Position: Employment Specialist
Location: Old Station Building, Newport Railway Station, Queensway, Newport, NP20 4AX
Start Date: 7 September 2026 (ASAP)
Contract Duration: 29 weeks
Working Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Pay Rate: PAYE: £16.35 per hour
Job Responsibilities
- Provide one-to-one, person-centred employment support to Connect to Work participants facing significant barriers to employment
- Manage a caseload, acting as an advocate and mentor to help participants achieve their personal and employment goals
- Complete vocational profiling and develop individual action plans to support participants into suitable employment
- Provide advice, guidance, coaching and advocacy throughout the participant journey
- Identify suitable training, vacancies and employment opportunities based on individual skills, interests and circumstances
- Work closely with employers, health professionals, training providers, statutory and community organisations
- Collaborate with the Employer Liaison Officer to help participants secure and sustain employment
- Support participants and employers for up to six months after employment to promote job retention
- Follow the Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF) and relevant supported employment principles
- Maintain accurate participant records, case files and programme data in line with GDPR and confidentiality requirements
- Record and verify employment outcomes and provide accurate performance information to the Programme Manager
- Support effective referrals and transitions to other relevant services when required
- Attend different locations across Newport and work occasional unsocial hours where required to provide an accessible service
Essential Requirements
- Minimum NVQ Level 4 or equivalent qualification
- Strong experience providing intensive, employment-focused mentoring to people with additional barriers or support needs
- Experience working with individuals facing significant physical, emotional or mental barriers to employment
- Experience supporting hard-to-reach groups and confidence in handling sensitive or challenging conversations
- Knowledge of employment, benefits and welfare reform in Wales
- Understanding of supported employment methods and quality standards
- Understanding of GDPR, confidentiality and appropriate information handling
- Experience working towards targets within an employability or employment support setting
- Ability to manage a caseload, prioritise workloads and meet deadlines
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with participants, colleagues and external partners
- Ability to work independently and as part of a multi-disciplinary team
- Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion
- Ability to travel between locations within Newport; access to your own transport is essential
- Eligibility to work in the UK
- Successful applicants will be required to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
Desirable Requirements
- Advice and Guidance qualification
- Supported Employment qualification, or willingness to complete the qualification after appointment
- Experience delivering supported employment within an employability setting
- Experience supporting individuals with Additional Learning Needs (ALN) or Special Educational Needs (SEN)
- Knowledge of the Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF) and Individual Placement and Support (IPS) models
- Experience working with people with mental health conditions, disabilities, veterans, victims of abuse, non-paid carers or other underrepresented groups
- Understanding of safeguarding principles and practices
- Ability to communicate in Welsh, both spoken and written
About the Role
Supporting the Connect to Work programme in Newport by providing person-centred, supported employment to participants facing significant barriers to employment, helping them achieve their employment goals, secure suitable work and sustain employment through ongoing coaching, advocacy, employer engagement and post-employment support.
Job Reference: OR113459
Job Types: Full-time, Fixed term contract
Pay: £16.35 per hour
Application question(s):
- Do you have an understanding of supported employment methods and quality standards, such as SEQF or IPS?
Experience:
- supporting people ALN/SEN, disabilities, mental health : 1 year (required)
Language:
Licence/Certification:
- NVQ Level 4 (required)
- Advice and Guidance or Supported Employment qualification (required)
- DBS (required)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
