The Get Britain Working’ white paper (November 2024) set out the government’s aim to create a new programme called ‘Connect to Work’, with a purpose to provide support to adults with disabilities, health conditions and/or other complex needs to move into and/or sustain employment. All local authorities (or combined authorities) are being provided with funding specifically to undertake delivery of the programme. This brand-new role will lead the Council's Connect to Work IPS delivery team. This is an exciting opportunity to be involved in a new initiative from the very beginning and will help to build and shape the service. The successful candidate needs to have a substantial background in managing and leading teams that support adults with disabilities, health conditions or other complex need. Preferably they will have detailed knowledge of supported employment methodologies, either the Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF) or Individual Placement and Support (IPS) and be very familiar with their associated fidelity frameworks. This new service needs to perform well from the very beginning, and the role requires someone who can build high-performing teams using data to drive improvement at team and individual level. Customers of this new service must be at the heart of what we do and ensuring that our customers have a hugely positive experience is essential, whatever their circumstances, needs or ambitions may be. The service will need to work with a wide range of partners to develop referral pathways, so being able to build and maintain effective relationships with a broad range of people and organisations will be a key skill. Furthermore, Connect to Work is about moving people who are economically inactive with a desire to work, into employment, and employers are key to this outcome. Employer engagement is therefore an essential part of supported employment, and the successful candidate will need to have a good level of awareness of the local employment context and employers. They will need to use their existing knowledge and that of others that work with employers to develop and coordinate effective engagement strategies that ensure there are sufficient opportunities for the service's customers. As the service is brand-new, it will need to be effectively promoted to build awareness and drive uptake and referrals. Therefore, some knowledge of effective promotion and communication strategies will be important, along with a willingness to try new and innovate approaches to ensure the service reaches the people who need it. Supported employment is not typically a 9-5 service, given that employers’ businesses and our customers working patterns can be at any time of day or night. This will require a degree of flexibility in working hours from time to time, to ensure we are providing effective support to customers and our staff at all times. As you would expect, the safety of our staff and customers is paramount, which includes safeguarding, data protection and health and safety. The post-holder will need to be familiar with all aspects of these areas in the context of supported employment and ensure robust procedures are in place that are effectively monitored and reviewed. In summary this is a rare opportunity to be involved from the beginning in building a new service that will make a huge difference for adults in the borough with disabilities, health conditions and/or other complex needs. This role will suit someone who is knowledgeable and experienced, but also passionate and enthusiastic about making a real difference for people within the target groups. You will need a keen eye for detail, whilst also being able to see the bigger picture and an affinity for ensuring robust data capture enables effective performance monitoring and analytical thinking. If you think this role could be for you, then we would love to hear from you! For an informal conversation about this role, please contact Rachel Horth (Rachel.Horth@telford.gov.uk or 01952 382888) or Richard Probert ( Richard.Probert@telford.gov.uk or 01952 382888). Interviews will take place on Monday 27th October Please click on the links below to view the job description and person specification. Sorry a CV will not be accepted. At Telford & Wrekin Council, we know that having a diverse workforce is key to providing the best possible services to our community. We celebrate having a diverse and inclusive culture where people are able to be themselves at work, and everyone has a voice. Posts working with children or vulnerable groups will be subject to an appropriate criminal records check. It is an offence to apply for a role that involves engaging in regulated activity with children and adults in vulnerable circumstances if you are barred from working with one or both of these groups. We value our employees and offer staff rewards and plenty of opportunities for personal development and career progression including: Competitive rates of pay Automatic access to a secure, flexible and tax efficient Local Government Pension Scheme Staff benefits and discounts including salary sacrifice schemes Free on-site parking Generous leave entitlement (24 days rising to 32 days) plus 8 bank holidays and an additional concessionary day Free access to our employee assistance programme and confidential counselling Flexible and mobile working policy - we are well adapted to a hybrid model of working which includes a combination of time spent in the office and at home – our approach is to promote greater level of flexible working around personal and family commitments Find out further information about working at Telford & Wrekin Council including our full list of benefits. Sorry but CV's will not be accepted. Please note that Telford & Wrekin Council do not hold a sponsorship licence for visas. Attached documents Job Description