IPS Team Manager – Connect to Work, IPS Employment Manager
Salary: £35,000 – £38,000
Location: Blackpool Fylde Coast
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