Job Description
POST: Employment Specialist
HOURS: 37.5 hours per week
LOCATION: Dorchester (with travel across Dorset)
SALARY: £27,000 per annum
ANNUAL LEAVE: 25 days + 8 bank holiday days paid holiday
INTRODUCTION TO ROLE
Across the country, economic inactivity linked to ill health has increased significantly, and we are seeing this reflected locally, particularly among residents with disabilities and long-term health conditions. At the same time, the rising cost of living continues to place pressure on our communities, with many facing growing challenges around financial resilience. We also recognise that employment is a key factor in tackling inequality, enhancing health and wellbeing, and building stronger, more resilient communities.
Connect to Work is a new 5 year national employment support programme funded by the Department for Work and Pensions offering long-term, focused support for Elevate Employment residents facing the greatest barriers to employment. Connect to Work in Dorset will be delivered through a hybrid model of direct delivery through Elevate Employment Services and local commissioning, ensuring residents receive tailored, high-quality advice that meet their individual needs and provides support to move into and sustain employment.
We have been commissioned to deliver both Connect to Work frameworks:
Individual Placement and Support (IPS): Integrates employment support with health and social care services to help individuals with moderate to high health needs rapidly enter the workforce.
Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF): Provides flexible, structured, longer-term support alongside community and family networks for those with higher levels of need.
PRIMARY JOB FUNCTION
Working with clients, health professionals, service providers, and employers, Employment Specialists ensure a person’s journey into employment and improved wellbeing is as smooth as possible.
You will support individuals with disabilities, learning disabilities, or autism to secure sustainable paid employment aligned to their preferences using either the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) or the Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF), for which full training will be provided. This includes offering person-centred advice and guidance to clients, while building positive relationships with local employers to create suitable employment opportunities.
This is a target driven role. These targets are derived from contract obligations of: Starts On Programme; Job Entries; Job Retention, compliance to Fidelity.
As an Employment Specialist, you must be an effective communicator, passionate about supporting people, and committed to transforming lives through sustainable employment solutions.
You will work with people on their individual employment journey from vocational profiling to the point where they no longer require face to face in work support. The six key stages on a typical journey are: outreach/referral; vocational profiling; action planning; job search activities (including working on a one-to-one basis with employers to match people with appropriate employment); job placement; job coaching and coordinating support whilst in employment; managing withdrawal of support as the in-work support is no longer required by the client.
The primary goal for IPS delivery is the rapid entry into competitive employment and continuous support once in work (no fixed end point).
This goal differs slightly for SEQF where the progression focus is broader and focuses on:
- Work readiness
- Skills development
- Employment and sustainment
- It may also include longer pre-employment stages depending on the tailored participant plan.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Manage an active caseload of around 20-25 clients (depending on whether you are delivering the IPS or SEQF framework) who are in or who are motivated to start/return to work.
2.Meet and exceed performance targets for referrals, programme starts, employer engagement, job starts and sustainment’s in line with contractual guidelines.
3. Meet and support clients to understand their key skills, aspirations and goals through completing a Vocational Profile and produce an Action Plan to help them obtain and sustain competitive employment. This includes support with their job search, CV production, application forms, job analysis, interview techniques and career development.
4. Assess client support needs related to work which may include benefits/welfare advice, disclosure of health conditions etc, and provide support and guidance.
5. Source job opportunities for clients through tailored retailer job search and regular contact with local employers to explore hidden as well as advertised employment opportunities.
6. Spent at least 65% of the working week in the community. This will involve travelling around to various community venues such as coffee shops and public libraries daily and limiting the amount of time working from home.
7. Provide education and support to employers, as agreed with the individual, which may include negotiating adjustments, return to work strategy and ongoing contact with the employer to ensure job retention.
8. To build and maintain employer relationships, maintain employer engagement database and conduct job analysis, includes completing 8 meaningful face to face employer contacts per month.
9. Once employment has been secured continue to provide quality job coaching service through conducting regular visits, effective monitoring and in-work support to clients and employers to help sustain employment.
10. Updating Elevate Employment services client database regularly with meeting notes and relevant documents.
11. Established positive an integrated relationships with employers, community organisations and other service providers.
12. Spend time getting to know local employers, to negotiate job opportunities that meet everyone's strengths, needs, abilities and preferences.
13. To challenge inequalities experienced by clients and address existing discrimination, while ensuring a process of learning for the organisation.
14. Work with employers to promote the service, identify job opportunities and ensure appropriate strategies are in place to reduce barriers in the workplace - this can include exploring job carving i.e. carving small slices of work from the duties of the staff do not have time to do.
15. To develop effective working relationships with a range of external agencies who can help individuals to achieve their employment goals. This may include local colleges and training providers.
OTHER
1. To undertake any further training as identified in the elevate employment services review procedures.
2. Employees must comply with the provisions of the health and Safety at Work act 1974 and must take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and of other persons who may be affected by their acts of omissions whilst at work. Employees are also required to cooperate with their employer to enable them to perform or comply with any statutory provisions. The organisations efforts to promote a safe and healthy work environment can only succeed with the full cooperation of its employees.
3. To understand, comply with and promote Elevate Employments safeguarding policy and procedures. It is the responsibility of all employees to make the working environment safe and secure for all.
4. Elevate Employment Services has a diversity and inclusion policy and it is the responsibility of all the staff to comply with this. The key responsibilities for staff under this policy are set out in the Code of Conduct.
5. To maintain the confidentiality about clients, staff and other business. The work is of confidential nature and information gained must not be communicated to other persons except in the recognised course of duty. The post holder must always meet the requirements of the Data Protection Act.
6. To maintain awareness of risk and to take personal responsibility for ensuring that the organisation is not unnecessarily exposed to risk. To report any issues or concerns relating to risk and the effectiveness of the organisation’s risk management arrangements.
7. Be aware of, promote and implement Elevate Employment’s Risk, Quality and Information Security Management Systems.
8. Recycle and manage energy within your environment in line with Elevate
This job description is intended to provide a broad outline of the main duties and responsibilities only. The post holder will need to be flexible in developing the role in conjunction with the line manager. The post holder may be asked to carry out any other delegated duty or task that is in line with their post.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Skills and Core Competencies
Technical competency (qualifications and training)
- Trained in Supported Employment approach (D)
- Level 3 Diploma in Employability Services Sector Qualification or equivalent experience (D)
- QCF in Advice and Guidance (Level 3) (D)
Experience
- Experience/understanding of working with disabled and or neurodivergent people, or a similar client group within health, social services or the voluntary sector (D).
- Experience of working with someone on a one-to-one basis (D).
- Proven experience of meeting and exceeding outcomes and targets (E).
- Experience of managing multiple tasks at any one time (E).
- Previous experience of working assertively to influence decision makers (E).
- Experience of supporting people to obtain or keep work (D).
- Previous experience of delivering a service using the Supported Employment model (D).
Skills and Attributes
- An understanding of the employment needs, and challenges faced by disabled and neurodivergent individuals (E).
- Good understanding of the principles and practice of supported employment (D).
- Working knowledge of a broad range of occupations and jobs (E).
- Able to use it at all such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel (E).
- Knowledge of the benefits agency and all disability employment related benefits (D).
- Good motivational, communication and listening skills (E).
- Outstanding interpersonal skills and ability to build rapport with a range of people (E).
- Good organisational ability (E).
- Natural ability to build close, trusting and productive relationships with people (E).
- Team orientated and works collaboratively within a mixed-disciplinary team (E).
- Ability to work independently and use initiative to develop and promote a service (E).
Personal qualities, communicating and relating to others
- Non-judgmental and trustworthy.
- Empathy with the needs of those with mental or physical health support needs.
- Passion and drive to make a positive difference to people's lives.
- Highly motivated with a genuine belief that disabled people can find paid employment.
- Resilient and tenacious to not give up despite setbacks and frustrations.
- Commitment to integrity and excellent service delivery to the client and employers.
- Self-aware of personal strengths and weaknesses and actively invest in personal and professional development.
- Willingness to travel within the region.
- Ability to work well as part of a team and independently when required.
Safeguarding
- Be able to display an awareness, understanding and commitment to the protection and safeguarding of young people and vulnerable adults (E).
- This post requires a Disclosure and Barring Service check at an adult level (E).
Other
- Understand and be able to demonstrate a commitment to Equal Opportunities and Diversity (E).
- Willingness to travel daily within a specified contract area either via public transportation or own vehicle (E).
- Occasional overnight travel with expenses paid to attend training and meetings (E).
Pay: £27,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company events
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- Free fitness classes
- Free flu jabs
- Health & wellbeing programme
- Referral programme
- Sick pay
- Store discount
Work Location: In person
