Employment Specialist - Employment Coach

Job summary

We are looking for motivated, people-focused individuals to join our friendly Individual Placement & Support (IPS) Employment Services as Employment Specialists supporting people with serious and enduring mental health difficulties.

If you believe in the power of good work to support recovery...If you're passionate about helping people build confidence and purpose...If you enjoy building relationships with local employers...

...then this could be the perfect role for you.

IPS is an evidence-based model that helps people into paid work quickly and sustainably. Although 90% of people with severe mental illness want to work, only 8% are currently in employment -- your work will directly help to change this.

Main duties of the job

What you'll be doing

This is a highly rewarding, varied and fast-paced role. You will:

Supporting clients

• Manage a caseload of people with mental health difficulties, helping them find, secure and retain paid employment.
• Use a person-centred, strengths-based approach to identify career goals and provide tailored support.
• Help clients and employers identify reasonable adjustments and return-to-work strategies.
• Promote independence, confidence and hope throughout each person's recovery journey.

Working with employers

• Build strong relationships with local employers across Gloucestershire -- including SMEs, public-sector organisations, local retail, hospitality, logistics, green industries, and Gloucestershire's thriving voluntary sector.
• Proactively approach employers and negotiate job opportunities within the hidden labour market.
• Challenge stigma and build inclusive, supportive workplaces.

Working in partnership

• Work closely with Gloucestershire Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs), DWP Work Coaches, Citizens Advice and local partners.
• Be a key part of a multi-disciplinary service supporting integrated community mental health care.
• Follow the IPS model, contribute to fidelity reviews and maintain high-quality evidence and outcomes.

The qualification, training & experience requirements for the role are underlined in the Job Description/Person Specification.

About us

We have a skilled and dedicated workforce of over 5000 colleagues working in a diverse range of services over 55 sites and within people's homes. We strive to enable a welcoming workplace culture that builds and celebrates civility, inclusivity and diversity, while providing a sense of belonging and trust.

Annual staff surveys, regular Pulse surveys and other engagement opportunities provide our people with lots of opportunity to tell us about their experiences of working with us. In the latest staff survey, 61% of colleagues gave us their views. It was great to hear that:

• 72% of colleagues would recommend the Trust as a place to work, ranking us 1st for Provider Trusts in the South West region on this question.
• 76% would recommend the standard of care provided in our services if a friend or relative needed treatment, also ranking us 1st in the South West region.
• 81% said that care of patients and service users is the Trust's priority, compared with an average in comparable NHS Trusts in England of 64%

This high-level overview shows we are in a healthy position, with higher scores than average for comparable organisations, alongside a great response rate, indicating good staff engagement. However, we also know we have plenty of room for improvement in many areas. To that end, we continue to prioritise and invest in our commitment to genuinely becoming a Great Place to Work with consistent top-quartile performance in the annual staff survey and Pulse surveys.

Details

Date posted

06 May 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£32,073 to £39,043 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

327-26-319

Job locations

Countywide

Pullman Place

Gloucester

GL1 3NF

For further information and to apply, click on the APPLY BUTTON at the bottom of this advert to view the supporting documents or apply online