Main area Employment support Grade Band 5 Contract 12 months (12 month fixed term contract or 12 month secondment for internal staff until 31st March 2027) Hours
* Full time
* Part time
37.5 hours per week Job ref 001-AC081-0326
Employer Cardiff and Vale University Health Board Employer type NHS Site Various sites across Cardiff & Vale patch Town Cardiff Salary £31,516 - £38,364 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 18/03/2026 23:59
Employment Specialist Support
Band 5
WHO WE ARE:
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is one of the largest Integrated Health Board in the UK, employing over 16,000 staff and providing over 100 specialist services. Serving a population of around 500,000 people living in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, we are focussed on the health and care needs of our local population whilst also working with our partners to develop regional services. Together we are committed to improving health outcomes for everyone and to delivering excellent care and support.
Our mission is “Living Well, Caring Well, Working Together”. We have recently refreshed our strategy, Shaping Our Future Wellbeing, which sets out the Health Board’s Vision for improving the health and wellbeing of the populations we serve by 2035 through the delivery of our strategic objectives; Putting People First, Providing Outstanding Quality, Delivering in the Right Places, and Acting for the Future. We have challenging times ahead, but we are confident that by tackling these challenges together, we can support people to live healthier lives and reduce the unfair differences in the prevalence of illness and health outcomes we see in our communities today. We aspire to deliver outstanding care and treatment for people when they need it, where they need it; care that compares well with the best in the world, but to do so, we need to transform how we deliver services over the next decade and beyond.
We are a values-driven organisation and out goals will only be realised if our values are at the heart of everything we do. Created by colleagues, patients and carers, our values are:
· We are kind and caring
· We are respectful
· We have trust and integrity
· We take personal responsibility
OUR REGION:
Wales has much to offer with miles of stunning coastline, UNESCO world heritage sites and beautiful countryside. Cardiff, the thriving Welsh capital, has something for everyone. It is a fantastic city to live and work in with an abundance of sports, arts and cultural attractions. Situated to the west of Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan offers a combination of beautiful Welsh countryside and a dramatic natural coastline, as well as charming towns including Penarth and Cowbridge. Those seeking more culture may find themselves drawn to the National Museum, St Fagan’s Museum of Welsh Life or the Millennium Centre, home of the Welsh National Opera. Whether city life or rural living, Cardiff and the Vale offers the best of both worlds.
Job overview
This post is fixed term/secondment for 12 months until 31st March 2027 due to funding.
If you are interested applying for the secondment position, you must obtain permission from your current line manager prior to applying for this post.
Are you looking for an opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of people with Mental Health challenges & believe you have the skills to support people into employment?
If so, this role may be just what you're looking for!
For people with Mental Health challenges getting into paid work is a vital step in their recovery. Evidence shows that working leads to improved Mental Health, so we are looking for people to join our Individual Placement & Support in Primary Care Service (IPSPC) as Employment Specialists.
This rewarding role will transform lives, giving hope, direction, & support in participant recovery. This role is challenging, so you’ll need to be resilient, empathetic, & dedicated to finding participants the work they want. As a people person, you will build rapport & relationships with participants & employers to identify & negotiate hidden job opportunities. As this is currently a fixed-term project, we are looking for people who will show this service to be the invaluable resource that we believe it will be, providing accurate data to evidence that this service should become a part of statutory mental health services.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will provide opportunities to develop wider support to people who have experienced mental health conditions and wish to engage in vocational activity. This includes the provision of initial assessment, vocational profiling and on-going support to people who have experienced mental health conditions to gain and retain employment. Close liaison with employers and relevant agencies will be required including Job Centre Plus, Work Programme Providers, local education establishments, training providers, voluntary sector groups, User Groups and clinical teams throughout the Mental Health Service.
We welcome people from a range of backgrounds & experiences, particularly those who have lived experience of Mental Health services. We will train you on the IPSPC approach, providing you with all the tools and training you need.
You will be a key part of the service, helping us to develop & shape it to suit the needs of the population.
The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; English and/or Welsh speakers are equally welcome to apply.
Working for our organisation
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is one of the largest Integrated Health Boards in the UK, employing over 17,000 staff, providing over 100 specialist services.Working across 6 hospital sites, we have a diverse range of career opportunities to offer. Serving over 500,000 people living in Cardiff and the Vale, we are focussed on the health and care needs of our local population whilst working with our partners to develop regional services. Together we are committed to improving health outcomes for everyone, delivering excellent care and support.
Our mission is “Living Well, Caring Well, Working Together”, and our vision is that every person’s chance of leading a healthy life should be equal. Our 10-year transformation and improvement strategy, Shaping Our Future Wellbeing, is our chance to work collaboratively with the public and our workforce to make our health board more sustainable for the future.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click "Apply now" to view in Trac
Person specification
Qualifications
* First level degree or equivalent
* Training in the ‘Individual Placement & Support’ model of Supported Employment or equivalent
* Mental Health First Aid Training
* Assist Training
Experience
* Working with people who have experienced serious mental illnesses
* Liaising effectively between organisations and/or individuals to ensure good communication and/or deal with conflict
* Supporting people who have experienced serious mental illnesses into paid, open employment or employment-related activity
* Experience of mental health problems either personally or as a carer
* Supervision/management of junior staff
* Experience of supporting people to access volunteering opportunities
Skills
* Self-management of workload and the ability to work on own initiative
* Effective communication skills (written and verbal), Presentation skills, and Teaching skills
* Diplomatic negotiation skills to resolve conflict and arrive at satisfactory solutions
Special Knowledge
* Welfare benefits system and the welfare reform agenda especially in relation to returning to work from a financial perspective and the various supports available
* How serious mental illnesses impact upon clients’ ability to function socially and in employment
* Systems and structures within the mental health service to ensure rapid access to services when necessary
* Equality Act and Health & Safety at Work Act
* The constraints and priorities of a range of employers, their expectations of you, your service and the people you represent
* Clear motivation to enable people with serious mental illnesses to succeed in open employment
MANAGING YOUR APPLICATION:
We are committed to promoting inclusion, where all staff have a sense of belonging. We welcome applications from everyone and recognise the need for our workforce to represent the diversity of the population we serve. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment where staff treat one another with dignity and respect and where diversity is celebrated. We aim to create a working environment where every individual can fulfil their potential no matter their disability, sex, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, age, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity or marriage and civil partnership status.We are keen to break down barriers in the UHB, and encourage applications from under-represented groups.
Applicants are invited to apply in Welsh. Any application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application made in English.
The UHB reserves the right to close this vacancy after 24 hours if a large number of suitable applications are received. Therefore, we encourage early applications to ensure consideration for this post.
Please check your email account regularly. Successful applicants will receive all recruitment related correspondence via the email account registered on the application form.
To work in the UK, all candidates who are not UK or Republic of Ireland (RoI) nationals require sponsorship to obtain either a Health and Care visa or Skilled Worker visa, unless you have permission to work via another route. Non UK / RoI candidates wishing to apply should self-assess the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship by visiting Work in the UK. If you are eligible for the Health and Care visa, application costs are lower and you do not need to pay the annual Immigration Health Surcharge.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
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