Job Introduction

Locations: Central Hub Brunswick Square, North Greenway Community Centre, South Symes Community Centre. Each IPS Employment Specialist will be based at one of the above hubs but will be expected to work across our Bristol premises as required. 

Interviews taking place Monday 22nd and Tuesday 23rd December 2025. 

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our new Bristol service, Horizons, as part of a specialist employment team using the Individual Placement & Support (IPS) model. This service is a vibrant partnership delivering substance use treatment and recovery services across Bristol. 

Turning Point has partnered with Bristol Drugs Project to ensure continued local expertise whilst bringing a fresh approach, alongside seven other local and national providers: The Nelson Trust, Hawkspring, One 25, Southmead Development Trust, Southmead Project, Wellspring Settlement and Release. 

Our partnership draws upon long-standing experience of delivering substance use services in Bristol and nationally, with specialist knowledge of diverse local communities and the kind of community insight that only comes from working at a truly local level. 

As an Advanced Recovery Practitioner (IPS employment Specialist), you’ll have the chance to make a real difference to the lives of people experiencing difficulties with drug and alcohol use, working directly with them to help them prepare for, secure and sustain employment. 

The salary scale for our Advanced Recovery Practitioner roles is between £29,244 - £33,880. See our full salary scale below. Starting salary will be dependant on experience with annual pay progression up to scale point 5.

Role Responsibility

You will hold a caseload of 25 people in substance use treatment who would like help to find work. 

A key part of the role is proactive employer engagement. You will approach employers, build new relationships, identify vacancies, negotiate adjustments, and create opportunities that match client strengths and preferences. You will be expected to develop a strong understanding of the local labour market and represent the service confidently with businesses of all sizes. 

You will have experience of delivering employment support or transferable experience from another sector where you have had to influence others, build relationships, or sell an idea or service: for example: recruitment, sales, customer service, community roles, supported housing, probation, or charity work. 

Internally, you will work closely with managers and staff across the Horizons service, and with partners in the wider Bristol substance use system, to ensure that IPS employment support is fully integrated into treatment and that appropriate referrals are received into the service. 

The Ideal Candidate

Essential Requirements 

• Proven track record in the delivery of employment services or clear evidence of transferable skills suited to employer engagement (e.g. recruitment, sales, business development, customer-facing roles, community liaison, probation, housing, voluntary sector). 
• Strong confidence in approaching employers, making cold contact, building effective working relationships and promoting the benefits of inclusive recruitment. 
• Good working knowledge of IPS service delivery and evidence-based employment practice (or willingness to train). 
• Experience of working towards and achieving individual performance objectives or targets. 
• Numeracy, literacy and IT skills. 
• Effective oral and written communication skills, with the ability to adapt communication to suit the audience, e.g. service users, employers, commissioners or staff. 
• Good time management skills and the ability to work to deadlines. 
• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a wider multi-disciplinary and multi-agency team. 
• In-depth understanding of the complex and multiple disadvantages faced by people using substances (or willingness to learn quickly). 
• A demonstrable commitment to a values-led approach when working with people with a substance use issue. 

About us

As a leading health and social care provider with more than 300 locations across England, we take real pride in the services we offer.

We run all of our services on a not-for-profit basis; instead, we invest every penny back into our services and people. We never stop believing in change for the better, and we work constantly to improve the lives of the people we support.

What Benefits Will I Receive?

We know reward looks different to each person and so whether its ways to make your money go further, a culture supporting recognition and celebration, or opportunities to boost your career – we want to support you in every way we can with our total reward package that includes:

• 25 days’ paid holiday a year + Bank Holidays, increasing with each year of service up to 27 days + Bank Holidays. Plus the option to buy additional holidays and spread the cost.
• Join our team and discover the comprehensive benefits we offer by following this link to explore all the exciting perks available to our employees. Turning Point Benefits

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closing date.

Turning Point