Job overview

IPS Grow is a national programme designed to support the expansion of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) services in mental health, primary care, and drug and alcohol teams across England. The programme is led by Social Finance in partnership with the Centre for Mental Health. It is funded by NHS England and Improvement (NHSE/I), the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID).

Role

The postholder will work collaboratively with system stakeholders at senior level to unblock barriers to IPS investment and performance, and lead on strategic planning for the region. They will coordinate resources to ensure targeted and timely support for services and systems, and that regional KPIs are met. There is an emphasis on leading by example, getting alongside the team ​‘in the field’ to support them to unblock barriers and influence positive change for the IPS services in the region.

This is a national role working closely with the Head of Delivery and wider IPS Grow senior team to align regional activities to national objectives. There is a mix of remote and in person working across the East of England regions. Regional Managers also attend monthly in person meetings in London

Responsibilities

Line management, coaching, and field mentoring of IPS Grow Regional and Workforce Leads:

  • Lead the effective delivery of the IPS Grow offer across your area, identifying barriers and shaping and implementing solutions.
  • Lead by example, getting alongside the team ​‘in the field’ to support them to unblock barriers and influence positive change for the IPS services and systems in the region.
  • Provide induction, training and regular professional supervision to ensure consistency and quality of practice across the team.
  • Review staff performance, and lead on appraisals and Personal Development Plans.
  • Create a culture of team learning, reflection and continuous improvement, with an emphasis on evidence-based practice and the use of research and data to inform practice.
  • Support staff wellbeing and implement HR policies as required.

    • Regional stakeholder engagement and delivery of targeted interventions to support IPS services to deliver better outcomes:

  • Engage and build meaningful relationships with strategic regional stakeholders, such as ICB Leads, NHSE/I Regional Leads, OHID, commissioners, and senior NHS leaders.
  • Work collaboratively with the NHSE regional team to analyse data and address issues around performance, investment and quality across ICBs in the region.
  • Coordinate scheduling and planning to ensure fidelity reviews and technical support is delivered in line with regional targets and national key performance indicators.
  • Maintain accurate and relevant regional data to identify priority services and workforce needs.
  • Maximise resources from within the team and across the IPS community to support services to deliver better outcomes for clients.

    • Work across IPS Grow and contribute to national objectives

  • Work closely with Regional, Workforce, and Data Managers to identify and address common challenges and strategic issues, supporting a ‘one team’ culture.
  • Identify delivery risks and issues and flags these with the Head of Delivery.
  • Lead on agreed national strategic initiatives/workstreams to support the development of the programme.
  • Capture and share learning with the wider team around race equity, coproduction, and innovation.
  • Contribute to regional and national reports and presentations for funders/stakeholders.
  • Continuously refine practice and skill by engaging with IPS experts and other stakeholders in the UK and internationally to bring the best and most up-to-date understanding of “what works” to programme delivery.

The person

Skills, Experience & Qualifications

  • Managerial and leadership experience: Substantial experience managing teams and projects to successful delivery of performance expectations; leading by example and supporting the team to translate research into effective on the ground practice.
  • Delivering tangible results in an IPS context: Previous background in an IPS leadership capacity; demonstrated ability to drive tangible improvements in outcomes for clients and work effectively with senior system stakeholders to unblock issues; deep understanding of the IPS model and how it applies in practice.
  • Project management: Experience delivering complex projects against project plans, timelines and deliverables that are results focused.
  • Data and IT: Strong IT and data analysis skills; ability to interpret and translate data meaningfully.
  • Negotiation skills: Highly advanced negotiation and influencing skills and a willingness to tackle difficult conversations where needed to achieve the right results for services and clients.
  • Collaborative approach: Skilled in building consensus and fostering cooperation with diverse groups.
  • Workload management: Allocating and delegating tasks as necessary, able to deal with multiple and competing priorities using analytical skills to prioritise and meet deadlines.

    • Personal Attributes & Competencies

  • Empathetic and person centred: Driven by core belief in in evidenced-based employment support; takes a ‘people first’ approach in all aspects of service delivery and management.
  • Relationship building and senior stakeholder influencing: Ability to build strategic relationships, and influence decision makers to drive system-wide changes.
  • Managing in an agile way: Working within a complex and changing system with multiple stakeholders; comfortable with changing approaches and ambiguity.
  • Refining and implementing strategy: Commitment to working collaboratively and constructively as part of a team to shape our strategy and roadmap for project delivery in our region.
  • Building a learning culture: Commitment to learning and developing your own practice and that of the team; builds a ‘one team’ culture with a strong focus on cross team collaboration.
  • High level of trust, integrity, empathy and commitment to driving social change.
  • Thoughtful and effective communicator.
  • Strong attention to detail and accomplishes tasks with thoroughness, accuracy and reliability, e.g., quality assuring presentations to clients