Overview
Are you passionate about supporting people and empathetic to the diverse needs of those accessing mental health services? We are recruiting Band 5 Employment Specialists to join Dorset Work Matters, supporting clients across Dorset. This new role is made possible by expansion funding, reflecting our commitment to widening access to vital employment support services.
Dorset Work Matters is a well-established, high-performing partnership between Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust and Dorset Mental Health Forum. Since 2019, the service has provided evidence-based support to individuals with mental health diagnoses, helping them secure paid employment through the nationally recognised Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model.
We seek a motivated, empathetic Employment Specialist to support people with mental health conditions into sustainable employment. Working closely with NHS teams, employers, and partners, you\'ll build trust and provide practical, tailored support to help clients meet their employment goals. While based within a Community Mental Health team, most work will be community-based. We welcome applications from all backgrounds to promote inclusivity.
Applications from candidates that require current Healthcare worker sponsorship to work in the UK are unfortunately ineligible to apply for this position.
Responsibilities
* Work collaboratively with clients to identify employment goals, develop CVs and application forms, and prepare effectively for interviews.
* Support clients in discussing their mental health condition with potential employers, should they choose to disclose.
* Provide welfare benefits advice and calculations to help clients make informed employment decisions.
* Engage directly with local employers to create and secure tailored job opportunities, including job carving.
* Deliver ongoing in-work support to both clients and employers, ensuring sustainable employment outcomes.
* Adhere to the quality standards and compliance requirements of the IPS Fidelity Model, striving to meet or exceed the service\'s KPIs.
* Maintain accurate, up-to-date records in line with Service and IPS Fidelity Model requirements.
* Demonstrate strong organisational skills by managing caseloads efficiently, prioritising tasks, and meeting deadlines.
* Perform a high volume of administrative duties with attention to detail, ensuring accuracy in reporting, documentation, and data entry.
Qualifications / Experience
* Experience or capability to support people with mental health conditions into sustainable employment using person-centred, evidence-based approaches.
* Ability to identify employment goals, develop CVs, prepare applications, and support interview readiness.
* Ability to discuss mental health considerations with employers where appropriate and with client consent.
* Experience providing welfare benefits advice and calculations.
* Ability to build relationships with local employers and create tailored job opportunities, including job carving.
* Commitment to IPS Fidelity Model standards and achieving service KPIs.
* Strong record-keeping and data entry skills; ability to maintain accurate records.
* Excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage caseloads and deadlines.
About Us and Equal Opportunities
At Dorset HealthCare we\'re on a mission to empower people to make the most of their lives through our outstanding, joined-up healthcare services. We\'re a dynamic, forward-looking Trust, running 12 community hospitals, specialist inpatient facilities and a wide range of integrated community and mental health services for a population of almost 800,000 people. We do things differently here – it\'s one of the reasons the CQC rated us \'outstanding\' in 2019. We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds to promote inclusivity. Our 7,000-strong workforce is at the heart of what we do and our success is a testament to our brilliant people.
Working with us you\'ll be part of a strong team, challenge yourself, build a career, and help us be better every day through excellence, compassion and expertise in all we do.
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