IPS Employment Specialist (OT, RMN, Social Worker): Sponsorship Available

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

Job summary

Are you an Occupational Therapist, Registered Mental Health Nurse (RMN), or Social Worker looking for a role where you can make a lasting difference to people’s recovery journeys?

This is an exciting opportunity to join a specialist Mental Health Employment Service, helping people with serious mental health difficulties achieve their employment goals through the nationally recognised Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model. You’ll support individuals to find, secure, and sustain meaningful paid employment, recognising the powerful role that work can play in recovery, confidence, independence, and wellbeing.

Working across the Taunton and West Somerset area, you’ll become part of a supportive, multidisciplinary team embedded within community mental health services. Every day will give you the chance to combine your professional expertise with a practical, person-centred approach that helps people move closer to the future they want.

This role requires travel across the locality, so access to your own vehicle and the ability to travel independently are essential.

Main duties of the job

As a Mental Health IPS Employment Specialist, you will:

  • Work directly with people experiencing severe and enduring mental health challenges who want to gain or retain paid employment.
  • Carry out vocational assessments to understand each person’s strengths, interests, aspirations, and employment goals.
  • Develop tailored action plans and provide ongoing support throughout the employment journey.
  • Build strong relationships with local employers and identify suitable job opportunities that match individual preferences and skills.
  • Provide job coaching, in-work support, workplace assessments, and guidance on reasonable adjustments.
  • Support individuals to understand and manage work-related risks, developing collaborative plans that promote success and wellbeing.
  • Work closely with Community Mental Health Teams and partner organisations to ensure coordinated, recovery-focused support.
  • Promote the benefits of employment as part of recovery and advocate for opportunities for people living with mental health conditions.
  • Maintain accurate records and contribute to service quality, outcomes monitoring, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • A degree or equivalent in social work, occupational therapy or psychiatric nursing
  • Professional registration to practice in the UK if degree is in social work, OT or nursing, or a degree in psychology

Desirable

  • Masters degree in a relevant field
  • IPS Training

Experience

Essential

  • Working with people with severe and enduring mental health issues
  • Working closely with a range of service providers

Desirable

  • IPS or other employment specialist experience
  • Forensic mental health experience

Additional Criteria

Essential

  • Must be a car driver with a valid driving licence with appropriate business insurance in order to travel throughout the county, to meet the needs of the service

Desirable

  • Vocational assessment, worksite assessment and graded return to work or in work support planningSupervisory skills

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Closing Date: 3 September 2026

To apply for this job please visit somersetft.tal.net.