Ips Team Leader

An exciting opportunity has arisen for 2 permanent Band 6 Team Leaders for the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Services in Liverpool, Wirral, Warrington and Halton. The IPS service supports Mersey Care service users with severe and enduring mental health conditions who are under Community Mental Health and/or Early Intervention Teams and are looking for paid employment as part of their recovery journey. The IPS Teams are situated under the portfolio of The Life Rooms.
Main duties of the job
The Team Leaders will be responsible for:
Managing and providing support for a maximum of 7 Employment Specialists, each of whom will be co-located in a clinical team.
Overseeing delivery of the service specification, ensuring that key performance indicators (KPIs) are met and reported on (through quarterly performance reports to Commissioners)
Assuring that the service is well governed (through monthly Quality Improvement Group reports)
Assuring that the service meets quality standards (through IPS Fidelity Reviews)
Assuring that the service is continuously developed and that new opportunities are identified
Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.
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. We’re 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.
Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.
Principal Responsibilities:
1. To undertake training as required to fulfil the duties of the post and advise on the training
needs of employment advisors. To assist in the delivery of staff training both in house and
to other organisations and agencies
2. To line manage and provide professional support and guidance to Employment Advisors. To
provide support and advice to Employment Advisors, as required, through regular formal
and informal supervision.
3. To undertake initial appointments with prospective Job Seekers
4. To act independently using own judgement, knowledge and initiative to develop an
understanding of the needs and potential career aspirations of Job Seekers.
5. 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
sometimes emotional and distressing behaviour and difficult situations and circumstances.
6. To research the labour market and identify suitable local employers by making direct contact
and promoting the service.
7. To actively pursue employment and/or training opportunities with and on behalf of Job
Seekers developing working relationships with local employers and negotiating contracts
and reasonable adjustments for Jobseekers.
8. To undertake job analyses and workplace assessments, in order to identify the factors this
will contribute to the successful acquisition of specific job skills, and the potential
development of positive and meaningful connections for Job Seekers, with colleagues and
co-workers.
Head of Employment
Band 8a
IPS Team Leader
Band 6
Operational Delivery
Manager
Band 7
9. To provide specialised advice concerning employment to Jobseekers with a range of
different clinical needs.
10. To provide specialised advice to employers concerning recruitment and retention. To
develop workplace introduction strategies which are appropriate to individual Job Seekers,
and individual workplaces.
11. Taking into account the needs of both Job Seeker and employer, to develop and deliver
highly individualised training and support packages which will result in the successful
acquisition of work and job specific skills.
12. To appropriately monitor the progress of individuals through the supported employment
process.
13. To appropriately monitor the career development of individuals in employment
14. To work with other members of the CMHT and clinical teams enlisting appropriate specialist
support as and when necessary.
15. As appropriate, to communicate and liaise with carers, families, employers and other
professionals.
16. To actively promote the integration and inclusion of Job Seekers, into the workforce of local
employers.
17. To contribute to the management of relationships with partner agencies and the continuing
development of further appropriate partnerships with statutory and voluntary sector
agencies.
18. To assist the Vocational Services Manager in seeking out and securing funding which is
consistent with, and is likely to further, the aims of Mersey Care NHS Trust.
19. To prepare and submit to deadlines minimum data set reports and relevant beneficiary
returns as required, to the Vocational Services Manager.
20. To attend the Vocational Services Steering group and take an active part in relevant work streams