Employment Specialist Team Leader

This is a part time position working 17.5 hours per week.

Rethink have an exciting opportunity to work for us delivering the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) programme within County Durham. We are looking for an Employment Specialist to support individuals with health conditions (including mental health issues), a disability or complex barriers to employment to gain, retain, or return to employment, following the IPS principles. You will also engage with and support local employers to enable work to be sustainable for individuals and by bridging workforce needs with local people. The roles will involve travelling around your allocated area to meet individuals in need of support offering a person centred approach and engaging with local employers who have workforce vacancies. You will work closely with and within healthcare settings and as part of a wider partnership of organisations to deliver the programme across the region.

Within County Durham the IPS programme looks to support people who would like to gain employment by delivering tailored support to move into the right job quickly and support to maintain employment.

This is a part time role which can be discussed at interview stage. Posts are for a fixed term of 3 years with the possibility of an additional 2 year extension once funding is confirmed. There may also the option to increase working hours as the programme progresses and referrals increase. A Driving licence and car may be essential to carry out this role.

Staff Benefits

We offer a wide range of support. Some of our benefits include:

• PULSE: our recognition, rewards, wellbeing, and benefits platform. Providing access to thousands of discounts and benefits including cashback; reloadable cards; savings etc. As well as being able to thank colleagues and nominate them for awards.
• Wagestream: gives you instant access to up to 50% of your pay. Also provides a library of expert tools, tips and articles plus, helps you start building a rainy-day pot straight from your salary.
• Wellbeing support: our Wellbeing hub gives physical, emotional, and mental health support. We also have a BUPA Employee Assistance Programme with access to appointments.
• Taking time for you: we work flexibly –you get to choose where you work, managing your own diary. We have generous annual leave, starting at 25 rising to 30 days, plus bank holidays, as well as your birthday off. We also offer the opportunity to buy and sell annual leave.
• Planning for the future: We have a contributory pension scheme.
• Structured Corporate Induction: Onboarding you into the Charity supporting your wellbeing along the way.
• £300 when you introduce a Friend: receive up to £300 when you introduce a friend or family member.

Who are we?

We’re Rethink Mental Illness, a leading charity provider of mental health services in England. We support thousands of people through our groups, services, policy, campaigns and advice and information. Our work supports us in delivering on our mission: “A better life for everyone severely affected by mental illness.”

It is an exciting time to join our growing charity. We are on a transformation journey, one that supports the delivery of the organisation strategy – delivering Communities that Care. Supporting employees, managers and leaders through this change is a key priority for the People function. Just like its key that we attract diverse people to come and work for us.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion

Diversity is important to us and we appreciate difference through difference, inclusiveness and belonging. It gives us a deeper understanding of the world, our society and the diverse communities we’re working with. By including everyone, we are able to draw on the unique experiences and expertise of our people to help shape and enrich our workplace and improve our services. One way we are doing is through our valued staff networks which play a critical and highly valued role in keeping us focused on creating a diverse, inclusive and engaged employer.  We recognise and support staff networks and support groups for our ethnically diverse and LGBTQIA+ colleagues. We are also proud to have been awarded Disability Confident Employer status and are a signatory to the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter.

We aim for our workforce to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve; for those who work for us to feel heard, valued and feel they belong; and for our work to help tackle wider mental health inequalities. We therefore actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including applicants with lived experience of mental illness, those who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual and any other gender identity not expressed here (LGBTQIA+); people who are neurodiverse, have a health condition, or a disability or hidden disability and people from an ethnically diverse background - regardless of your age, religious or spiritual belief, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, political view or socio-economic status.

Becoming a truly anti-racist organisation

We have an ambition of become a truly anti-racist employer, campaigning organisation and service provider - and in our efforts to influence policy and wider societal factors impacting on mental health set out in our anti-racist statement . We have designed a multi-year anti-racist programme of work contained in our Race Equality Action Plan which demonstrates our intention to hold ourselves accountable and be judged on our progress on becoming a truly anti-racist organisation. You can read more about our progress here.

We therefore actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including applicants with lived experience, those who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (or questioning), Intersex and (asexual) (LGBTQIA+), people with a disability, and people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact - recruitment@rethink.org

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To Apply please fill out the application questions noting your preference for job role(s) and upload your up to date CV detailing your knowledge, experience and reason for applying.