Employment Specialist - South Connect

We are recruiting 2 x Employment Specialist posts across South Essex to support the work of our Connect To Work delivery.

You will work with clients (managing a caseload) who have mental health support needs, to assist them in securing sustainable paid employment in line with their preferences. You will deliver the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) approach (for which training will be given); providing person centred advice and guidance to clients, whilst building positive relationships with local employers to enable clients to move into suitable employment.

You will work as part of a team, maintaining positive and integrated relationships, fostering a holistic approach to recovery through employment.

Establish positive and integrated relationships with clinical teams, employers and other service providers. This includes:

• To build and maintain employer relationships and maintain employer engagement database.
• Arrange regular meetings with clients to monitor and review progress pre and post-employment.
• Spend time getting to know local employers, in order to negotiate job opportunities that meet each individuals strengths, needs, abilities and preferences.
• To challenge inequalities experienced by clients and address existing discrimination, whilst ensuring a process of learning for the organisation.
• Work with employers to promote the service, identify job opportunities and ensure appropriate strategies are in place to reduce barriers in the work place this can include exploring job carving i.e. carving small slices of work from the duties other staff do not have time to do.
• To develop effective working relationships with a range of external agencies who can help individuals to achieve their employment goals. This may include local colleges and training providers.

Employ-Ability, an Essex-based charity, is seeking to recruit suitable candidates to support those, with mental ill health to find and keep employment. Employ-Ability is a highly successful supported employment service, as well as a recognised Centre of Excellence. The charity works with Essex Partnership University Foundation Trust to deliver an Essex wide Individual Placement and Support (IPS) service and from April 2019 with Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust to deliver a West Suffolk, Ipswich and East Suffolk Service.

Why Join us?

Together we are looking to create growth and opportunity for individuals with mental health conditions and build a better and all-inclusive working world. We work collaboratively to make a real impact in transforming someone's life. We love what we do and feel we offer an incredibly rewarding career with an excellent training and development plan, a generous amount of annual leave and pension scheme.

• 35 days annual leave (incl bank holidays)
• Company Pension and Sick Pay
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Life Assurance
• Reward Gateway (Employee discounts and benefits)
• Blue Light Card

Core Responsibilities:

• Manage a caseload of around 20 clients who have mental health support needs who are motivated to start/return to work.
• Deliver the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) approach for which training will be given.
• Meet and support clients to understand their key skills, aspirations and goals through completing a Vocational Profile and produce an Action Plan to help them obtain and sustain competitive employment. This includes support with their job search, CV production, application forms, interview techniques and career development.
• Assess clients support needs related to work which may include benefits/welfare advice, disclosure of mental health symptoms etc, and provide support & guidance.
• Attend weekly clinical team meetings as an embedded IPS practitioner.
• Source job opportunities for clients through tailored job search and regular contact with local employers to explore hidden as well as advertised employment opportunities.
• Provide 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.
• Build relationships with colleagues in primary care teams to engage and generate referrals and create collaborative working partnerships with clinical staff (promoting employment as a positive intervention in the recovery journey).
• Once employment has been secured continue to provide quality service through conducting regular visits, effective monitoring and in-work support to clients and employers to help sustain employment.

Other:

• To adhere to administrative and data capture protocols which record the progress of individuals, and to keep accurate and complete records of casework.
• To work independently, reliably and deliver consistently to deliver effective IPS practice.
• Ensure that effective monitoring and evaluation systems are adhered to and keep abreast of changing practice within vocational rehabilitation.
• To co-produce service development with service users where…