IPS Team Manager – Connect to Work, IPS Employment Manager
Salary: £35,000 – £38,000
Location: Preston
Are you an experienced Employability Manager, IPS Team Leader, or Supported Employment Manager who believes that meaningful work can transform lives? This is an exciting opportunity to lead a high-impact Individual Placement and Support (IPS) employability service, helping individuals with mental health and physical health needs move into sustainable paid employment. You’ll play a key leadership role in delivering welfare-to-work programmes, supporting people to rebuild confidence, develop employability skills, and access long-term career opportunities.
If you’re passionate about supported employment, recovery-focused services, and welfare-to-work outcomes, this role offers the chance to lead a dedicated team and shape a service that genuinely improves lives.
About the Company
This organisation is a well-established employability and skills provider delivering high-quality welfare-to-work, supported employment, and health-led employability programmes across the UK. With a strong reputation for person-centred employment support, the organisation specialises in helping individuals overcome barriers to work through Individual Placement and Support (IPS), employability training, and employer engagement programmes.
Employees benefit from a supportive and inclusive culture, where professional development and wellbeing are genuinely prioritised. The organisation offers:
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Structured supervision and leadership support
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Ongoing CPD and training in employability and IPS best practice
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Opportunities to shape service design and programme development
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A collaborative environment focused on recovery, wellbeing, and employment outcomes
You’ll join a team that is deeply committed to helping people access meaningful work, build employability skills, and achieve sustainable employment.
The Role
As IPS Team Manager, you will lead a team of Employment Specialists delivering Individual Placement and Support services as part of a health-integrated employability programme.
You will ensure the service delivers high-fidelity IPS support, achieves strong employment outcomes, and maintains strong partnerships with health services, community organisations, and local employers.
Key responsibilities include:
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Leading, coaching, and motivating a team of IPS Employment Specialists and Employability Advisors
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Delivering regular supervision, mentoring, and caseload management
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Ensuring service delivery aligns with IPS fidelity standards and supported employment best practice
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Driving employer engagement and employer partnerships to access the hidden job market
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Attending multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings with health and recovery partners
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Monitoring performance metrics, employment outcomes, and quality standards
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Supporting staff development through training, coaching, and peer learning
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Managing a small caseload of complex clients where required
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Using service-user feedback and recovery stories to improve service delivery
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Supporting operational planning, reporting, and budget management
This is a hands-on leadership role combining employability programme management, staff leadership, and partnership working.
Ideal Candidate
To succeed in this role, you will bring strong leadership experience within the employability, welfare-to-work, supported employment, or health and social care sectors.
Essential Experience
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Experience working within Employability, Welfare to Work, Supported Employment, or IPS services
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Strong understanding of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) or supported employment models
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Experience managing, supervising, or mentoring staff
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Background supporting individuals with mental health, physical health, or complex barriers to employment
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Proven success achieving employment outcomes, job starts, and programme KPIs
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Experience in employer engagement and labour market development
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Strong stakeholder management skills, particularly with health services or community partners
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Excellent leadership, coaching, and communication abilities
Desirable (but not essential)
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Formal IPS training or IPS fidelity experience
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Experience delivering health-integrated employability programmes or NHS partnership services
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Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) or Employability qualifications
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Lived experience of recovery or employment support services
Apply Now
If you’re ready to lead a purpose-driven employability service and help individuals overcome barriers to work, this IPS Team Manager – Connect to Work role offers the opportunity to make a genuine social impact.
Apply now to take the next step in your employability leadership, welfare-to-work, or supported employment career