IPS Employment Specialist (Mental Health) – Secondary Care Pathways: Sponsorship Available

Job summary

Vacancies: Central Bedfordshire and Luton (Secondary Care Opportunities)

Do you want to make a genuine difference and help transform someone’s life?

We are looking for motivated, passionate self-starters who want to build a career in the mental health sector. These roles offer a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference by supporting people with mental health needs into meaningful employment across Central Bedfordshire and Luton.

As part of our expanding IPS Employment Service, vacancies are available within Mental Health Community Hubs settings, supporting individuals at different stages of their mental health recovery journey.

As an Employment Specialist, you will play a vital role in helping people with mental health needs find and sustain fulfilling, competitive employment. You will receive comprehensive training, ongoing supervision, and access to a wide range of development opportunities within the Bedfordshire and Luton IPS Employment Service.

We welcome applications from people of all experience levels and backgrounds. What matters most is that you:

• Can motivate and build positive relationships with service users

• Have strong organisational and time management skills

• Are confident communicating and engaging with a range of employers

• Believe that anyone with a mental health condition can work with the right support

Posts may be allocated across Secondary Care teams depending on service needs.

Main duties of the job

What is an IPS Employment Specialist?

This is an exciting and dynamic role where no two days are the same, and you will be making a genuine difference to people’s lives.

As an IPS Employment Specialist, you will use the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model — an evidence-based approach that helps people with mental health needs move into and sustain paid employment.

In this role you will:

• Support and motivate individuals with mental health needs to access and sustain competitive paid employment.

• Meet regularly with clients to understand their goals, identify the right job match based on their strengths, skills and aspirations, and provide practical support such as CV development and interview preparation.

• Provide ongoing in-work support, helping clients manage workplace challenges, develop return-to-work plans where needed, and maintain employment through continued contact.

• Advocate for clients by engaging with employers, raising awareness of the IPS service, and promoting inclusive recruitment practices.

• Proactively source job opportunities through regular contact with local employers and community organisations.

• Work collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team, promoting the belief that people with mental health needs can and do succeed in paid employment, and helping to break down barriers to work.

Person Specification

Education/Qualification/Training

Essential

• oEducated to degree level Or equivalent experience in the field of supported employment – to degree level

Desirable

• oOccupational Therapy, Social Work, Psychology or Employment qualifications
• oIPS training

Experience

Essential

• oExperience of initiating, liaising and collaborating with a wide range of individuals and organisations promoting and developing employment, education and training opportunities on behalf of service users.
• oExperience of working with a range of mental health service users (in health, social care and/or voluntary sectors) implementing individual programmes and interventions.
• oExperience of working towards recovery goal attainment at pace.
• oExperience of actively and regularly engaging with employers and employment providers to seek out employment opportunities on behalf of service users
• oKnowledge of good practice in employment legislation protecting disability equality
• oExperience of constructing and reviewing individually tailored programmes using a person centred approach.
• oKnowledge of vocational assessment & profiling of service users’ vocational needs

Desirable

• oRecent experience of working with service users to help them meet their employment-related goals
• oExperience & knowledge of the benefits agency and all disability employment related benefits
• oExperience of collecting caseload and outcome data
• oPersonal experience of using Mental Health services

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• oEnthusiasm and commitment towards supporting people with mental health problems find paid employment.
• oAn understanding of the benefits of work as part of the recovery process and a positive attitude to enabling service users overcome barriers to finding employment, are essential.
• oExcellent marketing and promotional skills with an excellent negotiation skills & persuasive style
• oAble to analyse situations / information to identify and support service users to address their individual needs in relation to employment, education and training
• oGood time management skills to balance the co-ordination of own diary making best use of time, efficiently and effectively.
• oExcellent verbal and written communication skills
• oAbility to work independently and collectively as part of a team
• oExcellent interpersonal skills.
• oAbility to embrace and adapt to new challenges
• oKnowledge of local employment issues, relevant Government policy and Trust priorities
• oExcellent IT skills
• oAbility to work autonomously and use own initiative

Desirable

• oKnowledge of relevant welfare benefits and benefits rules
• oExperience of delivering presentations to a wide variety of colleagues and agencies internal and external to the Trust

Other

Essential

• oAn inclusive approach to employment and a ‘can do’ attitude
• oFlexible/adaptable.
• oAbility to travel independently to other bases.
• oCover for team members working in other areas in exceptional circumstances.

Closing Date: 23 August 2026