Job Description

An opportunity has arisen within BaNES Primary Care Talking Therapies Service to join our successful Employment Support team as a full time Employment Adviser, on a 12-month fixed term contract.



The successful candidate will work alongside the Senior Employment Adviser and other Employment Advisers within our service supporting patients accessing NHS Talking Therapies to remain, return and find work.



Supporting BaNES Primary Care Talking Therapies Service, you will provide practical employment interventions for people accessing the service with mild to moderate mental health needs, who require support to gain, return or retain employment.



As an Adviser with either, employability or information, advice and guidance related experience, you will be able to demonstrate empathy and have previous experience of working with people experiencing mental health difficulties, and understand the barriers they face in accessing and retaining employment.



You will carry out vocational assessments for your caseload of clients, providing advice, guidance and support, whilst creating a bespoke action plan in line with their individual needs.



You will be required to promote wellbeing in the workplace, and where appropriate, act as advocate with employers or prospective employer to identify work solutions to overcome or minimise potential difficulties within the workplace, providing support during and after a return to work, helping the individual to communicate and retain employment, and where necessary, support the exploration of new employment.



The role requires strong communication and IT skills, and you will be required to work collaboratively, but also independently on a day-to-day basis.



We are AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust): a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community-based mental health care.



We provide services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire and in parts of Dorset.



Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. The expertise and resources within AWP are dedicated to a person-centred approach for those who use our services and for all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care.



AWP is committed to support and create a positive research and evidence-based environment and culture, which can have a beneficial impact on everyone who works for the organisation and the care we provide to those who use our services.



At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.



The Employment Adviser role requires the delivery of core employment support interventions (both groups based and individual) to clients of the Talking Therapies Service, who have work related problems. These interventions are delivered online, face to face and over the telephone depending on client preference.



1. As an Employment Adviser you will be required to assess the individual's employment goals and any concerns regarding their capacity to work.



2. Create an employment support plan, matching tasks with the individual's ability and agreeing on a written action plan.



3. Provide interventions (both groups based and individual) to clients of the Talking Therapies service who have work related problems, promoting wellbeing in the workplace.



4. Provide in-depth knowledge of the local labour market, local support and new interventions including voluntary and community organisations, educational and recreational opportunities.



5. Where appropriate, provide effective signposting to alternative support aimed at retaining, finding employment and benefit advice.



6. Provide help to find the right job and provide advice and support when applying, including preparing for an interview.



7. Where appropriate, act as advocate with employers or prospective employers to identify work solutions to overcome or minimise potential difficulties within the workplace.



8. Provide support after return to work to help the person integrate and retain employment.



9. Work independently on a day-to-day basis, based on goals agreed and reviewed in supervision.



10. Always maintaining a high degree of professionalism when working with distressed people.



11. Maintain effective and accurate client records and data as appropriate.



12. Participate in audits, personal review activity and regular CPD sessions.