Employment Specialist

Could you help people in recovery build brighter futures through employment? Join Change Grow Live as an Employment Specialist in Nottinghamshire and use the IPS approach to support individuals receiving drug and alcohol treatment into meaningful, sustainable paid work.

• East Midlands
• Full-time

Job overview

CGL have been a leading provider of recovery focused drug and alcohol services across England and Wales for over 20 years. Our innovation and creative approach allow us to provide a broad range of safe, high-quality health and social care services.

As an IPS Employment Specialist joining our Nottinghamshire team you will be supporting people in recovery to find paid employment that is right for them, using the Individual Placement Support model of employment support.

Change Grow Live are committed to creating an inclusive work environment, which celebrates differences and allows our staff and service users to flourish. We recruit the very best people from a wide range of backgrounds, ensuring service users benefit from our diverse skills and expertise. We always work to the principles of fairness and equality of opportunity in all our recruitment processes.

Role

In this role, you'll manage a caseload of 25 individuals receiving structured treatment for drug and/or alcohol use, helping them secure sustainable paid employment in line with their preferences.

You'll deliver the IPS model for our County South area, offering person-centred advice and guidance while fostering positive relationships with local employers to create employment opportunities.

Your focus will be on helping clients sustain their employment while working collaboratively with treatment service staff to identify potential referrals and provide integrated support leading to job acquisition and retention.

IPS is a fundamental commitment in the Government's Drug Strategy, revolutionising employment support in all treatment services in England. This evidence based model ensures service users secure preference led paid work, significantly more effective than any other support.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of around 25 clients in structured treatment for substance use who are motivated to start/return to work
• Deliver the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) approach for which training will be given.
• Meet and support clients to understand their key skills, aspirations, and goals through completing a Vocational Profile and produce an Action Plan to help them obtain and sustain competitive employment. This includes support with their job search, CV production, application forms, interview techniques and career development.
• Assess client support needs related to work which may include benefits/welfare advice, disclosure of mental health symptoms etc., and provide support & guidance.
• Attend weekly clinical team meetings as an embedded IPS practitioner.
• Source job opportunities for clients through tailored job search and regular contact with local employers to explore hidden as well as advertised employment opportunities.
• Provide education and support to employers, as agreed with the individual, which may include negotiating adjustments, return to work strategy and ongoing contact with the employer to ensure job retention.
• Build relationships with colleagues in clinical teams to engage and generate referrals and create collaborative working partnerships with clinical staff (promoting employment as a positive intervention in the recovery journey).
• Once employment has been secured continue to provide quality service through conducting regular visits, effective monitoring and in-work support to clients and employers to help sustain employment.

• Build and maintain employer relationships and maintain employer engagement database.
• Arrange regular meetings with clients to monitor and review progress pre and post employment.
• Spend time getting to know local employers to negotiate job opportunities that meet everyone's strengths, needs, abilities and preferences.
• Challenge inequalities experienced by clients and address existing discrimination, whilst ensuring a process of learning for the organisation.
• Work with employers to promote the service, identify job opportunities and ensure appropriate strategies are in place to reduce barriers in the workplace - this can include exploring "job carving" i.e. carving small slices of work from the duties other staff do not have time to do.

The person

About You:

• Educated to degree level or equivalent work experience
• Strong communication skills for effective relationship building
• Proficient in team management and support strategies
• Aptitude in data collection and reporting for IPS services
• Dedication to assisting individuals secure paid employment
• Proven ability to connect with individuals, especially those affected by substance misuse
• Able to work flexibly across a county wide area and across community locations