The Opportunity

We are seeking solution focused, can do and motivated individuals with recent IPS experience to make a difference. We encourage applications from current and former Employment Specialists. The post holders will work with IPS Grow colleagues to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to become an effective IPS improvement specialist or change agent professional, supporting regional and national stakeholders with the national expansion of evidence-based employment provision within health systems.

The post holders will be given training and development to enable them to help services translate research into on the ground practice, with a focus on quality, good performance and adherence to IPS Fidelity principles. This involves assisting field mentoring, quality assurance fidelity reviews, developing the skills to facilitate workshops and learning networks and providing technical support to IPS teams.

The roles will be based in the Midlands but will support IPS services across various locations throughout the country. The roles will involve a mix of remote and onsite working. Candidates residing outside of these areas who are willing to incorporate some travel into their schedule are welcome to apply. The role will also require a commitment to national travel, since we anticipate that the development opportunities that you will be involved in will be happening throughout the country. Given the scale of IPS expansion, the exact role and responsibilities may need to change over time. For example, the exact geography covered by the roles may vary.

The IPS Grow Support Leads will be expected to work as part of the national IPS Grow team, which will require working across regions to deliver national objectives and make best use of the skills and capacity across the team. This will require flexibility and adaptability and will involve significant travel. The roles will be based in the Midlands but will support IPS services across various locations throughout the country. The roles will involve a mix of remote and onsite working. Candidates residing outside of these areas who are willing to incorporate some travel into their schedule are welcome to apply.

The Team

IPS Grow is a national programme designed to support the expansion of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) services in mental health, primary care, and drug and alcohol teams across England. The programme is led by Social Finance in partnership with the Centre for Mental Health. It is funded by NHS England and Improvement (NHSE/I), the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID).

A core element of the programme is the expert assistance provided by a team of IPS professionals, known as IPS Grow Leads, to support providers to improve their fidelity to the IPS model and achieve better employment outcomes for their clients.

Responsibilities

The key requirements of the role are:

Following an individual training and development plan to enhance and augment IPS knowledge and expertise

• To meet individual performance targets agreed through supervision and the professional development process.

• To actively participate in own supervision and growth and objective setting/appraisal, developing a personal development plan.

• To keep abreast of developing practice and research within the field of vocational rehabilitation.

Support the delivery of quality assurance Fidelity Reviews in line with national policy to drive quality and inform technical support practice

• Support IPS Fidelity Reviews initially as a second reviewer and developing the skills to lead reviews, participate in consensus scoring, and organise follow up guided reviews in line with the policy.

• Co-produce impactful, accurate and consistent Fidelity reports within an agreed timescale.

• Ensure that active measurable Fidelity action plans are put in place and monitored regularly.

• Encourage services to carry out their own self-assessment.

• Assist with the identification of system barriers to IPS delivery, including services or practices that conflict with the evidence-based approach. Work with NHSE/I Regional teams, OHID, DWP Regional Engagement Leads, commissioners, IPS and health service leaders to overcome barriers.

Driving performance in partnership with stakeholders

• Communicate effectively with the NHS England & Improvement Regional Leads, OHID teams, DWP Primary Care and local commissioners to support performance for each IPS service/health Trust and any other relevant stakeholders

• Build effective relationships with Health Trusts, NHSE Regional Leads, OHID and Commissioners to ensure that KPIs, targets and resources are aligned to NHS Long Term Plan commitments, Drug Strategy policy and the Universal Support employment programme.

• Work with services and relevant stakeholders to improve the integrity of reported data.

• Create accurate and timely reports including evidencing the impact of our work as required by internal and national stakeholders. This will include assisting the creation of case studies to demonstrate impact.

Leading by example – providing effective IPS technical support to drive evidenced based employment practice and increased job outcomes

• Assist the assessment of organisational readiness to implement IPS by understanding the needs of all stakeholders.

• Meeting with IPS services, clients and health service leaders and assisting with reviews of how services are delivered and how closely they adhere with the 25-point Fidelity scale.

• Provide feedback on organisational practices and organisational structures and make recommendations to help services prepare for IPS implementation, or support organisations to transform practice to IPS if other approaches are in place.

• Work alongside IPS Grow leads and practitioners to model new skills and help solve problems. This will include coaching IPS Employment Specialists / Team Leaders in the field as they meet with employers; attending vocational unit meetings or clinical team meetings; and conducting case reviews.

• Make regular virtual and in person visits to services to support them to achieve good fidelity using the IPS fidelity scale.

• Assist the education of stakeholders about IPS and recovery through on-the-ground work and training.

• Join local IPS steering committees where needed, and capacity allows.

• Assist with learning networks to support Team Leaders, Employment Specialists and clinical staff to increase their understanding and commitment

About You

We are looking for candidates with knowledge or experience of IPS delivery. Candidates should also have a passionate belief in evidenced-based employment practice and a focus on the impact for the service user.

You will ideally have experience of working in virtual teams and have been involved in field mentoring to model good practice.

You will be passionate about changing people’s lives for the better.

Successful candidates will be able to demonstrate:

• Shared values. We have a passionate belief that helping people to achieve appropriate employment can transform their lives. We hope you will share this, as well as our other core values.

• A thirst for learning and self-development and sharing that learning with services and stakeholders. As well as your own development this will include capturing and sharing learning – in written form, developing tools/guides and training for services

• Commitment to travel. The role will likely involve significant travel to build relationships and provide hands-on support as well as meeting with IPS Grow team members from across England

• Motivation to have impact / self-starter. You will be able to demonstrate high levels of initiative and efficacy. You will be committed to your own development, including keeping up to date with IPS and leadership practice. You will be continually curious and open to learning.

• Evidencing your work. You can provide timely reports and case studies to evidence your work and impact.

• Ability to deliver tangible results in an IPS environment. You should have experience of an IPS service, an understanding of the IPS approach and how it applies in practice.

• The ability to influence others. IPS Grow do not directly manage services, so your success will depend on the strength of your relationships with IPS providers and health systems across different delivery contexts.

• Training experience – ideally you will have the enthusiasm and desire to develop skills to deliver workshops and providing on the job training.

• Strategic planning and organisational skills. You will be able to manage your own workload, and able to deal with multiple and competing priorities using analytical skills to prioritise and meet deadlines (internal and external).

• Teamwork. You will be able to work effectively in a remote large, cross-functional team.

• Problem solving skills. You will take a structured approach to solving problems and will have a high tolerance for ambiguity. You will be able to respond and adapt to the complexities within a rapidly changing landscape and develop creative and innovative solutions to overcome challenges.

• Communication skills. You will be an effective communicator, with the ability to convey information clearly through written methods, engaging presentations, and impactful in-person interactions, and the ability to articulate your ideas with clarity.

Creativity and the ability to self-manage. You will be able to demonstrate an ability to deliver results working with a degree of autonomy, ideally in a remote working / virtual team environment. You will have strong communication skills and an ability to use a range of standard tools (such as Microsoft SharePoint, Zoom) to support virtual team working