Connect to Work Programme Coordinator

The starting salary for this role is £40,296 per annum based on a 36-hour working week. It is a 2-year fixed term post, with the potential for a further 3-year extension when funding is confirmed.

Surrey County Council is launching a new function to deliver the Connect to Work programme. As Programme Coordinator, you will support the Programme Delivery Manager with record keeping, data management, and contract compliance. This role is ideal for those passionate about working in a fast-paced, target-driven environment, helping to identify issues and opportunities early, and playing a vital role in the programme’s success and impact for Surrey residents.

The role is hybrid with at least one day a week in Woodhatch Place, Reigate (usually Tuesday) and will also involve travel across Surrey and occasionally further afield.

• 26 days’ holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years’ service
• Annual leave allowance (for bank) or remove for term time
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer’s leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

About the Team: The Economy and Growth function, consisting of over 40 people, is dedicated to driving sustainable economic development across Surrey, working collaboratively as ‘One Council’ to support strategic priorities that benefit the county’s 1.2 million residents. The team provides key services in business support, innovation, skills, and infrastructure, and works with major employers like Amazon, McLaren, and Samsung to strengthen the regional economy, which is home to 110,000 businesses and contributes £50 billion annually to the UK economy.

We are establishing a new programme within the Economy and Growth function to deliver the ‘Connect to Work’ supported employment programme. This ambitious new initiative is part of a national roll-out by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Launched through the government’s ‘Get Britain Working’ White Paper, this initiative is part of a broader range of programmes addressing skills gaps, responding to employer need and driving local growth to achieve the best outcomes. Connect to Work will use the established model of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) which is an evidence-based ‘place then train’ method of supported employment.

You will be pivotal in supporting the delivery of Connect to Work. Funded by Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Connect to Work will utilise the IPS and Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF) supported employment methods to support hundreds of Surrey’s residents to find and maintain competitive employment. You will lead on proactively managing data flows ensuring compliance with contract requirements. You will become an expert user of a bespoke Case Management System and lead on reporting, including the use of the Provider Referral and Payments Portal (PRaP) for DWP.

You will help coordinate the employment support offer across Surrey, acting as a key connector to services in the Council and those delivered by partners - you will work horizontally across the Economy & Growth function to help achieve wider service outcomes. A new 'people' resident portal will be utilised for referrals, and you will help ensure that this is up to date and reflective of the Connect to Work programme.

You will support the team in the successful achievement of targets, proactively identifying and managing risks and working with the Connect to Work Programme Delivery Manager and Team Leader to ensure our operational systems and processes run efficiently across the team. There is the potential for officer management in year two of the programme.

You will also have a key role in the oversight and delivery of events that support economic outcomes and will work closely with the whole team to help us remove silo working and champion horizontal cross-team practice.

To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your application will clearly evidence the following:

• Experience of coordination, collation, and reporting on data sets within supported employment or other Government funded initiatives
• Experience of managing tools and systems to oversee progress and supporting senior officers in the delivery of project and/or programme objectives.
• Understanding and experience of Case Management Systems, preferably within supported employment or similar initiatives.
• Experience of working effectively with a wide range of stakeholders
• Experience of supporting senior officers with robust programme management and supporting team members to adopt monitoring and reporting practice
• Some experience of line management is desirable

To apply, please send a copy of your CV and outline your experience and suitability for the role responding to these three questions:

• Outline experience of using Case Management Systems and ensuring records are secure.
• Outline experience of employment support programmes, data requirements and the support you provided.
• Outline experience of supporting senior officers and embedding work with operations staff to establish large scale programmes and how you helped ensure effective roll out.

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment.

The job advert closes on 22nd June with interviews planned for the end of June/start of July.

Surrey County Council is preparing for Local Government Reorganisation which will allow us to implement the Government led policy of devolution, which is all about giving more powers to local areas. Currently, Surrey has a two-tier council system, with 11 district and borough councils and a county council, all responsible for different services. All these councils will be reorganised into a smaller number of new unitary councils which will come into effect in April 2027. At this point, this role will be transferred, with all existing terms and conditions intact into one of the new unitary councils.

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applicants where:

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.