Employment Specialist

Are you interested in helping people who have, or are recovering from, mental health problems, integrate back into work? Would you like to be part of an organisation that counts on the professionalism, insight, expertise and passion of its staff to inspire individual recovery for the people they work with? Then join us as an Employment Specialist.

We are looking for an Employment Specialist to join our Surrey Employment Service. We help individuals with mental health problems to find paid employment or return to their current role after a period of ill health. We also assist employers and employees to successfully resolve mental health problems in the workplace. But, it’s only possible with the help of people like you.

Your challenge? To do everything you can to help the individuals we work with to source appropriate work experience placements with local organisations/employers. Day to day, you’ll offer support, careers advice and guidance, helping people to set their own recovery and employment-focused goals and provide training in personal and skills development such as CV preparation, interview techniques etc. You’ll also be responsible for establishing and maintaining positive links with community mental health teams (CMHRS), Early Intervention Into Psychosis (EIIP) Teams, partner organisations, local employers and other relevant agencies and have the initiative to develop and promote the service. Additionally, you will have responsibility for maintaining efficient admin systems to ensure referrals, assessments and reviews are completed in a timely manner.

As well as a good understanding of the IPS model of working, mental health problems and the issues and barriers this can create for our clients, you’ll need excellent motivational, presentation and listening skills and a willingness to travel in the local area and to work outside of office hours as required.

There is one vacancy being recruited for covering a smaller geographical area of West Surrey however, the delivery is Surrey and borders-wide. The successful candidate will be based in our Woking office. The post-holder will therefore be a car driver, with access to their own vehicle.

This is a permanent part-time role requiring the post holder to work 30 hours per week.

We are committed to increasing our diversity and we would welcome applications from those with lived experience.

This is a rolling recruitment process. Candidates will be interviewed as and when they are shortlisted.

Learning and development is important to us, and we are pleased to be able to offer a wide range of apprenticeships. We hire apprentices into specific roles as well as offering apprenticeships to the workforce. Anyone can apply to undertake an apprenticeship relevant to the role as long as they are in a permanent post and have successfully passed probation.

On 1st June 2024, Richmond Fellowship, part of Recovery Focus, a national group of charities highly experienced in providing specialist support services to individuals and families living with the effects of mental ill health, drug and alcohol use, gambling and domestic violence merged with Humankind to form a single organisation that provides the joined-up mental health, housing and drug and alcohol support we’ve all known has been needed for decades. In October 2024, Humankind was renamed Waythrough to reflect the new organisation.