Job Title: Connect To Work- Employment Specialist
Reporting to: Team Leader
Salary: £30,000 per annum
Hours: 37 hours per week
Fixed Term Contract: Until March 2028, with a possible extension should funding be extended.
About Better Pathways:
Better Pathways is a values-led charity with over 60 years of experience supporting communities to overcome barriers to employment, skills, and social inclusion. We empower citizens within Birmingham by building self-belief and resilience, aiming to maintain wellbeing and create pathways to secure opportunities for volunteering, training, education, and employment.
Job Purpose:
The Employment Specialist will deliver high-quality, person-centred employment support in line with the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model and/or Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF), helping people aged 16+ to prepare for, secure and sustain meaningful paid employment.
The post holder will work with individuals experiencing mental health needs, neurodiversity, learning difficulties or disabilities, health conditions, or other barriers to employment. The role requires intensive one-to-one support, strong employer engagement, and collaborative working with health professionals, community organisations and other partner agencies.
This role forms part of the Connect to Work Programme, supporting participants across Birmingham through tailored employment interventions and ongoing in-work support.
Key Responsibilities
Participant Support
- Deliver supported employment in line with the appropriate IPS or SEQF model, applying the relevant principles of supported employment including engagement, vocational profiling, employer engagement, job matching, securing employment and ongoing in-work support.
- Support participants to identify their aspirations, strengths, skills, preferences and barriers to employment through vocational profiling and action planning.
- Develop person-centred employment plans that reflect the participant’s goals, support needs and preferred work outcomes.
- Provide one-to-one job coaching and employability support to help individuals move towards and into sustainable paid employment.
- Support participants to develop confidence, independence and positive workplace behaviours.
- Assist participants with job preparation, applications, interviews and transition into employment.
- Support participants to understand job roles, workplace expectations and the practical steps needed to succeed in work.
- Negotiate reasonable adjustments and support workplace integration, job carving and return-to-work planning where appropriate.
- Deliver ongoing in-work support tailored to the needs of both the participant and employer to promote job retention and progression.
Employer Engagement
- Build and maintain positive relationships with local employers to identify suitable job opportunities.
- Match participants to employment opportunities that align with their goals, strengths, preferences and support needs.
- Carry out employer engagement in line with supported employment principles, promoting inclusive recruitment and sustainable job outcomes.
- Work with employers to identify duties, workplace environments and support arrangements that enable successful job matching.
- Promote inclusive recruitment practices and support employers to improve retention and workplace outcomes.
- Raise awareness of disability inclusion, neurodiversity, mental health and the benefits of supported employment with employers and partners.
- Provide information and guidance to employers on reasonable adjustments, onboarding and ongoing workplace support.
Partnership Working
- Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, health services, education providers, community organisations and other stakeholders to support participant outcomes.
- Maintain effective communication with referral partners and wider support services to ensure joined-up provision.
- Work with families, carers and other professionals where appropriate to support participants to achieve their employment goals.
Monitoring and Compliance
- Maintain accurate and timely records of participant engagement, progress, outcomes and employer activity in line with programme requirements and the relevant IPS or SEQF fidelity requirements.
- Contribute to programme monitoring and impact measurement through collection of destination data and evidence of outcomes.
- Ensure all employment opportunities, placements and support activity meet safeguarding and Health & Safety standards.
- Monitor participant progress across all stages of supported employment and adapt support plans where required.
- Contribute to internal quality assurance, continuous improvement and service development in line with supported employment standards.
Service Quality and Safeguarding
- Promote safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion at all times.
- Ensure a safe, effective and person-centred service for all participants.
- Follow all legal, organisational and programme requirements in relation to confidentiality, data protection and participant welfare.
- Maintain a strong commitment to high-quality supported employment practice and continuous professional development.
Additional Responsibilities
- Travel across Birmingham, and surrounding areas where required, to provide community-based and in-work support.
- Adhere to all Better Pathways policies, including health and safety and equality and diversity.
- Undertake any other duties within the scope and expectations of the role as required.
Skills and Experience
- Essential
- Experience supporting individuals with mental health needs, learning disabilities, autism and/or other complex barriers to employment.
- Experience in employability, careers guidance, job coaching or employment support.
- Experience of employer engagement and building relationships with businesses.
- A proven track record of achieving targets and positive outcomes.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust and motivate others.
- A person-centred and flexible approach to supporting individuals.
- Strong IT skills, including use of Word, Excel and CRM or case management systems.
- GCSE Maths and English at Grade C/4 or equivalent.
- Understanding of supported employment principles.
Desirable
- Knowledge of the IPS and/or SEQF fidelity models.
- Understanding of supported employment quality standards and employer engagement techniques.
- Understanding of welfare benefits and employment legislation.
- Qualification in supported employment or job coaching.
- Level 3 Diploma in Employability Services or IAG Level 3.
Benefits:
30 days annual leave plus 8 bank holidays. (Pro Rata’d)
For more information, please contact Claire Bullard, Head of Contracts, at 0787 294 5313
Better Pathways is a Disability Confident Employer and welcomes applications from disabled people. Reasonable adjustments are available throughout the recruitment process.
We value lived experience and recognise the strengths that disabled people bring to our organisation. If you require any adjustments to support your application or interview, please let us know.
Pay: £30,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Additional leave
- Casual dress
- Company pension
- Sick pay
Application question(s):
- Do you have direct experience supporting individuals into employment?
- How many years of experience do you have supporting individuals with additional barriers into employment?
- How many years of experience do you have working with employers to support individuals into employment?
Willingness to travel:
Work Location: In person
