IPS Employment Specialist
At a glance
- Band
- Band 5
- Contract
- Permanent
- Pattern
- Full-time
- Posted
- 14/08/2026
- Closes
- 30/08/2026
Sponsorship verdict
This advert explicitly states that sponsorship is not offered.
The source advert contains explicit wording ruling out sponsorship for this specific role. Consider other live roles at the same band from sponsorship-friendly trusts.
Role summary
This role involves working as an Employment Specialist within the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) service, supporting clients with severe and enduring mental health needs to secure and sustain paid employment. You will manage a caseload, provide person-centered advice, and build relationships with local employers. The position is community-based, primarily in the Craven District, Wharfedale, and Keighley areas, collaborating with mental health teams and partners.
Key responsibilities
- Work with clients with severe and enduring mental health needs to assist them in securing sustainable paid employment.
- Deliver the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) approach, providing person-centered advice and guidance.
- Build positive relationships with local employers to enable clients to move into suitable employment.
- Work with individuals and groups across Bradford District Care Trust in collaboration with health and social care professionals and outside agencies.
- Provide ongoing support to service users and employers according to their needs.
- Hold specific responsibility and autonomy for delivering contract Key Performance Indicators (KPI's) within an allocated team.
Essential criteria
- Educated to degree level, or equivalent experience
- Willing to participate in relevant courses and training as required
- Experience/understanding of working with people with mental health support needs, or a similar client group within health, social services or the voluntary sector.
- Awareness of evidence base of IPS and some experience of delivering interventions that focus on vocational skills.
- Experience of working with someone on a one-to-one basis and facilitating activities that focus on recovery.
- An awareness of the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model.
- Knowledge of employment and disability related benefits
- An understanding of the employment needs, and challenges faced by people who experience mental health difficulties .
- Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to build rapport with a range of people
- Ability to work independently (without direct supervision) and use initiative to develop and promote a service
- Ability to adapt activities to be appropriate for the needs of the individual client
- Ability to prioritise and plan own workload
- Good organisational ability
- Ability to negotiate with employers on behalf of service users
- Acces to a vehicle to meet the demands of the role
- Self-aware of personal strengths and weaknesses and actively invest in personal and professional development
- Highly motivated with a genuine belief that someone with a mental health condition can find paid employment .
- Resilient and tenacious to not give up despite setbacks and frustrations
Desirable criteria
- Certificate in supported employment or equivalent.
- Training in supported employment (Particularly the IPS model).
- Experience of supporting people with mental health conditions to obtain paid work.
- Experience of meeting and exceeding outcomes and targets
- Experience of partnership working, negotiation and liaison with other agencies.
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 16d ago · Closes in 1d
Applications close soon — apply now if this is a fit.
Full advert · preview
Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust
IPS Employment Specialist
The closing date is 30 August 2026
Job summary
The Individual Placement and Support service within BDCFT is expanding.
We are looking to recruit an additional Employment Specialists to join our award winning service, and to work within the Craven District, as well as Wharfedale and Keighley.
You will work closely with Wharfedale Airedale and Craven Alliance (WACA) in these communities, as well as the community mental health team and partners.
This role will be community based, working with clients with severe and enduring mental health needs, using the evidenced based model of Individual Placement and Support, supporting individuals into sustained paid employment.
If you are:
- Passionate about mental health recovery
- Passionate about supporting people into sustainable employment
- Want to work in the Craven area
then this role could be perfect for you.
You would be joining an expanding team with strong leadership and passionate colleagues, working as a team within Primary Care Networks and Community Mental Health Teams
You will receive regular comprehensive caseload management from your team leader, group and peer supervision opportunities, a detailed induction, mentoring from experienced colleagues and a real sense of team.
Closing date: 30th August 2026 at midnight
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