Work Placement Co-ordinator & Job Coach in Totnes

This role is integral to enabling students to transition into independence. You will be working to find local businesses that share our vision of supporting people to gain work experience. Through the work you do, you will find suitable placements to match students’ interests, work with employers to assess suitability and responsibilities, and ensure workplaces are safe. Throughout a student’s time at a work placement, you’ll be there both in person and behind the scenes supporting them and will be working closely with your wider college team to encourage and monitor progress.

Key Responsibilities

• Generate and maintain new and exciting work placements for students, completing the necessary health and safety and safeguarding checks, and arranging and supporting student interviews.
• Support students into and during their work placements and act as the point of contact for employers.
• Monitor and ensure that students have positive outcomes through their work placements.
• Work alongside colleagues within the college with work placement diary management and students’ individual learning plans.

Working Hours & Travel

You will work 37.5 hours per week, Monday‑Friday 08:30‑16:30, over 52 weeks per year. This role will be based at our College/Central Support Office in Dartington, but you will travel to surrounding areas such as Torbay, Newton Abbot and Ivybridge, so the ability to travel between placements is essential.

Benefits

• A Real Living Wage
• A starting entitlement of 33 days’ holiday
• A fully funded DBS check and update service to ensure a smooth onboarding process
• Access to valuable resources, including an employee assistance programme to support your mental and emotional health

Our Workplace Culture and EEO

At Lifeworks, we are committed to fostering a workplace that reflects the diversity of our community. As a Disability Confident Employer, we actively encourage applications from individuals with disabilities who meet the job criteria, and we guarantee qualified candidates with disabilities an interview. Lifeworks is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk. All staff undergo Safer Recruitment checks, which include pre‑employment checks, reference checks, and an enhanced DBS check.

Qualifications and Experience

• Significant experience in coaching and mentoring young people with learning disabilities and/or working 1:1 with vulnerable children/young adults with complex needs.
• Extensive and demonstrable experience in developing and maintaining work placement partnerships with local organisations.
• Experience in building and maintaining professional relationships with employers, students, families, colleagues and other stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills (both verbal and written), as well as an organised and detail‑oriented approach.
• A positive and practical mindset, enthusiastic and proactive about student outcomes through encouraging work placements.
• The ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Ideally, previous experience in an FE college.

Additional Information

Most importantly, we are looking for someone who is aligned to our work ethic. We are a relatively small charity, so you need to be willing to get involved with other tasks occasionally to support a common goal. If you are proactive and passionate about working in an organisation that helps people with learning disabilities to live their best lives, we would love to hear from you!

Our Heritage

Since 1996, we have been empowering people with learning disabilities in Devon to achieve their dreams and build fulfilling lives. Our core values of kindness, respect, and positivity guide everything we do.