Employment Specialist (Merton)

We are Hestia. We make a difference. At Hestia, we are guided by our core values and are dedicated to fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive organisation. Our mission is to empower individuals to rebuild their lives and achieve independence. Right now, we are looking for Employment Specialists to play a pivotal role in our Connect to Work service in Merton.

As a key member of our team, you'll work across the local Primary Care Networks, Talking Therapies services, community organisations and in close collaboration with Working Well Trust, Mencap, and Ingeus. You'll be the bridge between health and employment, empowering individuals to find, stay in, or return to work, and supporting employers to create inclusive workplaces. This is a community-based role covering the Merton borough and travel is expected throughout the borough to meet the needs of the clients.

What do I need to bring with me? You'll need to be able to demonstrate the core skills this role requires as well as match our values and mission. You don't have to tick all the boxes right away; the important thing is that you're willing to learn. We also value lived experience of the areas we support, so if you feel comfortable, please do mention this on your application.

You will have extensive experience supporting individuals with mental health conditions, disabilities, and other barriers to employment, with a strong understanding of their needs in finding, returning to, or retaining work. Skilled in health, social care, and employment support settings, you are knowledgeable about the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model and committed to delivering services aligned with its principles.

You bring excellent interpersonal and communication skills for building trust with clients, employers, and partners, alongside strong administrative and digital capabilities, including CRM/NHS systems and Microsoft Office proficiency. Adept at managing dynamic caseloads and meeting performance targets in fast-paced environments, you demonstrate a commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion, and flexibility to travel within Merton.

Desirable strengths include direct IPS delivery experience, local service knowledge, employer engagement for inclusive recruitment, understanding of welfare benefits, and lived experience of mental health challenges or disability.

Interview Steps: We keep our interview process simple, so you know exactly what to expect.

• Shortlisting call: We have a team of dedicated recruitment specialists who will speak to you about your experience, motivations and values. They will also tell you about all the great work we do!
• Face to face interview: Now you will have a face to face interview with the hiring manager. Our interviews are value and competency based.

Don't be alarmed if there are other stages in the process, it's all part of the plan for some of our roles.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: Our service users come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes us stronger. We are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce and value the skills, abilities, talent and experiences, different people and communities bring to our organisation.

We are a disability confident employer: Hestia is proud to be a disability confident employer, dedicated to the employment and career development of individuals with disabilities. We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for all applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the role they have applied for. We also provide reasonable adjustments during the selection and interview process, and throughout your employment with us.

Safeguarding Statement: Hestia is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults, children and young people who are potentially at risk, and we therefore expect all staff and volunteers to do the same. We require all staff to undertake internal and external safeguarding training throughout their employment with Hestia.

Important Information for Candidates: If your application is successful, please be aware that you will be required to undergo pre-employment checks before a formal offer of employment can be confirmed. We reserve the right to close this job advert early should we receive a high volume of applications or if the position is filled before the closing date. We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible to ensure their application is considered.