Job Description
Team Manager - IPS Employment Services
Application Deadline: 21 September 2026
Department: Mental Health and Wellbeing Services
Employment Type: Fixed Term Contract
Location: Brighton and Hove - Brighton
Reporting To: Service Manager
Compensation: £34,800 / year
Location Brighton and Hove
Hours 37 hours per week
Contract: Fixed term for 1 year (maternity cover)
Base Salary £34,800 per year
Technical Premium* 5% additional to salary of £1,740 per year (based on base salary) effective from 1 April 2026 - reviewed annually.
*The technical premium is paid in addition to the base salary in recognition of the external benchmarking for the role. Conditions apply.
Southdown’s IPS Employment Service helps people accessing treatment for mental health support, back into employment. You’ll be working in partnership with Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust and co-located within the Neighbourhood Mental Health Team, with some remote and community-based working.
Working as part of the Neighbourhood Mental Health team, you’ll support clients in treatment for varied mental health issues, assisting them in securing sustainable paid employment in line with their preferences. You will deliver the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model; providing person centred guidance to clients, whilst building positive relationships with local employers to enable clients to move into suitable employment.
Do you understand the importance of work and the vital role it can play in the lives of those with mental health conditions? Here’s a short video about a day in the life of our mental health Employment Specialist:
A day in the life of an IPS Employment Specialist
We welcome applications from candidates with previous experience from within an Employment or Mental Health Support background. Or you may be looking for a new challenge and believe you have the transferable skills to support individuals to fulfill their employment goals
What you’ll be doing:
- Building and maintaining stakeholder relationships by representing the service at provider events and forums and contributing to contractual performance monitoring meetings with commissioning teams.
- Provide excellent line management support to a frontline team of Employment Specialists, including delivering team meetings, appraisals, supervision, support with complex cases, and managing performance.
- Lead contractual performance by reviewing and updating KPI and client data, coordinating compliance checks and sending data to commissioners and partners to ensure contractual obligations are fulfilled.
- Managing a small caseload of clients who are accessing Neighbourhood Mental Health services to find, secure and stay in work, whilst adhering to the IPS model.
Perks and benefits:
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Health cost cash-back scheme: access to our health insurance scheme which covers dental, optical, physical therapies and other medical treatments with the option to add greater levels of cover.
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Interest-free loans: assistance with larger costs that arise such as tenancy deposits, season travel tickets or buying a car.
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Access to the Easit Network: discounts and incentives on train, bus and car journeys such as 15% off eligible daily and season rail tickets.
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Blue Light card: access to discount services for the social care sector with savings across thousands of online shops, restaurants, and high-street vendors.
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Free advice and counselling service: confidential emotional support and practical guidance from our independent telephone service.
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25 days paid holiday plus bank holidays.
- Manager on call allowance
Knowledge, skills and experience
What you’ll need for the role:
- Excellent literacy skills to a standard that enables you to write Annual Reviews / Reports, Policies and Procedures, Appraisals, References, and general correspondence.
- A good understanding of all aspects of supported employment and vocational services (including Southdown’s IPS and Retention Framework Models)
- Proven experience managing a team of staff working with complex/vulnerable client groups
- Experience of developing and maintaining professional joint working relationships with external, statutory and voluntary agencies.
- Standard Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, which will be paid for by Southdown.
- An understanding of contract requirements and performance indicators.
What would be nice:
- Proven experience in managing performance against KPI's.
- Broad knowledge/awareness of Mental Health Services
- Skills in supervising and co-ordinating a dispersed team.
- Employment support background.
Training:
Our award-winning in-house training team will help you to gain valuable qualifications, continually develop your skills and build a great career with the largest provider of housing, care and support in Sussex.
How to apply:
Please click on the ‘Apply Now’ button and fill out our simple one-page application form.
The application closing date is 13th September and interviews will be held on 18th September 2026.
We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Please note, if we receive a large number of applications then this position may close before the advertised application closing date. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible.
