Employment Specialist

**Location**

Manchester

**Company**

Employment

**Contract type**

Permanent/ Full
- time

**Salary**

£27,100 per annum

**Closing Date**

24/08/2025

**Ref No**

4779

**The Growth Company (GC)** Employment team has a vacancy for an Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Employment Specialist to help participants gain employment. IPS is recognised as the most effective way to support people with mental health problems in finding and keeping paid work. If you're motivated to make a difference, this job offers full support, supervision, and training to develop your IPS practice.

We are continuing to expand our services that support people with health and mental health conditions. We are therefore particularly keen to hear from you if you have experience of working in either employability, employer engagement, the health or mental health sectors.

**Key Responsibilities**
- Manage a caseload of motivated clients by delivering the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) approach, helping them overcome barriers related to work, skills, and health to achieve sustainable employment.
- Support employed individuals who are struggling to retain their jobs due to mental health challenges, offering tailored IPS services to promote job stability.
- Build strong partnerships with clinical teams to encourage referrals and promote employment as a key component of mental health recovery.
- Assess clients’ work-related support needs, including welfare and benefits advice, mental health disclosure guidance, and other employment-related concerns.
- Engage with local employers to foster relationships and create employment opportunities aligned with client goals and capabilities.
- Conduct tailored job searches and maintain regular contact with employers to uncover both advertised and hidden job opportunities for clients.
- Provide ongoing support to employers, including negotiating workplace adjustments, developing return-to-work strategies, and maintaining communication to ensure successful job retention.

**About you**
- Strong understanding of challenges faced by individuals with multiple barriers to employment, including factors that hinder both job access and long-term retention.
- Familiarity with local support services and agencies that assist individuals with complex needs such as debt, substance misuse, and housing instability.
- Broad knowledge of local job markets and occupational opportunities, enabling effective job matching and career guidance.
- Warm, empathetic communication style with the ability to build trust and meaningful relationships that empower individuals toward sustained employment.

**Skills Required**:

- Excellent interpersonal, communication, and negotiation skills, with the ability to build rapport and influence effectively across diverse audiences.
- Proven ability to thrive in a target-driven environment, consistently focused on achieving and sustaining positive employment outcomes.
- Strong employer engagement capabilities, including building partnerships and identifying job opportunities aligned with client needs.
- Training in the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) approach is desirable, enhancing effectiveness in supporting individuals into meaningful work.

We are committed to increasing workforce diversity and offer a guaranteed interview to applicants who meet the essential criteria and either have a disability or are from a diverse ethnic community.

Examples include:

- Meeting the hiring manager or touring the venue in advance
- Extra time for tasks
- Interview questions shared beforehand
- Accessibility software or equipment for assessments

GC is committed to fostering a culture of flexibility and agile working. Many roles will increasingly support full agile arrangements. If you require more permanent flexibility, we encourage you to discuss this during your interview so your request can be considered early in the process.

All GC colleagues will work inline with the Health & Safety at work act and the GC Health & Safety Policy.