Devon Partnership NHS Trust

Employment Specialist
The closing date is 11 December 2026

Job summary
EMPLOYMENT SPECIALIST - JOB RETENTION
Workways is looking for enthusiastic and motivated Band 5 Employment Specialists to join our team, working across either North Devon or Torbay, South and West Devon. We have 2 full time vacancies - one for each area.
These posts will be part of an expansion to an existing Job Retention team - based in Exeter, East and Mid Devon.
You will manage your own caseload, providing personalised, recovery-focused support to people who want to remain in paid employment or explore alternative work. You will work collaboratively with individuals to understand their strengths, employment needs and barriers, developing practical action plans and providing ongoing support to help them achieve their goals.
A key part of the role is building positive relationships with employers, mental health services and other organisations, providing advice and guidance to help people successfully sustain employment.
We are looking for someone with excellent communication, organisation and problem-solving skills who can work independently, build strong relationships and engage confidently with employers and partner organisations.
If you are passionate about mental health, employment and making a real difference to people's working lives, we would love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

• Manage a caseload of people experiencing mental health difficulties, providing individualised, recovery-focused employment support.
• Support people to retain paid employment or explore alternative employment, working with them to identify strengths, barriers and employment goals.
• Work alongside the Employment Specialists within the Individual Placement and Support team.
• Complete vocational assessments and jointly develop, review and monitor individual care plans.
• Provide practical interventions including problem-solving, confidence building and developing work-related skills.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with employers, providing advice and support to help employees sustain their employment.
• Work closely with mental health services, employers and other partner organisations to support positive employment outcomes.
• Develop employer contacts and promote the benefits of employing and supporting people experiencing mental health difficulties.
• Deliver training, presentations or group sessions on topics related to employment, work and mental health when required.
• Manage and organise your own workload, working independently and flexibly across the geographical area.
• Maintain accurate clinical records, outcome information and other service data.

About us
About Devon Partnership Trust
We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.
We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do

Our values
We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.
We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.

Details
Date posted: 13 November 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 5
Salary: £32,073 to £39,073 a year
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, Flexible working
Reference number: C9369-26-0876

Job responsibilities
Communication and Working Relationship Skills

• Develop effective working relationships with a range of other agencies who might be better able to help individuals to achieve their employment goals for example, local colleges, training providers and external supported employment services.
• Liaise regularly with mental health services workers, users and carers groups and other health related agencies over learning and work issues.
• Establish, maintain and nurture employer contacts.
• Promote the benefits of employing and supporting people with mental health issues to employers.
• Support employers and mental health workers to enable the person using the service to sustain their position. This will involve regular communication with employers and others to provide advice, guidance and training on how to manage a particular situation.
• Be available on the end of the phone for advice and support to employers and others as required.
• Promote and publicise Workways to learning and work providers and the wider community by occasionally giving talks or presentations with a more senior team member.
• Be able to sensitively deal with confidential and complex information regarding an individuals health and employment history.
• Work closely with the person using the service ensuring appropriate, prompt, pro-active and clear communication at all times.
• Following DPT policies, respond to requests for general information regarding mental health and employment, this may be from employers and members of the public.
• Keep the Workways team informed of current work to ensure continuity of work at times of absence.
• Work closely with the whole Workways team and cover others work as needed, this may include covering admin and reception duties at times of staff shortages.

Analytical and Judgemental Skills

• Following assessment of a new applicant to the service, offer the most relevant interventions in line with the evidence based Job Retention and Individual Placement and Support model/approach.
• Monitor progress with clinical outcomes of own caseload and report monthly to team lead on these to ensure accurate onward reporting.

Planning and Organisational Skills

• Ensure effective use of resources within own work.
• Be responsible for organising and planning own caseload and managing clinical/non clinical time effectively to fit with service needs and demands.
• Work flexibly to meet individuals needs and this may require some working out of normal office hours.

Responsibility for Patient/Client Care, Treatment and Therapy

• At all times work in a recovery-focussed way.
• Manage a caseload of people (of no more than 20 people per whole time equivalent worker) who have mental health issues and who wish to retain their paid work.
• Work pro-actively with the person using the service with the ultimate goal of helping them retain paid work or search for alternative employment.
• Provide vocational assessment for individual applicants to Workways.
• Work with the person using the service to explore their areas of strength, development needs, barriers to progression, learning and work needs and so on to draw up a plan of action and their next best step.
• Co-write all care plans with the person using the service, then monitor and evaluate these plans in order to measure progress and effectiveness of all interventions.
• Regularly review the agreed care plan with the person using the service, seeking to assist them to progress with their employment goals.
• Provide interventions to assist the individual in problem solving, confidence building and improving work related skills.
• Provide, or ensure, support in the work environment for each person using the service to enable them to have the best possible chance of succeeding in the position.
• Maintain a professional relationship with the people using the service with IPS staff, primary and secondary health care staff, employers and with particular attention to confidentiality and maintenance of professional boundaries.
• Be able to work with people who have additional problems such as learning difficulties, neuro-diverse diagnoses, physical conditions, injuries or other long term health conditions.

Responsibility for Policy and Service Development Implementation

• Ensure up to date knowledge of Job Retention principles and practice.
• Keep Workways informed of current Job Retention issues and keep up to date with examples of evidence-based practice and government initiatives and mandates.
• Be involved in ensuring there is easily accessible written and electronic information for all the team and people using the service about relevant local learning and work related issues and services.
• Be involved in developing local policies.
• Be involved in co-producing documents of good practice about the employment of people with mental health conditions.
• Increase engagement of employers through providing support for employers in recruitment & retention of staff with mental health conditions.
• Network with peers to maintain professional links across the Trust.

Responsibility for Finance, Equipment and Other Resources

• Ensure all resources are used efficiently and effectively, bringing to the service managers attention any areas where this might be improved.
• May handle small amounts of petty cash on occasion.
• May be a purchase card holder.

Responsibility for Human Resources, e.g. Supervision, Training, HR Advice and Management

• Provide informal and ad-hoc clinical support and supervision to the administration team as required.
• Supervise students on placement as agreed with service manager.
• Assist with the induction of new staff.

Responsibility for Research and Development

• Take an active part in reviewing and developing new working practices in line with current evidence based practice.
• Participate in staff surveys.
• Take an active role in conducting clinical audits.

Responsibility for Information Resources and Administrative Duties

• Maintain up to date and accurate statistics, clinical records, outcomes of contact, and any other information needed for the ongoing reporting and evaluation of the service.
• Regularly use IT systems for inputting of data, e-mailing, internet and word processing.
• Assist in reviewing the teams administration processes to ensure they are fit for purpose, raising any concerns with team lead or service manager.

Freedom to Act

• In line with policies and procedures, work under the general supervision of the appointed supervisor making independent decisions on a day to day basis.

Any Other Specific Tasks Required

• Using the Trusts core training requirements and the Workways team development checklist, participate in a range of learning opportunities to ensure own skills and knowledge are up to date.
• Have monthly professional, clinical and managerial supervision of work.
• Have yearly Career Conversations personal development and review meetings and regular reviews of KPI and performance.

Person Specification
Experience
Essential

• Knowledge and experience of using the case management approach to job retention or the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model.
• Knowledge of the employment needs and difficulties of people who experience mental health problems.
• Understanding of mental health conditions.
• Understanding of current mental health services.
• An understanding of the current research and thinking about vocational rehabilitation services.

Desirable

• Some experience of helping people to retain work or find paid employment.
• Substantial experience of working in a mental health and/or employment specialist role.
• Has practised the case management approach to job retention.
• Experience of working in a range of jobs.
• Personal experience of mental health issues.

Qualifications
Essential
QUALIFICATIONS & TRAINING

• Degree in either occupational therapy, careers guidance, vocational rehabilitation or related subject and/or educated to degree level or equivalent experience.
• Equivalent experience should demonstrate knowledge, skills, and behaviours aligned with IPS competencies and values: a) Employment Support Experience b) Mental Health or Social Care Experience c) Community Engagement d) Transferable Skills and qualities.

Desirable

• NVQ 4 in Advice and Guidance.
• Certificate in Coaching skills.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details
Employer name: Devon Partnership NHS Trust
Address: Devon Partnership NHS Trust, West Pilton, Youings Drive, Barnstaple, Devon, EX311QL, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.dpt.nhs.uk/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Workways Team Manager, Lynn Aggett, lynn.aggett@nhs.net, 07921873789

Job locations
Devon Partnership NHS Trust, West Pilton, Youings Drive, Barnstaple, Devon, EX311QL, United Kingdom
Devon Partnership NHS Trust, Estuary House, Collett Way, NEWTON ABBOT, Devon, TQ12 4PH, United Kingdom

Supporting documents
Mindful Employer, Careers Hub, NHS Employment Checks, A guide to DBS Checks, How to apply using NHS Jobs, Benefits of being in the NHS Pension Scheme, Coming to work in the UK Visa information, Why Join Us, Who Devon Partnership NHS Trust are and what we do, Our Vision Join DPT, Privacy notice