situations
- Ability to keep effective records both verbal and written in a timely and accurate fashion
- Educated to degree level or equivalent or demonstrable experience
- Level 3 Diploma in Employability Services Sector
- Trained in IPS Delivery Model
- Mental Health First Aid qualification
- NVQ level 3 in Care or Learning Disability related
- Knowledge and understanding of teaching principles.
- Training in Systematic Instruction
- Counselling
- Person Centred Planning
- Adult education/training
- Sales & marketing
- Knowledge and Experience
- Experience of working with people with complex mental health needs or a similar service user group
- Knowledge and experience of recovery and social inclusion principals
- Experience of utilising IT systems
- Experience of working within diverse communities
- Ability to engage with employers across all industries using a variety of methods
- Understanding and experience of working across a range of recruitment/ employment sectors
- Understanding of employment and challenges/barriers for people with complex mental health needs
- Knowledge of disability and special needs issues, policies and legislation in relation to employment
- Knowledge of the labour market and a demonstrated understanding of 'market positioning
- Understanding of financial implications between benefits/pay structure and advising service user's accordingly
- Experience of working in supported employment services
- Understanding of principals and practices of the Individual Placement and Support model (IPS)
- Experience of caring for someone experiencing mental ill health
- Personal experience of using mental health services
- An understanding
Useful to know
Agenda for Change 2024/25 pays Band 5 at £29,970 – £36,483 a year, across England.
This advert: £32,073 – £39,043 — outside the standard scale; check for HCAS/London weighting.
Posted 1d ago · Closes in 16d
Plenty of time to prepare a strong application.
Full advert · preview
Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
Employment Specialist
The closing date is 27 September 2026
Job summary
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 dedicatedEmployment Specialists to join our team and deliver theIndividual Placement Support (IPS)model, helping people with mental health conditions find and sustain meaningful employment.
What we're looking for:
o A commitment to empowering individuals to reach their full potential.
o Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
o Experience in employment support (preferred but not essential).
o Knowledge of the local job market and the ability to build relationships with employers.
o A positive, proactive, and compassionate attitude.
o 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 8th, 9th and 12th October 2026
Main duties of the job
The Employment Specialist will join an Individual Placement and Support Team (
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