Employment Specialist | Connect to Work in London

Could you help people facing barriers to employment build confidence, develop skills and achieve sustainable work?

Join the London Borough of Havering as an Employment Specialist and deliver personalised Connect to Work support, helping residents progress into employment through the IPS and SEQF approaches.

• London
• Full-time
• Job overview

Havering Works is an internal team, grant funded to provide employment support to residents who face barriers to secure and remain in work.

The positions within the team are fixed term for the duration of the grant, initially 2 years but with the possible extension to 3 years.

The Connect to Work (Ct W) programme must deliver to externally assessed quality standards

Individual Placement Support (IPS) and the Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF).

The main purpose of the role is to provide specialist client facing information, advice and guidance (IAG), employment and training support to local residents in Havering who are unemployed or seeking to improve their economic well-being, completing all required grant funders paperwork and quality standards in-line with IPS and SEQF models of delivery, including providing evidence of activity and outcomes.

• Role
• The successful person will have:-
• Experience of supporting long-term unemployed residents into sustainable employment, supporting individuals with multiple and complex barriers, combined with previous experience of working in a target driven, employment and skills brokerage /business development environment.
• Experience of helping individuals with barriers to improve their employment and job search skills is essential.
• A track record of successfully engaging clients in a diverse community is also required
• Experience of working in recruitment or in the Welfare to Work sector and a solid understanding of the local labour market.
• Experience of employer engagement and recruitment from initial contact to securing vacancies and successfully job matching and placing clients as well as providing in-work support to support individuals to sustain employment.
• Understanding of IPS Principles
• Commitment to person-centred practice.
• Ability to uphold the IPS model and embedding IPS standards while adapting to Connect to Work and the individual borough context.
• Skilled at building relationships with clinical teams, JCP, and other partners.
• Resilience & Adaptability
• Able to manage competing priorities and support staff through challenges.
• Experience working in complex systems (e. g., health, employment, social care).
• Training on fidelity – IPS and SEQF will be available.

Responsibilities

• To deliver a tailored and client focussed journey towards work for each participant through the Havering Works brokerage service achieving the outcomes and outputs of the project.
• To engage regularly with employers, initiating meetings, securing vacancies both mainstream and bespoke roles in response to our individual participant’s needs, ensuring accurate information is provided to meet needs.
• To work in an integrated way with health and community partners cohesively, including co-location and collaboration
• Supporting employers with their recruitment, job carving and the on-boarding of participants providing both parties with Information, Advice and Guidance support and in-work support once a participant is placed.
• Supporting individuals into employment using a bespoke and tailored vocational profile documenting individual’s needs, circumstances, adjustments and individualised plan
• To promote the employment and skills brokerage service across internal council departments and external organisations e. g. voluntary and community sector, colleges and training providers
• To deliver the employment and skills brokerage service across various council departments and external support agencies, tracking the progress of individuals and working in partnership with a range of services to provide a joined-up skills and employment service.
• Provide support in developing and retaining links with local employers, responsible for overseeing the interests of the employer, working with them to develop suitable bespoke employment pathways and arranging and leading on screening candidates for roles.
• Advise and assist project participants on available support, coordinate and monitor cross departmental referrals of candidates through the Havering Works brokerage service.
• Ensure tracking and other data is up-to-date, maintained securely and shared with team leadership to ensure accurate funding is generated and outcomes are recorded in line with regulatory, contractual and statutory expectations.
• To maintain effective local knowledge of Havering opportunities both for training progression and for employment to ensure the highest quality of resident experience.
• The person

Qualifications

• A degree or equivalent qualification in a relevant subject is desirable IAG qualified preferred but must be prepared to achieve IAG Level 2 and work towards Level 3 when in role.

Experience

• Experience of supporting long-term unemployed residents into sustainable employment, supporting individuals with multiple and complex barriers, combined with previous experience of working in a target driven, account management or business development environment.
• Experience of helping individuals with barriers to improve their employment and job search skills is required.
• A track record of successfully engaging clients in a diverse community is also needed
• Experience of working in recruitment or in the Welfare to Work sector and a solid understanding of the local labour market and the ability to develop business
• Experience of providing advice and support to clients seeking work or training
• Experience of employer engagement and recruitment from initial contact to securing vacancies and successfully job matching and placing clients.
• Experience of supporting a client group with multiple barriers, health disparities and those furthest away from the labour market.
• Experience of work in partnership with a range of stakeholders
• Experience of general and financial administration

Skills and Attributes
Communication & Partnerships

• Able to work with varied client group taking responsibility for advising, supporting and sifting clients to match appropriate jobs and training opportunities
• Work in an integrated way with health and community partners cohesively, including co-location and collaboration.
• Initiate, develop and maintain positive relationships with partners including, public, private, voluntary organisations and the community
• Work proactively with appropriate partners to develop skills & employment events including Job Fairs and recruitment activities
• Employment support skills
  Information, advice and coaching skills
• Records management skills – able to use a CRM / follow documented processes to record progress and actions and initiate cross departmental and project-based case review meetings
• Engage, recruit, assess, signpost and track potential applicants on the Project.
• Offer ongoing guidance, information, advice and coaching to project participants
• Maintain stringent records of project clients, progress and actions and initiate cross departmental and project-based case review meetings monthly
• Record and maintain all evidence required by funders
• Initiate and develop employer links and bespoke employer engagement
• Support employers with creating or carving roles specifically to the need of a client and providing in-work support
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