Employment Support Specialist (SEQF) in Blyth

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 motivated and community-focused Employment Support Specialists 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 SEQF programme which specifically supports 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 of fidelity, you will help residents into meaningful or better employment. You’ll work daily with employers to identify suitable roles for the people on your caseload and provide tailored in-work support that will include 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 a highly mobile, community-based outreach role where no two days are the same. You’ll meet people in the places that work best for them – from community partner settings to employer workplaces. This supports you to build relationships, develop opportunities and help your caseload of people into meaningful, lasting employment. Being out in the community and working face-to-face is fundamental to this role; this is not a home-based or hybrid position, with travel across the area forming an integral part of your working week.

Key Responsibilities

• 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.

Essential Requirements

• Experience in employability, community and employer 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 the service has campuses across the County, the role will involve working across the area locally from various sites. This post is funded until January 2030.

Why choose us?

Northumberland County Council's (NCC) vision is ‘Land of Great Opportunities', for current and future generations. 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).

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria. If you have a disability and would prefer to apply in a different format, please see the alternative methods below. This information will be treated as confidential and will only be used to check that you meet the essential requirements of the post.