Whatever your experience of street homelessness and its impact on people’s lives – personal or professional – when you join the Thames Reach team as a Senior Employment Specialist (Lead Worker), we will make the best use of all your understanding, compassion and commitment.
About us
Thames Reach runs projects and services that help to end homelessness in and around London. We work directly with homeless people on the streets and in hostels. We work to prevent vulnerable people from becoming homeless. We help formerly homeless people get their lives back on track. We help people find work and access training and volunteering opportunities.
About this role
Due to an increase in funding we are looking for Senior Employment Specialists (Lead Worker) to join the Lambeth Individual Placement Support Team on a fixed‑term basis.
Individual Placement and Support (IPS) is the evidence‑based model for helping people with severe mental illness find and keep paid work. In the United Kingdom, IPS is commissioned by NHS England. The goal is to find paid employment in mainstream jobs to aid recovery, at or above minimum wage, that the person chooses, with the support of Employment specialists who work inside CMHTs (community mental health teams) as clinical team members, not a separate service. We will not accept applications where Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been used to assist with completing the competency questions.
Responsibilities
- Carry a client caseload, still do direct IPS work: client meetings, rapid job search, employer engagement, and on-the-job support. Caseload is usually smaller than standard specialists to free up time for other duties.
- Coach & mentor junior specialists: model job development calls, join them on employer visits, and review their client work. Give feedback on IPS fidelity and help them problem‑solve complex cases.
- Lead on employer engagement strategy: build relationships with major local employers and develop job opportunities the whole team can use. Track which industries are hiring and share leads in team meetings.
- Monitor fidelity & outcomes: run data reports on job starts, hours worked, and employer contacts. Complete fidelity reviews, file audits, and prep for external IPS fidelity assessments.
- Liaise with clinical & system partners: attend leadership meetings with mental health teams, funders, or DWP/Jobcentre staff. Troubleshoot integration issues and promote IPS across services.
- Support the team lead: supporting senior managers to compile monthly and quarterly data for reporting submissions.
Qualifications
- IPS delivery: strong job outcomes record. Can demonstrate fidelity to all 8 IPS principles and rapid job search within 30 days.
- Supervision & coaching ability: experience mentoring staff, running 1:1s, or delivering training. Able to model employer engagement calls, give constructive feedback, and develop support worker employment specialists.
- Advanced employer engagement: build relationships with employers, negotiating job carves, and creating repeat referral routes. Confident with senior managers and HR.
- Mental health & benefits knowledge: understanding of SMI, medication impacts, and NHS pathways like CMHT, and EIP. Familiar with Universal Credit, PIP, and work incentives planning.
- Data, fidelity & quality assurance: comfortable with IPS fidelity reviews, outcome reporting to IPS Grow, and case note audits on ePJS. Uses data to improve team performance.
- Systems leadership & partnership working: experience working with clinicians, employers, and DWP partners. Can represent IPS in MDT discussions, unblock referral issues. Have experience of working independently, excellent IT and administrative skills.
Benefits
- Generous holiday allowance – 29 days per year plus 8 public holidays (pro rata).
- Pension – we contribute 6.5% to your pension when you contribute 1.5%.
- Excellent development opportunities – career progression, regular supervision and appraisals, and learning programmes to support your career with Thames Reach.
- Wellbeing support – our 24/7 employee assistance programme and opportunities for TOIL.
- Life assurance – four times your annual salary and critical illness cover.
- Other benefits including a blue light discount card, interest free season ticket and cycle to work loans.
Equal Opportunity & Safeguarding
Thames Reach is committed to achieving a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We value, respect, and celebrate diversity. We welcome and encourage applicants from all sections of the community regardless of their history of homelessness, sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, or religious belief.
Thames Reach is committed to safeguarding. Applicants must be willing to undergo pre‑employment screening appropriate to the post, including, but not limited to checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service. Having a criminal record will not exclude you from applying but you will be asked to provide further details as most posts are considered exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
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