Service Manager - Blaenau Gwent & Torfaen

Role: Connect to Work Service Manager

Location: Blaenau Gwent & Torfaen (area based role focussed on community outreach)

Hours: 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday

Accountable to: Head of Supported Employment

Closing date: 4th December 2026

Key relationships: Head of supported employment, contract commissioning body, primary care teams, clinical teams, cohort specific partner organisations, local employers, training providers, organisation managers, human resources, user groups, VCS organisations, local colleges, local employment services, and Jobcentre Plus.

About the role: We are now recruiting a Service Manager to oversee the delivery of the Connect to Work programme across Blaenau Gwent/Torfaen. The programme is part of a national initiative funded by the Department for Work and Pensions, and provides specialist, high-quality employment support to participants with learning severe mental illness, disabilities, autism, long-term health conditions, and other complex needs. Delivery will be underpinned by the Supported Employment fidelity principles, with a strong emphasis on person-centred planning, community-based support, and sustainable job outcomes.

Job summary: As Service Manager, you will oversee the management of Team Leads and Employment Specialists, ensuring programme delivery is aligned to supported employment fidelity principles and embedded within a culture of continuous quality improvement. You’ll be operationally responsible for delivery and performance management of the Connect to Work programme, and lead in stakeholder relationships across the area. The role involves working closely with internal teams and partners across adult social care, health, and the voluntary sector to ensure support is coordinated, effective, and targeted at those facing the most significant barriers to employment.

Overview of main responsibilities:

• Operational responsibility of the delivery of the programme across the Blaenau Gwent & Torfaen area.
• Leadership oversight of all aspects of operational delivery, including team lead management and supervision, personal development, partnership development, performance monitoring and quality assurance in line with requirements of a high fidelity supported employment delivery model.
• Provide regular detailed management information to Head of Supported Employment and the senior ITS team to demonstrate that the contractual requirements, quality of delivery, performance and fidelity are all met.
• Lead and support team leads to ensure provision of high-quality trauma informed employment support and pastoral care services, embedding a culture of high performance and continuous quality improvement.
• Development of robust KPIs and targets, ensuring clarity and quality of performance management for the Supported Employment team and commissioned providers with regular one-to-one support in conjunction with the Head of Supported Employment.
• Undertake continued monitoring of service delivery, engaging stakeholders and service partners through consultation, feedback, and co-production to drive service improvements.
• Lead in the design and implementation of effective engagement strategies in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring that services delivered are targeted to residents most in need of support to engage with specialist employment and training services.
• Lead on the development of robust referral routeways and oversight of the co-ordination of resident engagement activity to ensure programme registration KPIs and targets are met.
• Lead on development of Employer Engagement strategies across the area, effectively supporting team leads to establish and foster strong partnerships with employers and placement hosts to ensure the appropriateness and quality of employment and training opportunities for Connect to Work participants.
• Lead on effective promotion, marketing and communications of the Connect to Work programme in Blaenau Gwent & Torfaen, ensuring all teams are utilising a range of marketing assets and tools including social media, flyers and posters, and in-person meetings to raise the profile of the programme, secure partner and resident engagement, and communicate project success and good news stories.
• Lead on budget control, expenses and payments, assisting the Head of Supported Employment with budget control and reconciliation and accurate reporting of project expenditure, maintaining up-to-date budget records, recharges, and invoices.
• Implement and deliver service compliance with all necessary legislation and policy including Health and Safety, Equality and Diversity, safeguarding and GDPR, including implementation of comprehensive employer risk assessment processes to ensure the safety of Connect to Work participants on external placement.
• Lead on strategic priorities and outcomes by promoting, developing and maintaining positive relationships with colleagues, stakeholders, and communities to support effective collaboration and achievement of the teams goals.
• To provide leadership and operational oversight to team leads and Employment Specialists within all teams, ensuring all contractual and programme criteria is met and service delivery is of an exceptional standard.
• Professional development: To participate in your own Connect To Work management supervision, objective setting/appraisal, and professional development plan. To provide regular Connect To Work supervision to Team leads, including group supervision to the wider team, and overseeing their professional development plans.
• Policy and/or service development: To work with the team leads, employment specialists, and service management to ensure that vocational support services offered continue to develop effectively. To ensure that effective referral procedures to programme provision are in place. To ensure participation in monitoring and evaluation systems to accurately capture and report Key Performance Items. To keep abreast of changing practice within vocational rehabilitation, and to disseminate within the teams and, where relevant, service(s).
• Management of resources: To work with internal and external stakeholders and partners to maximise the effective and efficient use of resources in the delivery of vocational support services.
• Safeguarding Responsibilities: With regard to incidences of child welfare or vulnerable adults concern, all staff have responsibility to familiarise and engage with each partnership areas safeguarding policy and procedures, report concerns to their line manager and/or the Designated Person for Safeguarding Children in the partner agency, ensure the confidentiality of matters relating to child protection and only circulate personal information on a need to know basis, avoid placing themselves in a vulnerable situation that may lead to allegations, and immediately report any allegations to their line manager.

Skills and Experience Required:

Essential Requirements:

• Sound knowledge of the local labour market in the areas covered by the role.
• Experience of managing a team.
• Experience of managing/working with multiple stakeholders.
• Confident use of Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365 products, alongside digital tools such as Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business.
• Experience working towards targets.
• Experience delivering services that meet contractual and quality standards.

Desirable Requirements:

• Understanding of supported employment fidelity standards.
• Experience supporting people with multiple and complex needs, particularly learning disabilities.
• Level 3 Award in Employability Services Sector, or an equivalent qualification.
• Understanding of the employability sector.
• Understanding of the recruitment sector.
• A full driving licence.

INTERVIEW INFORMATION: If invited to interview, you’ll need to demonstrate a passion for supporting people with complex needs and barriers, along with a sound understanding of Connect to Work and supported employment programmes. This understanding may come from pre-interview research or direct experience. Thorough interview preparation is essential.

In return for all you’ll bring to Intuitive Thinking Skills, we’re offering a competitive salary range along with these benefits:

• 26 days annual leave + Bank Holidays (opportunity to buy/sell additional days)
• Company Pension Scheme
• Sick Pay
• Smart-casual dress code
• Annual company events
• Annual bonus and pay increases, subject to business circumstances

Inclusive Recruitment and Accessibility: Intuitive Thinking Skills is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. We welcome applications from candidates with a range of backgrounds, experiences and working styles. Candidates are encouraged to let us know if they require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process. Applicants do not need to meet every desirable criterion to apply; we are interested in relevant skills, potential and values alignment as well as direct experience.

Compliance: It is the responsibility of all staff to abide by organisational policies to ensure compliance with relevant standards e.g. ISO 27001 (Information Security), ISO 9001 (Quality) and ISO 14001 (Environmental) as well as adhering to statutory duties in relation to safeguarding, Prevent and health and safety.