IPS Employment Specialist - 12 Month Fixed Term (Maternity Cover)


Company:	AKG
Salary:	£27,000 to £30,000 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Derbyshire
Working pattern:	On-site
Job type:	Temporary
Posting date:	16 Oct 2026
Closing date:	30 Oct 2026

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Summary

As an IPS Employment Specialist you will play a central role in ensuring people referred to our service receive high quality employment support through regular 1-2-1 support in the community. You will embed employment as apart of their recovery by working in partnership with the treatment team to ensure all individuals can access IPS employment support.

Job Summary

Under the supervision of the Senior Employment Specialist, manage a caseload of up to 25 people currently in community based treatment services for drug and/or alcohol dependency and who are unemployed, and who wish to secure paid employment.

Individual Placement and Support

• Managing a caseload of c.25 people in drug and alcohol treatment services who wish to return to, or start, paid employment. Clients will be worked with for up to 9 months, plus up to 4 months of in-work support, as specified in the IPS-AD protocol.

• Building effective working relationships with local employers, training providers to secure employment opportunities for people in community treatment for substance misuse, including ensuring the service is focused on accessing the ‘hidden’ labour market.

• Providing job development and job search activities directed toward positions that are individualized to the interests and uniqueness of the client, following the evidence-based principles and procedures of IPS supported employment.

• Providing ongoing support according to both the employee’s and employer’s needs to enable people who have experienced dependency on drugs and/or alcohol retain employment once secured.

• Promoting the profile of employment and working embedded within the clinical team to raise expectations around the ability of clients to attain paid work.

Overview of Main Responsibilities

• To prepare individuals for employment through assessing each person’s individual employment needs through vocational profiling, and then actively support them to achieve their employment goals, in partnership with the clinical team.

• To promote the benefits of supporting clients to access employment within the clinical team and external employers, aiming to raise the profile of IPS services, and raise expectations around the ability of clients to access paid employment.

• To work with client keyworkers and clinical staff, including through case conferencing, to ensure that clients receive appropriate support from everyone involved in their care during the return to work process.

• To provide advice and support to employers, as agreed with the individual, which may include negotiating adjustments and on-going contact with supervisors to ensure job retention.

• To assess individual support needs related to work which might typically include help with welfare benefits, travel to work, managing health at work etc.

• To work flexibly on occasion as required by clients and employers, which may require some working out of normal office hours.

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