The opportunity has arisen for Employment Advisors to join the Employment Support Team within Talking Therapies services across Merseycare. Sites include Halton, Knowsley and Liverpool.

The Talking Therapies teams currently comprise of Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners and High Intensity Therapists. The team is supported by a Team Managers, Lead Practitioner and Senior PWPs.

This post is subject toa EnhancedDisclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check.

Main duties of the job

The opportunity has arisen for an Employment Advisor to join the Employment Support Team within Talking Therapies.

This post is subject toa EnhancedDisclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check.

About us

Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 11 million people.

We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.

At the heart of all we do is our commitment to perfect care care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. Were currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.

Job description

Job responsibilities

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES1. The Employment Specialist will be required to manage a caseload of between 20-25 people at any one time of service users that have experienced severe mental health issues and are either currently unemployed or to support individuals to retain their current employment.

2. The Employment Specialist will be expected to deliver the Talking Therapies approach, working directly with all relevant stakeholders.3. The Employment Specialist will maintain a professional relationship with the service users, key internal and external stakeholders, with particular attention to confidentiality and the maintenanceof professional boundaries.4. To adhere to mandatory administrative and data capture protocols when recording the progress of individuals. To keep accurate and complete records of casework, using the appropriateelectronic clinical notes systems.5. To act independently, using own judgement, knowledge and initiative to develop and understanding of the needs and potential career aspirations of job seekers.6. The Employment Specialist will support service users to gain and retain paid employment.7. To sensitively gather information, to develop a shared vocational profile and an agreed Job Notion or Curriculum Vitae, for each individual job seeker. On occasion complex, sensitive and contentious information will need to be provided and/or received. To deal with sometimesemotional and distressing behaviour and difficult situations and circumstances.8. When seeking employment commence rapid job search within 30 days of receiving a referral for a service user, whilst utilising local support networks to help them overcome their barriers to employment.9. To research the labour market. and spend time getting to know local employers in order to negotiate job opportunities that meet everyones strengths, needs, abilities and preferences.10. It is the responsibility of the Employment Specialist to source meaningful paid job opportunities for service users through tailored job search and regular contact with employers. Spend time getting toknow local employers, in order to negotiate job opportunities in the hidden labour market that meet each individuals strengths, needs, abilities and preferences.11. It is the responsibility of the Employment Specialists to undertake job analyses and workplace assessments, when placing service users with employers, ensure that the quality of work environments is explored, including potential for workplace adjustments that will accommodateindividual strengths, skills, symptoms and coping skills.12. To provide specialised advice to employers concerning employment to job seekers with a range of different clinical needs.13. To provide specialist education and support to employers, as agreed with the individual, which may include negotiating adjustments, return to work strategies and on-going contact with the employer to ensure job retention.14. To develop workplace introduction strategies together with a comprehensive package of individualised support to service users once they have returned to work.15. To provide individualised support to service users and employers once they have returned to work to assist them in sustaining employment.16. To offer high quality support to employed service users at risk of losing their employment. Offer advice and advocacy support to negotiate return or termination of employment support focusing on the desired outcome of the service user.17. To appropriately monitor the longer-term career development of individuals supported into employment offering ongoing input as required.18. Employment specialist to deal with cases involving disciplinary hearings, phased return to work plans and support with mediation between employer and employees.19. Build relationships with clinical teams to generate referrals and create collaborative working partnerships with clinicians where employment support is integrated into mental health treatment.20. Build a multi-disciplinary approach to the return to work. For example, involve clinical staff (where relevant) in managing symptoms at work, medication reviews and supporting rehabilitation needs e.g., social skill development, budgeting, travel training etc.21. With appropriate consent, to communicate and liaise with carers, families, employers and other professionals on behalf of the service user as required.

22. Provide reports and liaise with employers regarding occupational health and human resources to negotiate satisfactory resolutions. Often most needed while the service user is experiencing a deterioration in mental health.23. Employment Specialist will ensure all mandatory training is completed and up to date. Additional training will be offered and with the expectation that all staff will complete all role specific training provided by external organisations.24. The post holder will make themselves familiar with their obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act, always ensuring their safety and the safety of others.25. To ensure that all relevant policies are implemented such as information governance, safeguarding etc.26. To regularly collect and promote service user employment at recovery story events.27. The post holder will be involved in highly innovative positive approaches designed to challenge assumptions and discriminative recruitment practices.28. To provide cover/support to localities with high levels of referrals, complex cases, or where there is a disruption to service due to illness or vacancies.29. To offer support to access Benefits also to have access to better off calculations prior to gaining employment.30. To match the service users skills with volunteering opportunities leading to paid employment.

Person Specification

Qualificatios

Essential

• Educated to degree level or equivalent experience

Desirable

• Level 3 Diploma in Employability Services Sector
• Trained in Talking Therapies delivery model
• Mental Health First Aid qualification
• NVQ level 3 in Care or Learning Disability related
• Knowledge and understanding of teaching principles., Training in: o Training in Systematic Instruction o Counselling o Person Centred Planning o Adult education/training o Sales & marketing

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with people with complex mental health needs or a similar service user group
• Knowledge and experience of recovery and social inclusion principals
• Experience of utilising IT systems
• experience of working within diverse communities
• Ability to engage with employers across all industries using a variety of methods
• understanding and experience of working across a range of recruitment/ employment sectors
• Understanding of employment and challenges/barriers for people with complex mental health needs
• Knowledge of disability and special needs issues, policies and legislation in relation to employment
• Experience of analysing individual's skills with a view to designing a person-centred programme that meets employer/employee needs in the right job position
• A variety of experiences in and an understanding of industrial, commercial, manufacturing or other workplaces and processes
• Awareness and understanding of 'natural information' systems apparent in workplace
• Knowledge of the labour market and a demonstrated understanding of 'market positioning
• Understanding of financial implications between benefits/pay structure and advising service user's accordingly

Desirable

• Experience of working in supported employment services
• Understanding of principals and practices of the Talking Therapies support model
• Experience of caring for someone experiencing mental ill health
• Personal experience of using mental health services
• An understanding of self employment or business start up

Values

Essential

• Continuous Improvement
• Accountability
• Respectfulness
• Enthusiasm
• Support
• High Professional Standards
• Responsive to service users
• Engaging Leadership Style
• Strong Customer Service Belief
• Transparency and Honesty
• Discreet
• Change Oriented

Skills

Essential

• Naturally interested in and energised by working with and talking to people
• Non -judgemental and trustworthy
• Passion and drive to make a positive difference to people's lives
• Belief that people with mental illness can gain and sustain meaningful work
• Responds positively to failure and is able to translate it into a valuable learning experience
• Patient and empathetic to others' situations without imposing own experiences or beliefs onto others
• Ability to work unsupervised
• Ability to listen and make grounded judgements
• Ability to use tact and diplomacy and negotiation skills when dealing with and seeking to new employers
• Reaching shared agreement, effective group/meeting skills
• Ability to learn and assimilate quickly into a variety of situations
• Ability to keep effective records both verbal and written in a timely and accurate fashion
• Ability to translate employer need into job seeker opportunity
• Selling ability can capture and sustain the interest of an audience including service promotion
• Meaningful negotiating skills with employers, job seekers, carers that gain required outcomes
• Promotes respect and dignity at all times
• A demonstrable commitment and clear motivation to work closely with people who find themselves severely marginalised and excluded from mainstream community

Employer details


Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

350-COM5829793