Supported Employment Specialist (Disability Employment Adviser)

Company 

Fedcap Employment (part of The Fedcap Group) is a not-for-profit organisation delivering employability solutions across a range of UK contracts through a blend of local frontline professional teams. Our services are more vital than ever before to individuals and their wider communities as we tackle unemployment rates head on.

We are currently recruiting for a Supported Employment Specialist (SES) to a join a newly formed team subject to the contract award.

The programme 

Cheshire East- Inspiring Futures is a new voluntary provision covering the east of Cheshire for people aged 16 from economically inactive cohorts, including those with physical, mental health conditions and/or other disabilities.

The programme focuses on providing specialist Supported Employment to enable participants to move into paid or voluntary employment. This is achieved by delivering tailored support to each individual’s needs, focusing on overcoming barriers by identifying employment aspirations whilst providing consistent contact and intensive support throughout the participant journey. 

The Role

Provide specialised supported employment to participants including those with learning disabilities, autism, mental health challenges and physical/sensory disabilities from economically inactive cohorts. 

You would manage a caseload of participants who have various support needs, to assist them in securing sustainable paid employment in line with their preferences. You will be providing person centred advice and guidance to participants, whilst building positive relationships with local employers to enable participants to move into suitable employment.

This is an office-based role, which also has an element of outreach on occasion. The ideal candidate should be willing to commute to both offices where we are delivering the contract from (Crewe & Macclesfield) as well as any other occasional outreach (expenses covered by the business for any travel outside of base office).

The salary for this role is £28,550.

Key Responsibilities

• Managing a caseload of participants holding initial appointments and action plans to ensure appropriate and effective contractual activity is undertaken by all participants according to their level of job readiness
• Identifying, structuring and recommending vacancy and training solutions, working in close consultation with your team to meet the specific needs of participants and employers
• Developing relationships and networks with key stakeholders including employers, job centre teams and funding providers
• Delivering our customer service standards so that all participants are provided with the same high standard of service that maximises their chances of securing sustainable employment
• Provide intensive 1:1 support for participants to understand their key skills, aspirations and goals through completing a vocational profile produce an action plan to help them obtain and sustain employment, following Supported Employment standards and Fidelity
• Creating an action plan to help them obtain and sustain employment, following Supported Employment standards and fidelity standards
• Assess participants support needs related to work which may include benefits/welfare advice, disclosure of mental health symptoms and providing support & guidance
• For those participants with severe and enduring mental health difficulties you would follow the individual placement support methodology working with community mental health or other clinical teams, maintaining positive and integrated relationships, fostering a holistic approach to recovery through employment
• Maintaining IT files and participants record to a required quality standard to ensure the participant journey is documented in accordance with our quality standards

Person Specification 

Essential: 

• Ability to embrace our company values which are Kindness, Respect, Integrity, and Innovation!
• Experience of supporting participants who have mental/physical health issues and disabilities (or other unemployed or economically inactive groups) ideally in a vocational rehabilitation or welfare-to-work setting 
• Ability to empathise with participants and excellent customer service skills
• Resilient and determined to seek out job opportunities, coaching and motivating participants
• Excellent communication skills to engage employers and change perceptions around disability and physical/mental health
• Understand the barriers unemployed job seekers may currently face
• Digitally savvy with the ability to communicate with others using technology to support people face to face and/or remotely
• Experience working in a fast-paced target driven environment 

Desirable: 

• Driving license and own car
• Knowledge and understanding of Supported Employment (SE) and Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Models
• Level 3 in Employability/Supported Employment
• QCF in Advice & Guidance (Level 3) 
• Mental Health First Aid

Key Competencies:   

• Adaptability
• Results focused
• Customer centric
• Rapport building
• Resilience
• Quality & compliance

Benefits

• You won’t work on weekends or bank holidays!
• A monthly benefits scheme worth £500 with access to over 900 retailers
• A cycle to work scheme that is open all year long!
• Laptop and mobile phone for every employee!
• Employee assistance programme (EAP). A telephone service offering various support services including emotional support, stress helpline amongst others.
• The opportunity of an Institute of Employability Professionals (IEP) qualification for all employees
• A two-week Induction and training programme
• Company annual leave, including a buy/sell scheme
• Free life cover!
• Pension with a 4% match from Fedcap  

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Fedcap Employment is committed to applying equal opportunities at all stages of recruitment and selection, in line with its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy in addition to our duty under the Equality Act 2010 to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination; to advance equality of opportunity.

Fedcap Employment is a Disability Confident Leader employer and as such, any candidate with a disability will not be excluded unless the candidate is unable to perform a duty intrinsic to the role, having considered reasonable adjustments. Reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process will be made to ensure that no applicant is disadvantaged because of their disability

Disability confident employer

Fedcap is a recognised Disability Confident Leader with commitments to aim to recruit, retain and develop disabled people within the company. We encourage applications from people with disabilities and will offer to support with reasonable adjustments where required. 

Veterans and service personnel

Fedcap is positive about employing veterans and service personnel spouses or family members as part of our commitment to upholding principles of the Armed Forces Covenant.

Advert expiry: If you are interested in the position we recommend applying at your earliest convenience. Fedcap reserves the right to withdraw a job advertisement at any time.  

INDHP