Mental health recovery worker jobs

IPS – Employment support

For people who need mental health support, getting back into work is a vital step on their recovery journey. The evidence backs this up, but although 90% of people with severe mental illness want to work, only 8% of them are in paid employment.

If you would like to join our team and champion our mission and help people who need employment support to get back into work. You will be supporting clients who are under the care of Secondary Mental Health services to gain and retain paid employment and will be based within a clinical team.

This is an incredibly rewarding role.  You'll have the opportunity to transform the lives of clients, to give them hope, direction and support with their recovery journey alongside other key professionals. This is also a challenging role, so you’ll need to be empathetic, adaptable and dedicated to finding clients a role that’s right for them.

As an Employment Specialist, you’ll build a good rapport with your clients, gaining a real understanding of their key skills, their aspirations and their career goals and finding them opportunities to match. You'll also spend time building productive relationships with employers in order to identify and negotiate job opportunities in the hidden labour market.

Successful applicants for this post will receive training in the IPS approach, giving you the tools, you need to provide expert support and advice to clients, staff within your clinical team (e.g. Psychiatrist, Social Workers or Mental Health Nurse), while also building positive relationships with employers, opening doors and changing perceptions around mental health.

We welcome applications from people with personal experience of using mental health services.

Job Summary

To provide support into employment for people with mental health problems including:

· Managing a caseload of clients who wish to return to paid work, enabling them to find or retain employment by liaising with work and training providers, accessing benefits advice and by personally providing on-going support to clients in job search and after gaining employment, in accordance with evidence based supported employment practice such as the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model of supported employment.

· Link with local employers and voluntary bodies in order to secure employment opportunities within the community

· Pro-actively support and motivate clients in obtaining employment opportunities

· Provide on-going support according to both the employee’s and employer’s needs to enable clients to both gain and retain employment.

Key responsibilities

 · To work in partnership with individuals to support them in finding paid employment, or taking steps towards this.

· To develop strong links with other agencies such as voluntary, statutory and businesses in the development of work opportunities for clients.

· To support Community Mental Health Team colleagues with information about work and training opportunities.

· To report on outcome measures for the service.

· To provide monitoring/audit information to the Senior IPS Employment Specialist responsible for Employment Services.

Main duties

 · Manage a caseload of people who have experienced mental health problems who wish to work.

· Prepare individuals for employment by assessing each person’s individual vocational needs which might typically include identifying strengths, help with benefits, support networks, travel to work plans, etc.

· Co create employment action plans with the individual, and provide this to the care co-ordinator and other professionals where appropriate.

· Assist individuals in job search and prepare them to apply for employment/education, liaising with colleagues as required e.g. Disability Employment Advisors, Jobcentre Plus, DWP contract providers and local colleges.

· Contact and meet with employers to identify job opportunities for individual clients.

· Have a proactive approach in developing jobs tailored to suit individual clients’ needs by contacting local employers, discussing mutual requirements and negotiating opportunities.

· Accompany job seekers to interviews if required.

· Provide education and support to employers, as agreed with the individual and provide job retention interventions to people at risk of losing their employment, negotiating adjustments to the job role with employers to enable the person to retain their employment.

· Support clients in the workplace by supporting them to learn the job role if necessary, and/or negotiating with employers to adapt the role at the start of employment or if difficulties arise in the workplace.

· Identify any barriers for return to work and develop appropriate strategies to overcome those barriers for clients who wish to gain or retain open employment maintaining a positive attitude to addressing challenges.

· Contribute to the opportunities for an individual’s increased social inclusion by developing partnership working with voluntary sector agencies, and linking with primary care employment and job retention initiatives.

· Promote the Mindful Employer initiative and best practice in mental health and employment within the mental health services and in other organisations in the local area.

· Maintain and develop close links with referrers, care co-ordinators and Community

· Regularly attend Team meetings.

· Complete data monitoring sheets and keep accurate caseload records.

· Maintain high standards of personal development and undertake further training as may be required.

· Undertake regular supervision and annual appraisal.

· Undertake other duties as may reasonably be required by the organisation

Person specification

Qualifications and experience

Essential

· Educated to degree level or equivalent experience

· Experience/understanding of working with people with mental health support needs, or a similar client group within health, social services or the voluntary sector

· Experience of working with someone on a one-to-one basis

· Experience of managing multiple tasks at any one time

Desirable

· Trained in IPS approach

· Experience of supporting people to obtain or keep work

· Experience of working within health, social services or voluntary sector with people who have experienced mental health problems.

· Experience of working assertively to influence decision makers

· Own personal lived experience of recovery from mental health difficulties

· Previous experience of delivering a service using the IPS model is a bonus

· Proven experience of meeting and exceeding outcomes and targets

Skills and knowledge

Essential

· An understanding of the employment needs, and challenges faced by people who experience mental health difficulties

· Developing a knowledge of a broad range of occupations and jobs

· Able to use IT systems, databases and tools such as MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel

· Strong motivational, communication and listening skills

· Outstanding interpersonal skills and ability to build rapport with a range of people

· Good organisational ability

· Natural ability to build close, trusting and productive relationships with people

· Team orientated and able to work collaboratively within a mixed-disciplinary team

· Ability to work independently and use initiative to develop and promote a service

Desirable

· Knowledge of DWP and disability/employment related benefits

· Knowledge of good practice in employment legislation protecting Disability and Equality

Interviews will take place on 14th, 16th and 21st April 2026. 

About The Connection at St Martin’s

We believe that no one should have to sleep rough on London’s streets, and that everyone should get the support they need to find a place to call home. We get to know every person we work with, understanding what they need to recover, helping them build on their strengths, and supporting them to find their own way home. Help us make London a city where no one sleeps rough on our streets.

London’s diversity is its biggest asset and we strive to ensure our workforce reflects London’s diversity at all levels. We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability.

We particularly encourage applications from candidates with lived experience of homelessness who we believe are an essential asset in our sector.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and welcome the opportunity to consider flexible working arrangements.

About the Role

Solo Homes combines independent living with intensive personalised support to clients. By adopting a flexible, creative and strengths based approach, the Solo Homes initiative supports individuals to manage their tenancies in the community and improve their quality of life. Solo Homes is The Connection’s version of Housing First.

The Solo Homes, Women’s Service Pilot is an exciting and innovative extension to our specialist 24-hour supported housing service in Clapham for women from across South London who have experienced homelessness and multiple disadvantage. The successful candidate will work with 6 of the women currently living in this service to move in to their own social tenancies.

Salary: £38,753 - £43,471 (scale points 23 – 28)
Closing Date: Monday 6th April
Interview Date: Wednesday 15th April

Our Benefits

· 30 days holiday plus bank holidays

· Generous training budget, plus an annual personal training budget

· Enhanced Sick Pay Policy

· Enhanced family friendly policies

· Day off for moving house

· Hybrid working (depending on role requirements)

· Pension – 5% Employer, 3% Employee

· Cycle to Work Scheme

· Season Ticket Loan

· Employee Assistance Programme

· Reward Gateway (access to discount vouchers and cashback at the UK’s favourite retailers)

We are a London Living Wage employer

Help lead the response to rough sleeping in South West London. Join SPEAR as our Rough Sleeping Outreach and Assessment Manager and make a real difference to the lives of people experiencing homelessness.

SPEAR is a charity working to end homelessness across South West London. We believe homelessness should be rare, brief and non-recurring, and our teams work every day to support people sleeping rough to move into safe, stable accommodation.

We are looking for an experienced and motivated manager to lead our Rough Sleeping Outreach and Assessment Service across the London Boroughs of Richmond and Wandsworth. You will manage a dedicated team delivering street outreach and operating from the Assessment Centre in Clapham Junction, ensuring people experiencing rough sleeping receive timely, trauma-informed support and pathways into accommodation.

This is a hands-on leadership role where you will oversee service delivery, manage staff and rotas, build strong partnerships with local authorities and support services, and ensure high-quality safeguarding and case management.

If you are passionate about tackling homelessness and leading frontline services that make a real difference, we would love to hear from you.

Why join us

At SPEAR, you’ll be part of a friendly, skilled charity team dedicated to ending homelessness. We offer comprehensive training, opportunities to progress, and strong wellbeing support, so you can thrive while helping others do the same.

Your Benefits

- Generous holiday – 26 days plus public holidays, rising to 31 days with length of service
- Wellbeing & EAP – 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme with free counselling, money and legal advice
- Health support – Occupational health service and free annual eye test (with contribution towards glasses if required)
- Cycle to Work – Save on a new bike and accessories through salary sacrifice
- Season ticket loan – Interest-free loan for annual travel passes
- Moving house day – Extra day’s leave when you move home
- Financial security – Life assurance (4x salary) and interest-free emergency staff loan
- Family-friendly policies – Enhanced maternity and adoption pay, plus flexible working options
- Career development – Ongoing training, learning and progression opportunities
- Blue Light Card – Discounts across a wide range of shops, restaurants and services

Secondment / Fixed Term opportunity for 12 months (Maternity cover) 

The Grange Road team is looking for someone to fill the Service Manager role for 12 months. The service opened in 2022 and is the first High Complex Needs Supported Housing project within the City of London’s pathway. The team works with clients who have been rough sleeping within the Square Mile of the City of London, working with them to build skills in managing support needs and tenancy sustainment. Many of the clients in the service have support needs around substance use, alcohol use or mental health. The service focuses on implementing the recovery approach and improving access to support through in house nurse and psychologist clinics. 

The Service Manager is supported by a Deputy Manager and Senior Project Worker. 

As the service manager you will: 

• Support the team in creating a safe and supportive environment for clients, using PIE techniques and practices. 

• Implementing routes to practical support for clients, through on site clinics and external partnerships 

• Ensuring best practice is implemented and ongoing in the service 

• Maintaining and building relationships with stakeholders and the community 

• Leading and motivating the team in day-to-day work, personal development 

• Taking on line management responsibilities for multiple staff members 

• Liaising with commissioners, providing contract monitoring reports and maintaining effective joint working 

Working hours will be 9am – 5pm, Monday-Friday. 

About you 

We are looking for someone who can motivate and support the team to work with clients creatively, focusing on their strengths and overcoming barriers. You will be able to work flexibly balancing multiple priorities with strong interpersonal skills to be able to build positive relationships with clients, staff, and stakeholders. 

You will be recovery focused and have a clear idea of best practice and how to promote this within the team and service. You will have experience, or the skills needed, to report to commissioners and lead the service in contract delivery. If you are not sure you have the experience needed for the role please apply, you may have the transferable skills that would make you a great candidate. 

We are working hard to create a diverse and fully inclusive culture where everyone feels valued and we welcome applications from all under-represented groups, particularly Global Majority candidates who are underrepresented at this management level.

How to apply

To view the job description and guidance on completing your application form, please click on the ‘document’ tab on the advert page on our website.

To find out more and apply please go to the St Mungo’s careers page on our website.

Closing Date: 10.00 am, 6th April 2026 

Interview and assessment date: 22nd April 2026 

We are working hard to create a diverse and fully inclusive culture where everyone feels valued and we welcome applications from all under-represented groups, particularly Global Majority candidates who are underrepresented at this management level.

What we offer

• Excellent Development and Growth Opportunities
• A Diverse and Inclusive Work Place
• Great Pay and Other Benefits

Night Support Mentor

When registering to this job board you will be redirected to the online application form. Please ensure that this is completed in full in order that your application can be reviewed.

Due to the nature of the service, it is an occupational requirement that the post holder is female and the post is therefore exempt from the provisions of the Equality Act 2010 in terms of Schedule 9, Part 1, and Paragraph 1 of the Act.

Job Title: Night Support Mentor (FTC)

Location: Luton. Unfortunately, this service does not have step free access.

Salary: £24,500

Shift Pattern: Fixed Term contract until May 2028. 37.5 hours per week Monday to Sunday on a rota which can range between 20:30 - 8:00  You may be required to work outside these hours dependent on service and resident requirements including weekends and bank holidays.

About the Role

We are looking for a dedicated Night Support Mentor to join us in delivering a person centred and bespoke trauma informed support to women in Luton. This new service will provide a safe, secure, and nurturing environment for women facing sexual exploitation and substance dependency – a place they can truly call home. Through stable, person-centred care, you'll play a vital role in empowering women to rebuild their lives and embrace brighter futures. 

In this role, as a Night Support Mentor, you will work within a 24 hour service which provided person centred support to our residents, working to ensure the safety and wellbeing. Our residents have experienced multiple forms of exclusion, such as historical/ongoing abuse, involvement in the criminal justice system, mental health challenges, drug and/or alcohol dependency and enduring high levels of violence and coercion. You will build trusting professional relationships with residents, helping them to achieve their goals and aspirations.

 Responsibilities Include:

• Holding a caseload, conducting key work sessions which are personable to resident needs
• Carry out regular welfare checks, safeguarding checks, and general living checks
• Encourage residents to take part in activities and events both within the service and the community
• Keep support plans up to date on a regular basis
• Work closely with the rest of the team to provide overall excellent service delivery, this may mean also supporting with their caseloads, and other tasks as necessary
• Building trusting professional relationships with residents, helping them to achieve their goals and aspirations which could be through tailored one to one sessions, group sessions, in and out of service activities, and general wellbeing check ins.
• Focusing on empowering our residents to take control over their lives and meet their personal goals

About You

We are passionate about working in a supportive, solution focused and trauma informed way to support our residents and participants to make and sustain positive change. The successful candidate will work as part of a team to deliver exceptional support to women at a particularly challenging time in their lives. We are looking for passionate, motivated and proactive individuals who are dedicated to making a positive difference.

• Due to the nature of the service, it is an occupational requirement that the post holder is female and the post is therefore exempt from the provisions of the Equality Act 2010 in terms of Schedule 9, Part 1, and Paragraph 1 of the Act.
• Experience of working with people of complex backgrounds and/or a good understanding of the sector, particularly around multiple and complex needs
• Ability to show empathy and compassion to our residents, and different challenges they face
• Experience working with, or thorough understanding of, domestic abuse and the systemic barriers faced by women.
• Alignment with our values of Ambition, Empowerment, Inclusivity, and Transparency

Please refer to the JDPS attached for more details on the vacancy and our requirements/key criteria.

What we Offer

• 25 days (Full time equivalent) annual leave, increasing with the length of service
• Employer Pension Contribution
• Eligibility to register with Blue Light Discount Card
• Access to discounted tickets for music events, shows, sports and more
• Reflective Practice regular sessions with a therapist provided by an external provider to support Mental Health and Wellbeing at work
• Training and Development, including access to courses, upskilling, and progression plans
• Employee Assistance Programme, including counselling
• Life Assurance Scheme
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Annual Staff Awards
• EDI Ambassador programme

About Social Interest Group (SIG)

SIG is a not-for-profit organisation providing thousands of people with good-quality support and care in residential, drop-in centres, community floating support settings, probation settings, and hospitals. We do so across London, Brighton, Bedfordshire, Luton, Kent and Liverpool. Our goal is to transform lives through empowering change. 

We believe good care and support improves lives with the vision to create healthier, safer, and more inclusive communities. Join us on our mission to empower independence through trauma-informed solutions and dynamic partnerships that keep people out of prison, out of hospital, and off the streets.
 

Additional Information

Please note that this job advert may close early due to screening applications on an ongoing basis. We advise applying as soon as possible for your application to be taken into consideration at the early stages.

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide sponsorship, please ensure you have full right to work in the UK prior to applying to our positions. 

Care | Support | Social Work | Social Worker | Support Staff | Homelessness Support | Complex Needs | Mental Health | Substance Use | Alcohol Dependency | Person Centred Support | Recovery | Independence | Housing Support | 24 hour Service | Night Shift Support

Are you passionate about building a high performing team to support clients experiencing homelessness?

About the role

We have an exciting opportunity for a Service Manager to lead and support a professional team to support people experiencing homelessness. Leading a team of support workers, you will provide 24-hour staffed, supported accommodation to some of the most vulnerable people in the borough, using psychological and trauma-informed methods to support them in their recovery.

As Service Manager you will:

• Take overall responsibility for managing and coordinating the support for residents.
• Ensure the services is a safe and welcoming place to work and live.
• Make sure residents receive practical and personalised support in a way that is approachable, engaging, flexible and caring.
• Ensure residents are supported to make the most of their strengths and to identify and progress towards achieving their hopes, goals and ambitions.
• Provide residents have opportunities to contribute and be involved in the project, within St Mungo’s, and in their local communities.
• Deliver the service in line with contractual and best practice requirements.
• Take responsibility for managing, leading, motivating and developing the staff team.
• Maintaining and build on the network of relationships with statutory and voluntary agencies, and the local community.

You will also be responsible for managing the H&F Progression Coach, who is linked to all 7 projects across the H&F pathway holding a caseload, providing tailored support to individual residents for ETE purposes, also providing tenancy sustainment support to groups of clients in preparation for move on whilst maintaining relationships with volunteers across the pathway and ensuring they are supported.

About you

• You will be a solution focused and supportive manager of people, able to motivate and develop a team of support workers towards shared goals
• Will be client focused with a desire to tailor support to the needs of individuals who may be excluded from traditional community services
• You will bring a reflective and collaborative approach, and a willingness to continue to learn

We are working hard to create a diverse and fully inclusive culture where everyone feels valued and we welcome applications from all under-represented groups, particularly Global Majority candidates who are underrepresented at this management level. 

How to apply

To view the job description and guidance on completing your application form, please click on the ‘document’ tab on the advert page on our website.

To find out more and apply please go to the St Mungo’s careers page on our website.

Closing date: 10am on 8 April 2026

Interview and assessments on: TBC

What we offer

• Excellent Development and Growth Opportunities
• A Diverse and Inclusive Work Place
• Great Pay and Other Benefits

We are advertising these roles as a partnership with Age UK Bexley, Bexley Mencap and Carers Support Bexley each hosting 1 role.  You can apply for a role with a specific organisation or all 3. They are looking for 3 Direct Payments Advisors to support people and their families to understand, set up and confidently manage their Direct Payments.

This is a role where you will combine practical advice, problem solving and relationship building to help people take control of their support in a way that works for them.

The role will include:

• Providing clear, accessible advice about Direct Payments and how they work.
• Supporting people to understand their responsibilities, including employing Personal Assistants.
• Maintaining accurate records and supporting monitoring and audit processes.
• Includes working with a small team of advisors based in partner charities to provide holistic support.

The Direct Payment Support Advisor supports people to understand and manage their direct payments so they can make informed choices about their care and support. By providing clear, practical and compassionate guidance, the role helps residents maintain independence, confidence and connection to the lives and communities that matter to them.

This post is 35 hours per week on a fixed-term contract until March 2028 (contract extension based on funding).

*An enhanced DBS will be required for each successful candidate, at no cost to you. (T&Cs apply)