IPS Senior Employment Specialist - Lewisham | South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
| Posting date: | 31 March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Additional salary information: | £46,419 - £55,046 per annum inclusive of HCAs |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 30 April 2026 |
| Location: | Lewisham, SE13 5QY |
| Company: | South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust |
| Job type: | Contract |
| Job reference: | 7820193/334-NUR-7820193-TA |
Summary
Tosupport people with mental health problems into employment and provide supervision for a team of employment specialists.
• Givingindividually tailoredadviceand supportto a diverse range of clients,using a range of communication methods includingvideo conferencing, telephone calls, emails,textsand social media.
• Working as part of a teamof other employment professionals, sharing knowledge andexpertise, and contributing to team meetings and service development activities.
• Providing effective supervision for a team of employment specialists to help them develop in their roles and achievea high levelof performance.
• Typingclear and concise sessionnotes,andentering data onto electronicdatabasesin a timely manner, ensuring that files and systems are always up-to-date andaccurate.
• Working independently to manage owntime and workload,keepingtrack of own progress towards targets,andcontinually reflecting on own performance to improve and develop in the role.
• Keeping up to date with local and national labour market trends, education/training opportunities, welfare benefit changes, and employment lawin relation to client group.
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) provides the UK’s widest range of NHS mental health services, including support for substance misuse. We serve over two million people across Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham, and Croydon through 230+ inpatient, outpatient, and community services. Each year, we care for over 5,000 inpatients and 45,000 community patients. We also deliver 50+ specialist services across the UK and internationally.
Work Well is a network of 10 employment support services within SLaM, helping people in Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham, and Southwark recover through meaningful employment. We believe everyone can work if they want to and should have choice and control over their career path.
Our values are:
• Person-centred: Supporting informed career decisions.
• Empowering: Providing tools for independence.
• Inspiring: Encouraging long-term career goals.
All staff are expected to uphold confidentiality, equality, health and safety, infection control, safeguarding, and professional standards. We follow NHS codes of conduct and financial procedures. Roles are reviewed regularly to reflect service needs and staff development.
Essential:
• Educated to degree level or equivalent (A).
Desirable:
• QualificationinInformation Advice and Guidance (IAG)or similar(A).
Experience
Essential:
• Experience of delivering employmentadviceto peoplewith mental health problems and/or disabilitieswho are unemployed(A/I).
• Experience ofsupervising or managing others(A/I).
Desirable:
• Experience ofsetting up new services or projects(A/I).
• Lived experience of mental health problems or caring for someone with a mental health problem(A/I).
Knowledge
Essential:
• Up-to-date knowledge about how to succeed in today’s job market including labour market trends and common recruitment practices; and Covid-19 related employment issues (e.g. furlough, shielding, homeworking, etc)(A/I/T).
• Knowledge of primary and secondary care mental health service systems(NHS Transformation)(A/I/T).
Desirable:
• Knowledge of the local area (London BoroughofSouthwark)(A/I/T).
Skills andCompetencies
Essential:
• Continually expands knowledge in areas related to work and keepsup-to-datewith developments(A/I/T).
• Communicates effectively with others, selecting the best method of communication including email, telephone, video or face-to-face(A/I/T).
• Deals with challenging conversations confidently and sensitively(A/I/T).
• Regularly reviews performance and develops solutions for improvement(A/I/T).
• Interprets and follows relevant policies,proceduresand legislation(A/I/T).
• Demonstrates responsibility for own actions and development(A/I/T).
• Maintains positive outlook and adapts to change quickly(A/I/T).
• Copes with emotionalstress and strainbymaintainingself controland resilience(A/I/T).
Values
The focus of every role at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust is always around the service user. Every member of staff is expected to meet these five commitments(A/I/T):
• To be caring, kind and polite.
• To be prompt and value your time.
• To take time and listen to you.
• To be honest and direct with you.
• To do what I sayI’mgoing to do.
In addition, all staff must understand and support the organisation’s commitment toeliminatingdiscrimination, promoting equality and fostering good relations, and put this into practice in everything they do(A/I/T).
This advert closes on Tuesday 14 Apr 2026