Job overview

We Are With You, a charity providing support for drug, alcohol, and mental health issues, is recruiting an Employment Specialist for their IPS (Individual Placement and Support) team in Wigan & Leigh. This new project aims to increase employment opportunities for clients in drug and alcohol recovery. The role involves working flexibly and compassionately to support individuals in achieving their employment goals.

Role

The role is an Employment Specialist within the IPS team, supporting clients from the drug and alcohol support service to move into meaningful employment.

  • Competitive salary
  • 28 days annual leave, plus bank holidays
  • An extra day off for your birthday or a special occasion of your choice
  • Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave
  • 2 days paid volunteer leave per year
  • Auto-enrollment into We Are With You’s pension scheme
  • Access to a Blue Light Card – giving you great savings on big high-street and online brands
  • Flexible working opportunities and access to a range of services and resources to support you with your wellbeing
  • We have an excellent Refer a Friend scheme which offers you a £500 bonus for any recommendations, any role! Our scheme allows you to recommend your friends and family to work with us and earn a £500 bonus payment for every successful referral you make. Please note, the Refer a Friend scheme is only applicable if your recommended friend completes their 6 months probation period

Responsibilities

  • Support clients in finding and maintaining meaningful employment
  • Work creatively with different organisations to deliver better services
  • Engage with employers to match clients with suitable job opportunities
  • Provide tailored support to each individual client
  • Assess clients’ vocational functioning and develop appropriate strategies
  • Collaborate with multiple stakeholders, including employers, partner agencies, and clients’ families
  • Work Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm, with potential on-call work during evenings and weekends

The person

Essential:

  • Experience in helping people with severe labour market disadvantages obtain or keep work
  • Knowledge of issues faced by people in recovery in the job market
  • Ability to develop relationships with multiple stakeholders
  • Working knowledge of various occupations and effective employer engagement strategies
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills
  • Good IT skills, including familiarity with Office Suite and Google Workspace
  • Willingness to provide 3 years’ worth of references and undergo an enhanced DBS check if successful

    • Desirable:

  • Knowledge of best practices in addiction and employability services
  • Proven track record in placing people into employment or supporting sustained employment
  • Understanding of national development priorities and business community needs