Mental Health Retention Employment Specialist

Job overview

The Department of Health’s strategy for mental health includes the drive to ensure that those with mental health conditions have access to recovery focused interventions, including support to gain meaningful, paid employment and to maintain this.

An opportunity has arisen to work within LPFT’s Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Team as a Mental Health Retention Employment Specialist, working with service users in the Adult Community Division to help them with their employment goals. This is a full time post, covering the South of the County.

The post holders will provide Individual Placement and Support to a caseload of service users mainly in defined localities within Lincolnshire but cover for other geographical areas covered by the Trust may be required if the need arises.

Main duties of the job

This post require both enthusiasm and a commitment towards supporting people with mental health conditions to retain and access paid employment. This includes working collaboratively with a wide range of employers and relevant agencies and partners from the statutory, voluntary and business sectors, internal and external to the Trust.

An understanding of the benefits of employment as part of the recovery process and a positive attitude to enabling service users to overcome barriers within employment, are essential. The post will involve working in the community and requires the ability to work autonomously, working closely with teams across the Trust’s Adult Community Division in Lincolnshire.

You will be educated to degree level or hold equivalent experience in the field of supported employment, have knowledge of the national employment and welfare benefits agenda; and have skills and recent experience of working with people with mental health conditions. LPFT holds a “Good Fidelity” status with IPS Grow; you must be willing to undertake training in the model of IPS, the evidence-based intervention used by the service.

If you require further information on this post please contact:

Jasmine Fawcett – IPS Team Manager – [email protected]

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To support and advocate on behalf of secondary care mental health service users who are at risk of losing their job, due to mental illness.

To provide advice and ongoing support on issues including employment rights, reasonable adjustments, and phased return to work plans. To support with advice on tribunals and employment termination applications.

Provide workplace support to the service user and employer to promote inclusion and reduce discrimination and stigma.

Support service users to identify and meet their vocational goals by providing individually tailored programs using a person centered approach

Complete initial assessments of service users’ vocational needs, working collaboratively with service users to complete a Vocational Profile. Support service users to complete job applications and compile CVs.

Actively and regularly engage with employers and employment providers and seek out employment opportunities for service users.

Proactively address barriers to education, training and employment through partnership working with services

Ensure effective communication with CMHT colleagues and relevant organisations internal and external to the Trust.

Ensure that service users are supported to progress through the service in a timely manner and are discharged / signposted / referred on at appropriate stages of their treatment.

Make regular written and verbal reports concerning the progress of service users, and maintain written and electronic records as per Trust policy.

Attend and actively contribute to team meetings and peer supervision.

Attend and actively contribute to CMHT team allocation meetings/convene case review meetings (as required)

Ensure that you are fully aware of the IPS Fidelity Scale and the sections within this as these need to be achieved as part of Service requirements

Contribute positively to the achievement of service targets and outcomes to achieve commissioners requirements and target

Complete required records for caseload and service activity and achievement of outcomes.

Ensure compliance to the policies, procedures and working practices of Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and local and National guidance and standards.

Review and actively contribute to the development of the service in line with best practice and evidence based interventions.

Execute additional tasks in order to meet departmental project-related or development and change objectives.

Line manage and supervise support staff on a daily basis

Participate in the provision of an extended hour’s service, if required to do so.

Participate in the provision of an extended hour’s service, if required to do so

Work flexibly across the county to support service need