Job overview

Berkshire Healthcare’s Individual Placement and Support (IPS) employment service, now in its tenth anniversary year, are looking for employment specialists to champion our mission and support people with severe mental health issues – your clients – to gain, sustain and retain paid work.

Our diverse team brings together a wide range of strengths and skills. We’ll train you in the IPS approach so you can support clients effectively, build relationships with employers, and help change perceptions of mental health. Experience in supported employment or working with severe mental health issues is beneficial, but empathy, hope, and determination are essential.

We have 3 full time roles available (37.5 hours) within our West & East Berkshire Community Mental Health Services team, and you would be expected to travel across Berkshire, to include Reading, Newbury and Bracknell.

It’s a highly varied job where you’ll spend most of your week in the community, meeting clients and employers, and making a vital contribution to the team’s activities.

*salary shown includes HCAS – some locations attract HCA supplement

Interviews and assessments are scheduled to take place in person on Friday 8th May.

Role

You’ll support a caseload of up to 20 people with severe mental health issues who are unemployed or struggling in the workplace.

Working directly with all relevant stakeholders – including clients, clinicians, consultant psychiatrists and employers and Job Centre Plus – you’ll aim to enable your clients to gain, sustain and retain paid employment.

You’ll have the opportunity to transform the lives of your clients, to give them hope, direction and support their recovery journey. It’s also challenging, so you’ll need to be able to demonstrate perseverance, whilst being empathic and dedicated to finding clients a role that’s right for them.

Responsibilities

See JD attached

The person

Degree or evidence of equivalent relevant experience.
Experience of working with and supporting people who have mental health issues, (or other disadvantaged groups) into employment .
A Car Driver with access to a vehicle that can be used for work purposes.
For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.

We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.

Please note: We are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

Continuous professional development
Desirable

  • A good understanding of the principles and practice of supported employment
  • Trained in the IPS approach
  • Additional employability/careers counselling qualification, such as: Level 3 Diploma in Employability Services Sector Qualification, QCF in Advice & Guidance (Level 3)

    • Previous experience
    Essential

  • Experience of working with and supporting people who have mental health issues (or other unemployed disadvantaged groups) into employment
  • Experience of supporting individuals on a one-to-one basis
  • Proven experience of meeting and exceeding outcomes and targets

    • Desirable

  • Experience of carrying out assessments (eg vocational, health, occupational)
  • Experience of partnership working, negotiation and liaison with other agencies
  • Experience of opening up job opportunities with a range of employers
  • Experience of working alongside clinical teams within mental health

    • Knowledge, skills and abilities
    Essential

  • Able to demonstrate empathy, tenacity and hope when working alongside people with severe mental health issues
  • Knowledge of policy, practice and legislation in relation to employment, disability, equalities and mental health
  • Good numeracy and information management skills
  • A high level of perseverance; committed to seeing plans through to their conclusion within agreed timescales
  • Excellent motivational, communication and listening skills; able to build rapport and trust with a range of people, especially clients and employers
  • Well organised and confident working independently with own caseload and using initiative to identify and make the most of new opportunities
  • Able to collaborate successfully within a mixed-disciplinary team
  • Able to use Microsoft packages to advanced level

    • Desirable

  • Good knowledge of the local employment market
  • Understanding of work-related benefits
  • Understanding of successful job search strategies – eg creating a compelling CV, presenting clients to hiring managers, preparing for interviews

    • Additional requirements
    Essential

  • Ability easily to commute to different localities across Berkshire

    • Desirable

  • Personal experience of mental health issues
  • Disclosure and Barring Service Check