Employment Support Specialist, Local Supported Employment in Morpeth

Northumberland Skills offers residents a variety of full and part-time courses, apprenticeships, and employability advice and support across Northumberland. We are looking to appoint a motivated and community-focused Employment Support Specialist as part of Northumberland County Council’s Employability Service. You will work on the Connect to Work programme, part of the national Get Britain Working strategy.

This role is part of the Local Supported Employment Initiative and is specifically to support people who are neurodivergent. You will manage a caseload of clients who are employed and economically inactive and live in Northumberland. Following the SEQF supported employment model you will help residents into meaningful or better employment.

You’ll work with employers to identify suitable roles for your people on your caseload and provide tailored in-work support that includes building confidence, guiding both the individual and employer through initial tasks, and advising on workplace adjustments during those crucial first weeks. We are looking for individuals who believe that if someone wants to work, they should be supported to do so and that with your help, it’s possible.

This is an outreach role, so you’ll meet people where they are – including community partner settings and working on employer sites helping them into meaningful, lasting jobs.

• Manage a small caseload, providing tailored, person-centred support aligned to the SEQF Fidelity model
• Deliver outreach services across Northumberland in community settings, employer sites, GP surgeries, and job centres
• Engage with employers to secure suitable roles and provide in-work support on employer sites
• Collaborate with partners including SEND organisations, Adult Services, NHS, DWP, housing providers, and voluntary sector organisations
• Support residents through vocational profiling, action planning, and integration with wider support services to move them into good work

• Experience in employability, community engagement, or health/social care
• Strong interpersonal, organisational, and IT skills
• Ability to work autonomously across agencies and manage complex referrals
• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle
• Knowledge of local services and employment challenges is desirable

This is a unique opportunity to shape integrated employment and wellbeing support across Northumberland, making a real difference in people’s lives. While our team will have a base in Morpeth, the role will involve working across the county. We are particularly keen to hear from you if you can provide strong coverage in the West region of the county.

This post is funded until January 2030.

For an informal discussion, please contact Rachel Druce: 07768671071 E: rachel.druce@northumberland.gov.uk

Northumberland County Council’s (NCC) vision is ‘Land of Great Opportunities’, for current and future generations. We believe there is no better place to live and work.

We have some outstanding benefits and perks to offer you, including:

• 26 days annual leave plus public/bank holidays, rising to 31 days after 5 years of service (pro rata for part-time employees)
• Automatic enrolment into the Local Government Pension Scheme
• Flexi scheme (if applicable) – up to 2 days flexible leave available per month (pro rata for part-time employees)

This is a full-time position but applications on a secondment or part-time basis would be considered for the right applicant.

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria.