Employment Specialist in Manchester

The Growth Company’s (GC) Employment team have an exciting new opportunity for an Employment Specialist to join our Individual Placement Support (IPS) team, to increase the number of people moving into employment from specialist community health services.

You will work on a program that supports adults with a physical or mental health disability who are out of work, to find, and sustain, employment. You will deliver the IPS approach (for which training will be given), providing person-centered advice and guidance to clients, whilst building positive relationships with local employers to enable clients to move into suitable employment.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of around 24 clients who are motivated to start/return to work. Working with participants to progress them on their journey towards employment by delivering the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) approach and overcoming their work, skills health, and personal circumstances barriers to ultimately support participants into sustainable work.
• Spend time getting to know local employers, to negotiate job opportunities that meet everyone’s strengths, needs, abilities, and preferences.
• Develop effective working relationships with a range of external agencies that can help individuals to achieve their employment goals. This may include local colleges and training providers.
• Partake in continuous learning about disability and mental health conditions, their impact, and how they can be managed and undertake mandatory training as required.
• Meet and support clients to understand their key skills, aspirations, and goals by completing a Vocational Profile and producing an Action Plan to help them obtain and sustain competitive employment. This includes support with their job search, CV production, application forms, interview techniques, and career development.
• Assess client support needs relating to work which may include benefits/welfare advice, disclosure of mental health symptoms, etc., and provide support and guidance.
• Source job opportunities for clients through tailored job searches and regular contact with local employers to explore hidden as well as advertised employment opportunities.
• Provide education and support to employers, as agreed with the individual, which may include negotiating adjustments, return to work strategy, and ongoing contact with the employer to ensure job retention.

About you

• Experience talking to employers and helping people into work.
• Great communication skills and the ability to build relationships with everyone from the frontline up to CEO level.
• Negotiation skills and commercial acumen.
• Drive, passion, and commitment.
• Proven ability to build rapport with people and especially understanding issues for people with barriers to employment.
• Strong written skills/verbal/ organisational skills.

Skills Required

• Strong interpersonal, communication, and negotiating skills.
• Ability to work in a target-driven environment, with a focus on the successful achievement of job outcomes and sustained outcomes.
• High-level guidance skills, with the ability to deliver one-to-one and group sessions to at least Grade 2 standard.
• Previous experience working on outreach and lone working.
• Experience in guidance, advice & counselling environments.
• An understanding of working with disabled people, or a similar client group within health, social services, or the voluntary sector is desirable.

We are currently unable to provide sponsorship for work permits or visas. Therefore, we can only consider candidates who already have the legal right to work in the UK.

Please note: It is a legal offence to apply for a role involving regulated activity if you are on the Barred List.