Individual Placement Support Worker (Employment Specialist)
The closing date is 19 June 2026
This is an excellent opportunity to support service users on their individual recovery journey. The role involves providing employment advice and guidance, helping patients return to work, developing partnerships with employers and local providers, and ensuring employment support needs are met.
Main duties of the job
- Help patients to identify and consider options for returning to work and staying in work, and set their own personal job goals.
- Ensure patients have access to employment law advice and are supported to exercise their rights under the Equality Act; working closely with employers where necessary on complex job retention issues, including cases of discrimination.
- Teach employability skills to patients on a one-to-one basis and in group workshops where necessary (e.g. CVs, interview skills, etc.).
- Keep up to date with local and national labour market trends, education/training opportunities, welfare benefit changes, and employment law in relation to people with mental health conditions.
- Work as part of a team, sharing knowledge and expertise, and contributing to team meetings and service development activities.
Qualifications
- Educated to degree level/equivalent experience in mental health services and employment support.
Experience
- Experience working with people who have experienced mental health problems and related employment difficulties.
- Experience with health or social services or the voluntary sector.
- Experience of working in mental health services.
Knowledge
- An understanding of the employment needs and difficulties of people who experience mental health problems and related barriers to employment.
- An understanding of the Principles and practice of Individual Placement and Support.
- An understanding of Employer engagement and strategies.
- Understanding of Recovery principles.
- An understanding of applied research methods.
- A working knowledge of Human Resources good practice and Employment legislation in relation to supporting people with mental health needs in the workplace.
- Understanding of Welfare Rights/ benefits system.
Skills
- An ability to initiate and develop relationships with employers while being aware of their needs.
- Ability to build and develop relationships with service users & having awareness of their needs to access employment.
- Excellent interpersonal skills.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Vocational assessment skills.
- IT Skills.
- Motivational skills.
- Use own initiative.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and a submission for Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service is required to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer name
Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHSFT
£32,073 to £39,043 a year per annum, pro rata
