Employment Advisor

Job Description

Days:Monday to Friday

Hours:35 hours

Evening work on occasion

Salary:£26029

Expenses:If applicable and authorised in advance

Reporting toIPS Supervisor

Location:Co-located with mental health team and WWT office. Two thirds of time to be spent in the community.

Overall Function:

Working with clients who have experienced mental health problems to find and sustain employment according to the principles of Individual Placement and Support.

Responsibilities:

General

  • Manage a caseload of up to 30 clientswho have experienced mental health problems who wish to return to work.
  • 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 maintain accurate case notes and other employment related records
  • Act non-judgementally and respect individuals’ views and rights to choose their own employment and career aspirations
  • To work towards project targets covering job outcomes, sustainment and employer engagement.
  • To assist clients to complete application forms, CVs and cover letters
  • Help clients prepare and practice for interviews
  • Discuss and provide support to clients around disclosure of mental health problems to prospective employers
  • Assist the client to access appropriate courses and training if required to meet employment goals
  • To support clients prior to or when in work by providing advice on Permitted working, better off calculations, budgeting, and Working Tax Credits
  • Assist clients with transport routes and other support needs such as accessing interview clothes
  • Coach individuals using effective prompting and systematic job coaching to support their learning and success in the workplace
  • Assist clients with career progression, finding jobs that are more desirable or asking for promotions
  • Actively participate in team meetings, individual supervision, case discussions training and performance appraisals
  • Keep abreast of principles and practices of IPS
  • To manage own calendar and submit on a pre-weekly basis to Supervisor
  • To work collaboratively with Peer Support and admin workers
  • To work with key stakeholders including the DWP and job brokerage agencies

Employer relations

  • To investigate all sources of local job opportunities
  • Meet weekly target of 6 employer contacts per week
  • Develop and manage relationships with employers by learning about their business, recruitment practices and criteria over multiple visits

Mental Health Services

  • To maintain a regular working presence as a member of the health team
  • To promote the service, aiming to raise the profile of IPS and raise expectations around the ability of service users to access paid employment.
  • Participates in weekly clinical team meetings and communicate individually with mental health team members in order to coordinate services and keep employment on the agenda
  • Attend and participate in client CPA reviews
  • Act as a resource to other members of the multi-disciplinary team by providing advice and information on vocational opportunities
  • Adhere to relevant codes of ethics and conduct standards and guidance required by Working Well Trust and East London NHS Foundation Trust
  • To undertake statutory training provided by the Foundation Trust and appropriate to the role

Job sustainment

  • Provide individualised follow-along supports to assist clients in maintaining employment including frequent in-person supports during the first month of a new job and at least monthly after or as desired by the client
  • Actions to promote job retention, if the service user is currently employed, such as meeting with the employer/line-manager to negotiate reasonable adjustments in order for a return to work to be achieved
  • Mediate in cases where there is potential or actual conflict between the employer and the employee (i.e. the client)
  • Meet requirements to keep individuals secure, risk-free and to safeguard them when seeking work and in employment
  • Enable service users and employers to understand the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 in relation to employmentand defend clients’ employment rights
  • Talk confidently to employers, managers and colleagues about health and disability issues, especially those that are common and associated with social stigma/exclusion

Person Specification

Employment Advisor

This employee specification contains the essential and desirable criteria which candidates should possess in order to satisfy the performance requirements for this post.

Essential / Desirable
Qualifications
Skills & Abilities /
  • Ability to take initiative
  • Excellent administration and organisational skills
  • Negotiation and mentoring skills
  • Ability to cope with a complex, demanding and fluctuating caseload
  • Listening skills

Personal Qualities /
  • Non-judgmental approach
  • Willing to work in different locations across the borough
  • Ability to build rapport
  • Willingness to work occasional evenings
  • A belief that anyone can work with the right support

Knowledge & Experience /
  • Engaging with employers and marketing individuals
  • Marketing experience
  • Ability to manage own workload and work on own initiative
  • Understanding of key legislation
  • Knowledge of benefit system
  • Experience of working with vulnerable adults or disadvantaged communities
  • Experience of assisting unemployed people gain employment
  • Fully committed to Equal Opportunities
/
  • IPS experience
  • Experience of using RiO
  • Experience of performing vocational assessments (identifying training and employment needs)
  • Experience of inter-agency working
  • Recruitment background

Relationships /
  • Ability to work effectively as a member of a team
  • Ability to work well with a wide range of individuals such as mental health professionals, training providers and clients.