Specialist Professional

This is one of several roles we are currently recruiting for please visit our website for more opportunities.

The roles will sit within the Council s Economy, Jobs and Partnerships service and liaise with Housing, SEND, Integrated Adolescence / Youth Justice, Baseline, Connect to Work, education and training providers, voluntary and community sector partners, and employers.

Purpose of the job The purpose of the role is to provide a comprehensive, effective, relationship-based employability service to eligible participants.

The Employment Specialist will independently manage a caseload of participants seeking employment, training or education. The role will provide information, advice, guidance, practical support and progression planning to help participants build skills, overcome barriers and achieve positive employment, education or training outcomes. The role requires strong caseload management, purposeful multi-agency working, high-quality record keeping, and the ability to build trusted relationships with participants and partner services.

Main areas of responsibility The Employment Specialist will be responsible for:

• Building and maintaining a rolling caseload of participants requiring employment, education and training support.
• Carrying out outreach calls and first-contact activity to engage eligible or potentially eligible participants.
• Completing participant enrolments, including checking eligibility and collecting required compliance documentation.
• Providing one-to-one employment support, including assessment of need, action planning, confidence building, job search, CV support, interview preparation, disclosure support where appropriate, and progression planning.
• Supporting participants to secure job starts, training starts and education starts.
• Developing bespoke employment pathway plans with participants and reviewing progress regularly.
• Recording all participant activity, contact notes, compliance documents, action plans, progression activity and outcomes on Hanlon or another agreed case management system.
• Working with referral partners and internal services to identify eligible participants and support warm handovers into employment support.
• Working with education providers, training providers, employers and voluntary/community sector organisations to identify opportunities and remove barriers to progression.
• Delivering support in community settings and working flexibly to meet participant and partner needs.
• Using available participant support / discretionary budget processes appropriately where agreed, for example to remove practical barriers to employment or training.
• Contributing to supervision, case review, reporting and programme monitoring.
• Representing the Council and the Employment and Skills service at relevant partnership meetings, outreach activity, events and workshops.

An experienced Employment Specialists who can confidently manage a caseload, work with young people and residents with complex barriers, record accurately on case management systems, collect compliance documentation, and work with multi-agency partners delivering outreach and onboarding pathways to build their caseloads.

Candidates must have direct experience supporting people into employment, education or training outcomes. Candidates must also be confident working with participants who may have additional needs, including SEND/LDD, youth justice experience, risk of homelessness, or involvement with statutory services., * Experience supporting people into employment, education, training or placement opportunities.

• Experience providing information, advice and guidance to residents or young people seeking employment, training or skills support.
• Experience independently managing a caseload and maintaining accurate case records.
• Experience developing bespoke action plans or pathway plans to support progression into employment, education or training.
• Experience working with people who face complex or multiple barriers to employment.
• Experience collecting, recording and maintaining compliance documentation, including consent forms and eligibility evidence.
• Strong engagement and relationship-building skills, including the ability to establish trust with participants who may need sustained support.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities, targets and deadlines.
• Good written communication skills, including the ability to maintain clear case notes and accurate records.
• Ability to work with a range of partners and stakeholders, including Council services, providers, employers and voluntary/community organisations.
• Good understanding of safeguarding, equality and diversity, consent, information sharing and data protection in service delivery.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams.

• Ability to work in person from Laurence House and community settings across Lewisham as required.

• Relevant professional qualification, or equivalent experience, in employment support, education, training, information/advice/guidance (IAG), careers guidance, or another relevant instructional / support setting.

Strongly preferred experience Candidates with the following experience should be prioritised:

• Experience working with young people with SEND / LDD.
• Experience working with young people who are youth justice experienced or known to Youth Justice / Integrated Adolescence services.

• Experience working with residents who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.* Experience working in a local authority employment, skills, careers, NEET, youth support or employability service.

• Experience using Hanlon or another case management / CRM system.

• Experience working in a target-driven or outcome-focused programme.
• Experience working with employers, education providers and training providers to secure progression opportunities.
• Experience supporting disclosure conversations sensitively and appropriately.
• Knowledge of Lewisham employment, skills, training and community support provision.

£169.68 per day PAYE or £223.13 per day limited paid via umbrella company inside IR35

The first part of our recruitment process is to send your CV. Should you be short listed Colbern Limited will contact you within 5 days or we may contact you about other job opportunities. Colbern Limited along with our clients are an equal opportunities employer