An IPS (Individual Placement and Support) Employment Specialist helps people with drug and alcohol issues secure and retain competitive, paid employment. Offering bespoke support on a case by case, one to one basis to help people achieve their goals and maintain their recovery. Key responsibilities include: Managing a caseload Providing personalized support & career coaching Conducting job development Collaborating with clinical teams. Engaging with local employers to develop relationships. Please note: The salary listed reflects the full earning potential for this role. Starting salaries depend on experience and progression within the band. About Waythrough Waythrough was formed in 2024 following the merger of Humankind and Richmond Fellowship. Together, we’ve created one of the largest mental health and social support charities in England. Every year, we support around 125,000 people through nearly 200 services – and it’s all made possible by our 3,500 brilliant staff and volunteers. Make a real difference in your community Are you passionate about helping others live safer, healthier, more independent lives? Join our team at Waythrough and support people facing challenges around mental health, substance use, housing or domestic abuse. This is more than just a job – it’s a chance to build meaningful relationships and create lasting change. Key Job Description Wording & Responsibilities: Targeted Support: "Provide personalized, 1:1, strengths-based coaching to help clients identify employment goals and overcome barriers to work". Job Development: "Actively build relationships with local employers to identify, negotiate, and secure suitable, competitive job opportunities". Clinical Collaboration: "Work as an embedded, integral member of the community mental health team, attending meetings to integrate employment with mental health recovery". Job Retention: "Offer ongoing, personalized support to both the employee and employer to ensure job retention for up to one year". Vocational Profiling: "Conduct comprehensive vocational assessments to understand client skills, experience, and preferences". Benefits Advice: "Support clients to understand the impact of employment on welfare benefits and access specialized advice". Fidelity to Model: "Adhere to the 8 core principles of the IPS approach, ensuring high-fidelity service delivery". Essential Skills & Competencies Communication is everything: "Exceptional communication skills, able to build rapport with clients, clinicians, and employers. Need to be people focused and able to confidently approach, engage and build relationships with people from a diverse range of backgrounds". Resilience: "Passionate about empowering individuals, challenging stigma, and fostering inclusion in what can be a challenging environment. Ability to manage own workload and act independently as well as within a team". Networking: "Ability to network effectively and represent the service to a wide range of external stakeholders". Documentation: "Maintain accurate, timely, and compliant records using electronic systems". What We Offer We value the people who make a difference every day. Alongside meaningful work, you’ll enjoy a comprehensive benefits package: 27 days’ annual leave, rising to 32 after 1 year (plus bank holidays) Pension scheme with 4.5% employer contribution, matched up to 6.5% Life assurance (3× annual salary) Enhanced sick pay and family-friendly pay Birthday leave and the option to buy up to 5 extra days’ annual leave Professional fee reimbursement for relevant qualifications 24/7 online GP access and Employee Assistance Programme Recognition and long service awards via our Way to Go and Aspirations portals £500 Recommend a Friend bonus Cycle to Work scheme and Credit Union membership Discounts via Blue Light Card, Charity Discounts, Extras and Tickets for Good Free will writing service and wellbeing initiatives throughout the year Inclusion and accessibility Waythrough is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and communities, especially those with lived experience of the issues we support. We have signed up to the Disability Confident Scheme - all applicants are welcome, and adjustments can be made to enable fair participation. If you need adjustments or support to apply, please email our recruitment team: recruitmentteam@waythrough.org.uk Closing Date: 2026-02-27 Waythrough launched in October 2024 following the merger of Humankind and Richmond Fellowship. Our vision is to break down the barriers that stop people getting the support they need to live a life they value. We tackle poverty and disadvantage in communities, through mental health, drug and alcohol, housing and related support. We have almost 200 services around England – and nearly 3,500 amazing staff and volunteers who run them. Every year our services support around 125,000 people. Bringing together two big organisations is not a small task and it’ll take a while to fully integrate our systems, processes and approaches. That’s why you will notice various brands including, ‘Richmond Fellowship’ or ‘Aquarius’ (our subsidiary charity in the Midlands). Aquarius Aquarius is a subsidiary of Waythrough. Aquarius is a Midlands-based charity supporting individuals to overcome the harms caused by drugs, alcohol and gambling. Aquarius has always held the view that people we support could resolve their problems with support and guidance and that people have the ability to find their own solutions to their problems. Our roles across the organisation include Practitioners and Administrators as well as Team Managers. Find out more at www.aquarius.org.uk