Help shape a new future for inclusive employment.Join the Connect to Work team and support adults with disabilities and health conditions to find meaningful work. If you’re passionate about making a difference and thrive in person-centred support, this is your chance to be part of something transformative.
Deadline: 29th September 2025
* West Midlands
* Full-time
Job overview
We are looking to recruit Employment Specialists to start as soon as possible. These roles will work within the Job Box team to provide supported employment as part of the Connect to Work program.
This is an exciting time to join the Job Box team at the beginning of this new project and this is an opportunity to be part of building and developing new provision that will really make a difference for local people.
Role
This role is about working with people who need additional support to engage with and access the world of work. This role is a customer facing (face to face, not remote or home working) role managing a caseload of up to 25 customers who will be at varying stages of their journey into paid work. You will use the place and train model of supported employment and its associated approaches to identify need and progress people into work.
Training will be provided, so we don’t need you to have prior experience of using the place and train model, however any experience in a similar role or area of work would be an advantage. What is absolutely essential is a commitment to equality of opportunity for everyone, and a belief that right job can be found for each person.
This role will suit a person who is enthusiastic, resilient, patient, supportive and outcome focussed. You will spend a lot of your day working directly with your caseload of customers and talking directly to employers to find suitable work placement opportunities.
Engaging with employers to generate placements is a key aspect of the role. You will need to be adaptable and able to communicate at a variety of levels to promote the program and individuals to employers, tapping into hidden vacancies, supporting employers with reasonable adjustments and job carving. You may be required to challenge discrimination and advocate on behalf of the customer.
What is Connect to Work?
Connect to Work is a new government initiative designed to support adults that have disabilities, health conditions, or complex needs, to move into sustained employment. Supported employment is a key feature of this new service, which involves a customer working with an Employment Specialist (ES) who will help them to understand their current, knowledge, skills and experience alongside understanding their aims and ambitions. The ES would then work with the customers to find suitable job roles through a range of strategies including engaging directly with employers. Once suitable work is found the ES may be responsible for coaching the customer in how to undertake the duties and tasks involved, and provide other ongoing support, both to the customer and the employer.
* To support the Councils visions and priorities both internally and externally
* To identify and address individual development needs.
* To deliver team objectives in the most cost-effective manner, minimising waste
* To deliver standard which achieve equality of opportunity.
* To conduct eligibility and suitability checks with customers ensure they meet the requirements of the contract.
* To build and maintain effective partnerships with a range of services, organisation stakeholders and partners.
* Work creatively to enable people with disabilities and/or health conditions to plan and implement individual objectives and actions
* To assist customers to assess and monitor their progress against their objectives, recognise when these are achieved, and move forward.
* Comply with all requirements of the contract and record data efficiently in a timely manner
* Support customers to seek support from other services where appropriate to enable them to achieve their employment goals.
* To deliver a service which complies with safe systems of work in accordance with Health and Safety, safeguarding and risk management policies and procedures.
* To develop and build relationships with local employers and have a good understanding of the local labour market.
* Prepare individuals for the return to work by supporting customers to understand their skills, aspirations, and goals through vocational profiling.
* Focus on rapid job search utilising local networks to overcome their barrier to employment.
* Source opportunities for customers with tailored job search and regular contact with employers
* When placing customers with employers ensuring it is a suitable environment, including exploring reasonable adjustments & job carving that will accommodate strengths, skills and health conditions and supporting the customer with coping skills. · Support employers to develop inclusive recruitment practices · Job coaching where necessary and promoting and supporting the natural support in the workplace.
The person
* Experience of working with vulnerable people with significant barriers to finding and sustaining meaningful employment
* Experience of providing information, advice and guidance.
* Experience of multi-agency working practices.
* Relevant experience in supported employment/ recruitment or the welfare to work field
* Experience of working with people with a learning disability/ neurodivergent or have experienced mental ill health
* Proven experience of working to targets and achieving and exceeding agreed outcomes
* Experience of managing a caseload of customers
* Working assertively to influence decision makers
#J-18808-Ljbffr