IAG advisor (2 posts) in Barnsley

Position reference:
Directorate: Growth and Sustainability | Service: Employment & Skills
Salary: £26,403 - £34,434 (Career Grade)
Working Arrangements: Minimum requirement of 3 days in the office
Hours per week: 37
Contract type: Fixed term until 31/03/2027
We are happy to talk flexible working arrangements with you; please get in touch.
Closing date: 17/04/2026 at 23:59
The successful candidate will be required to speak English to an appropriate standard.
This post requires an Enhanced DBS Check.
If you are currently living overseas or have lived overseas in the last five years please be aware: if you are the preferred candidate for the post, you will be required to apply for an overseas criminal records check from the country/countries you have resided in. If you experience difficulty in obtaining an overseas criminal record check please email.

When applying, please ensure you are prepared to start work with all the necessary legal documents, such as a valid visa. Please be aware that our organisation does not possess a Home Office license and, as a result, is unable to provide sponsorship for anyone seeking a visa as a skilled or temporary migrant worker.

Pensions: Regulations have provisions to reduce pension payments in certain circumstances of those who return to work within local government service. If you are in receipt of a pension upon commencing employment with the authority, this may affect your pension entitlements and you should seek advice from the relevant Pensions Authority.

About Barnsley Council: You can start a career that makes a real difference to people’s lives, helping our council and residents to be the best they can be. We’re an award-winning council and one of the biggest employers in the borough, supporting around 243,000 people. We put people at the heart of everything we do, and that includes our employees. We offer benefits and rewards to support you to thrive and grow, including flexible working, employee discounts, health and wellbeing support, and opportunities for training and development.

Role content: There’s so much happening in our thriving borough, and now’s the perfect time to join our Employment & Skills team as we work to make Barnsley the place of possibilities.

• Role 1: As part of our Employment and Skills service, you’ll work as part of a team of advisors with a range of stakeholders to develop suitable opportunities for clients from a wide range of ages and socio-economic backgrounds to move them towards education, training or employment opportunities. You will need to be enthusiastic, motivated and engaging with good communication skills and a positive outlook. Day to day, you’ll offer support, careers advice and guidance, helping people to overcome issues and barriers, identify training or employment-focused goals and provide training in personal and skills development (e.g., CV preparation, interview techniques). You’ll be responsible for establishing and maintaining positive links with partner organisations and local employers. You will be required to provide accurate reports of interventions and meetings, and report on progress towards contract Key Performance Indicators.
• Role 2: As part of the Employment and Skills service, this IAG advisor role will specifically support our new Connect to Work contract and will focus on support for care experienced clients using Independent Placement and Support (IPS) methodology. This is fast moving, relationship-driven support in which you will:
  • Carry out vocational profiling with care experienced clients;
  • Deliver rapid job search based on individual preference;
  • Build trusted relationships with local employers and training providers;
  • Match people into paid work aligned to their goals;
  • Prepare clients for disclosure, interviews and work placement expectations;
  • Support clients with travel to work planning;
  • Work closely with employers to manage risk and wellbeing during interviews and the pre-employment phase as well as providing intensive in-work support after employment starts;
  • Track job starts, sustainment and progression;
  • Maintain high-quality, fidelity-compliant case records.

What We’re Looking For: Both roles are offered on a career (progression) grade. As a minimum you will require a level 3 in IAG, or a related subject and a Level 2 qualification (GSCE Grade C/Level 4 or above) in English. You will also need to have experience of engaging adults and young people who have experienced barriers and challenges. For the higher graded role you need a minimum Level 4 CEIAG or IAG qualification or equivalent level 4 in a related field plus the Level 2 English qualification. If you have a Level 3 IAG or related qualification and the willingness to achieve the Level 4 IAG qualification within 12 months you can apply for the higher grade role. You should also have experience of providing specialist information advice and guidance on a wide range of interventions relating to volunteering, education, training, employment, health and welfare, as well as experience of delivering high-quality interventions which result in clients moving into a positive destination.

Applicants for both roles will need to be able to work flexibly and be able to travel across the borough and within the Yorkshire and Humber region. Some occasional evening and weekend work is also required.

Please note that offers of employment are conditional on the production of the required certificates, so check the job profile to ensure you have these before you submit your application. Both posts are initially offered until 31/3/27 but may be extended subject to additional funding. Indicate which role you would like to be considered for on your application form. The roles are full-time posts but are also being offered as a job share and as secondment opportunities for candidates with the required qualifications and experience.

For an informal discussion about these roles please contact Carol Booth, Projects and Contracts Manager. Interviews are expected to be held in week commencing 27th April. You will be required to complete a scenario-based question as part of the interview process, provided on the day.

Please use the documents below to help support you with your application form: Job Profile: Information Advice and Guidance Advisor (Career Grade) Profile.docx, Vacancy Exposure Profile: Exposure Profile.docx.

Why work for us? Please view the job profile to demonstrate in your application how you meet the required criteria. We welcome questions about flexible working arrangements, including caring responsibilities. We are committed to an inclusive workplace and will provide support as needed during the recruitment process. CVs are not accepted for this role. We value diversity and are inclusive in our recruitment.