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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a team to support young adults with mental health challenges in achieving their goals.
- Company: Join Get Set UK, a mission-driven organisation focused on community impact.
- Benefits: Enjoy wellbeing support, discounts, pension options, and opportunities for career progression.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in the lives of young people while developing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Experience in managing services related to employability, youth, or mental health is essential.
- Other info: Be part of a supportive culture that values ambition, pride, and inclusivity.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
Get Set for Impact That Matters. At Get Set UK, we ignite opportunity, build resilience, and create pathways to success for individuals and communities. Through specialist employability and mental health-informed services, we support people to move forward with confidence, purpose and dignity.
We are now recruiting a Programme Lead for our Essex Work Ready service - a senior, values-led leader who will oversee the delivery of a high-impact contract supporting young adults aged 16-26 with Severe Mental Illness (SMI) across Greater Essex, including Southend and Thurrock. This is a role for someone who can combine strong operational leadership, partnership influence and performance accountability with compassion, trauma-informed practice and belief in young people's potential.
Your Impact
As Programme Lead, you will have full operational responsibility for the Essex Work Ready contract, ensuring delivery is high quality, recovery-focused and outcomes-driven. You will lead a small, skilled team delivering personalised and intensive support to young adults who may be disengaged from education, employment and services - including those transitioning from CAMHS, known to Early Intervention Psychosis teams, ARMS services or recently discharged from inpatient mental health care.
Your Role
- Leadership & People Management
- Line-manage 3-4 staff, which may include Employment Specialists, Support Workers, Engagement Advisors or similar roles
- Ensure caseloads are appropriate, risk-managed and focused on high-quality participant outcomes
- Build a culture of trust, accountability, safeguarding awareness and continuous improvement
- Model recovery-focused, person-centred practice and lead by example
- Service Delivery & Contract Model
- Ensure delivery of short-term, intensive, vocationally focused support for young adults
- Ensure every participant has a personalised, goal-focused plan reflecting strengths, interests and aspirations
- Embed IPS-aligned principles, including voluntary participation, preference-based support, rapid job search and employer engagement
- Ensure delivery is flexible and takes place in the most appropriate settings, including community venues, youth settings and partner locations
- Referral Growth & Partnership Development (Key Requirement)
- Build and maintain strong referral pathways with CAMHS, Secondary Mental Health Teams, Early Intervention Psychosis services, ARMS, youth services and community partners
- Ensure referral processes operate smoothly and responsively across the county
- Work collaboratively with clinicians and partner services to deliver coordinated, wraparound support
- Ensure referral volumes support annual engagement targets (minimum 120 young adults per year)
- Commissioner & Stakeholder Engagement
- Act as the primary operational point of contact for Essex County Council commissioners
- Attend contract management meetings, reviews and performance discussions
- Performance Management & KPI Delivery
- Take operational ownership for achieving contractual KPIs, including engagement, progression and sustained EET outcomes
- Ensure accurate, timely data entry and reporting to commissioner standards
- Use MI and performance data to identify trends, risks and improvement actions
- Co-Production & Youth Voice
- Ensure the service is genuinely co-produced with young adults
- Implement structured feedback, involvement and participation mechanisms
- Empower young people to influence service delivery and continuous improvement
Who we seek
- Experience managing or leading services within employability, youth, education or mental health
- Strong ability to work to performance targets and KPIs
- Experience of multi-agency partnership working
- Understanding or experience of IPS or vocational rehabilitation approaches
- Proven ability to lead, motivate and develop staff in a high-compliance environment
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including commissioner reporting
You Share Our Values
- Be Ambitious - You're determined, forward-thinking and always seeking improvement
- Be Inspiring - You support others to take ownership and raise standards
- Be Proud - You celebrate high-quality work and positive outcomes
- Be Considerate - You collaborate inclusively with colleagues, partners and stakeholders
- Own It - You take accountability, lead with integrity, and follow through on what matters
Why Join Get Set UK?
Because you'll be part of a mission-driven organisation that invests in your growth and celebrates your impact. You'll get:
- Wellbeing support including GP, counselling and Headspace
- Discounts, pension and salary sacrifice options
- Enhanced benefits with service
- A culture built on ambition, pride, ownership and support
- Real opportunities for progression
We are also a proud Disability Confident Employer. Adjustments are available at every stage.
Ready to Apply?
If you're ready to use your quality leadership to make a meaningful difference - for learners, staff, and communities - we'd love to hear from you. Apply now and join a team where Every Word Matters, Every Action Counts, and Every Person Matters.
Programme Lead employer: Get Set UK Group
Contact Detail:
Get Set UK Group Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Programme Lead
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in your field, attend events, and connect with professionals on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and practising common questions. Tailor your responses to highlight how your values align with theirs, especially around supporting young adults and community impact.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your passion! When you get the chance to speak with potential employers, share your experiences and why you care about making a difference in the lives of young people. Authenticity goes a long way.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining our mission-driven team at Get Set UK.
We think you need these skills to ace Programme Lead
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion: When writing your application, let your enthusiasm for the role shine through! We want to see how your values align with ours and how you can contribute to making a difference in the lives of young adults.
Tailor Your Experience: Make sure to highlight your relevant experience in employability, youth services, or mental health. We’re looking for someone who can demonstrate their operational leadership skills and how they’ve made an impact in similar roles.
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application straightforward and to the point. Use clear language to describe your achievements and how they relate to the key responsibilities of the Programme Lead role. We appreciate clarity!
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity. We can’t wait to hear from you!
How to prepare for a job interview at Get Set UK Group
✨Know Your Impact
Before the interview, take some time to understand how your experience aligns with the mission of Get Set UK. Be ready to discuss specific examples of how you've made a difference in previous roles, especially in supporting young adults or working within mental health contexts.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
As a Programme Lead, your leadership approach is crucial. Prepare to share your philosophy on team management and how you foster a culture of trust and accountability. Think about times when you've successfully led a team through challenges and how you model recovery-focused practices.
✨Demonstrate Partnership Skills
Collaboration is key in this role. Be prepared to discuss your experience in building referral pathways and working with multi-agency partners. Highlight any successful partnerships you've developed and how they contributed to achieving performance targets.
✨Emphasise Co-Production
Get Set UK values the voice of young people. Come equipped with ideas on how you would implement co-production in service delivery. Share examples of how you've involved service users in shaping programmes and how you plan to empower young adults to influence their support.
