Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens, Warrington, Knowsley & Halton | Mersey Care NHS Trust
Permanent contract
Do you believe that meaningful employment can transform someone's life - and want to be the person who helps make that happen? Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust is seeking passionate, people-focused Employment Specialists to deliver the IPS model across Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens, Warrington, Knowsley and Halton.
Deadline: 22nd February 2026
North West
Full-time
£31,049 - £37,796
Job Overview
Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.
We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.
At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.
Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.
Role
Hours
Full time
Part time
37.5 hours per week (1 x 18.75 hours per week)
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, Knowsley and Halton
Interviews planned for 4th, 5th and 6th March 2026
Responsibilities
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.
The person
Qualifications Essential Criteria
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 Essential criteria
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 Desirable criteria
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 Values Essential criteria
Continuous Improvement
Accountability
Respectfulness
Enthusiasm
Support
High professional standards
Responsive to service users
Engaging leadership style
Strong customer service belief
Transparency and honesty
Discreet
Change oriented Skills 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
Ability to translate employer need into job seeker opportunity
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