Employment Specialist (Individual Placement and Support)

Do you want to work for a Charity that empowers people?

Do you want to be involved in something new that changes lives?

As a part of the Change Grow Live team, you’ll make a difference and help people get to where they want to be.

CGL have been a leading provider of recovery focused drug and alcohol services across England and Wales for over 20 years. Our innovation and creative approach allow us to provide a broad range of safe, high-quality health and social care services.

As an IPS Employment Specialist joining our Walsall team you will be supporting people in recovery to find paid employment that is right for them, using the Individual Placement Support model of employment support.

Change Grow Live are committed to creating an inclusive work environment, which celebrates differences and allows our staff and service users to flourish. We recruit the very best people from a wide range of backgrounds, ensuring service users benefit from our diverse skills and expertise. We always work to the principles of fairness and equality of opportunity in all our recruitment processes.

Where: Walsall

Hours: Full time 

Contract Type: Permanent

Full-time hours at Change Grow Live are 37.5 hours per week. For part-time roles, the salary and payments will be pro rata based on contracted hours.

In this role, you'll manage a caseload of 25 individuals receiving structured treatment for drug and/or alcohol use, helping them secure sustainable paid employment in line with their preferences.

You'll deliver the IPS model for our Walsall service, offering person-centered advice and guidance while fostering positive relationships with local employers to create employment opportunities.

Your focus will be on helping clients sustain their employment while working collaboratively with treatment service staff to identify potential referrals and provide integrated support leading to job acquisition and retention.

IPS is a fundamental commitment in the Government’s Drug Strategy, revolutionising employment support in all treatment services in England. This evidence-based model ensures service users secure preference-led paid work, significantly more effective than any other support.

About You:

• Educated to degree level or equivalent work experience
• Strong communication skills for effective relationship building
• Proficient in team management and support strategies
• Aptitude in data collection and reporting for IPS services
• Dedication to assisting individuals secure paid employment
• Proven ability to connect with individuals, especially those affected by substance misuse
• Able to work flexibly across a county-wide area and across community locations

What We Offer:

• 25 days of annual leave, plus bank holidays. Additionally, you'll receive one extra day of annual leave for each year of service during your first five years, therefore you will enjoy 30 days of leave after five years with us.
• Paid ‘Wellbeing’ hour each week, with access ‘Wellness’ hub and Employee Assist Programme
• Contributory pension scheme
• Great benefits incl. discounts for shopping, cinema, holidays, etc.
• A supportive team passionate about their work
• Training, career development & progression opportunities
• Refer a friend scheme with generous vouchers for successful candidates

If you're excited about this opportunity, apply now and be part of our transformative journey at Change Grow Live.

Please review the attached Job Description and Role Specifics for a detailed outline of responsibilities and Person Specification.

Direct applications only we will not be engaging agencies for this vacancy.

Please note: This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must already have the right to work in the UK at the time of application. For applicants with time-limited visas, unfortunately, we are unable to support new visa applications or extensions. More information about eligible roles and occupations can be found here: Skilled Worker visa: Overview - GOV.UK

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high number of applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.