Location: Remote (North of England), United Kingdom
Social Finance is recruiting a Workforce Lead to support the growth and development of the IPS workforce across the North of England. This is a hands-on regional role focused on helping IPS services attract, recruit and retain Employment Specialists and Team Leaders. Working closely with IPS Grow regional teams, IPS services and wider stakeholders, the Workforce Lead will provide practical recruitment and workforce planning support — including supporting recruitment campaigns, shortlisting and interviews, coordinating assessment activity, identifying training needs, and helping providers overcome barriers where expansion plans, funding or timescales are still being confirmed. IPS Grow is a national programme designed to support the expansion of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) services in mental health, primary care, and drug and alcohol teams across England. The programme is led by Social Finance in partnership with the Centre for Mental Health, and funded by NHS England, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID). Key responsibilities span recruitment and workforce planning; stakeholder engagement and regional support (building relationships with IPS services, ICB and NHSE Regional Leads); quality, reporting and learning (ensuring activity aligns with IPS Grow quality standards and analysing workforce development data); and communication and collaboration. Candidates should bring proven recruitment expertise (ideally within health or employment support), a good understanding of IPS, strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, the ability to work independently in a geographically dispersed team, a practical solution-focused approach, and confidence using data and reports to evidence impact. The role is remote with regional travel. Salary is £36,000 per annum.
HOW TO APPLY:
Apply online via the Applied platform (developed by the Behavioural Insights Team) at https://app.beapplied.com/apply/lyjotftd1n. You will be asked to respond to situational questions, each viewed in isolation; the selection panel will not have access to your CV, so ensure each response is fully detailed. Closing date for applications: 21 August at 9am. For more information about the role, email support@ipsgrow.co.uk.