Job overview

Groundwork NE & Cumbria is a long‑established environmental and community charity with over 30 years of experience creating greener, healthier and more resilient places across the region. Our mission centres on Creating Better Places, Improving People’s Prospects, and Promoting Greener Living, helping communities thrive no matter the challenges they face.

We deliver hundreds of locally‑led projects each year, including initiatives that support young people into education, training and employment, helping them overcome barriers, build life skills, and reach their full potential.

Role

As an Employment Specialist you will be responsible for the delivery of the Connect to Work programme, providing a high quality IAG provision through client and employer led packages of tailored support.

The primary objective of the role is delivering the Individual Placement & Support (IPS) approach with a caseload of approx. 25 active clients. You will be providing person centred advice and guidance for clients to support them to secure and sustain appropriate employment outcomes. You will be responsible for building positive relationships with local employers, to source suitable vacancies and enable clients to move into and sustain employment.

As part of a Partnership approach, you will work with a range of stakeholders such as local employers, clinical teams, Primary & Secondary Health providers, Mental Health & Well-being Support organisations, JCP and organisations delivering employment provision.

Responsibilities

Duties & Responsibilities

  • Engage directly with clients at outreach locations and provide high quality accredited information, advice and guidance to support them into pre-employment and other employment progression routes.
  • Recruit and manage a caseload of clients, who have a disability or mental or physical health condition, providing an individually tailored programme of person-centred advice and guidance to enable them to secure and then sustain employment outcomes.
  • Engage with a range of local employers to support with their employment opportunities.
  • Source job opportunities for clients through tailored job search and regular contact with local employers, in line with fidelity standards to explore hidden as well as advertised employment opportunities.
  • Ensure delivery of a high quality, community-based service for your caseload that meets fidelity standards, delivers positive outcomes for service users and achieves contractual KPI’s and outcomes.
  • Manage and develop relationships to both generate referrals and ensure effective delivery of all aspects of IPS service, including building relationships with colleagues in Primary & Secondary Health Care.
  • Develop effective working relationships with a range of external agencies who can help individuals to achieve their employment goals.
  • Provide “on and off the Job” support for clients, and their employer, to ensure job sustainment
  • Build effective rapport and holistic support to clients throughout their journey.
  • Undertake all aspects of the customer journey, Inc.; using a dedicated CRM system and associated record keeping, working within the pre-defined timescales
  • Identify employees at risk of losing their current employment and support them with return-to-work strategies
  • Establishing and maintaining contact with local employers to maximise employment and specialist provision opportunities for clients, ensuring requirements are agreed and facilitated accordingly.
  • Actively participate, contribute and support development of all marketing and promotional initiatives, ensuring all partners are promoted where applicable.
  • To encourage and collate regular feedback from employers, clients, third parties and partners for continuous development.
  • To accurately record and maintain all clients’ journeys and process documentation ensuring at all times confidentiality and sensitivity of all personal information and that Data Protection is maintained.

    • Additional responsibilities

  • Comply with all organisational policy and procedures.
  • To be aware of, and assume the appropriate level of responsibility for, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and to report any concerns in accordance with the organisation’s safeguarding policies
  • To contribute to an inclusive working environment with a culture that welcomes, values and respects the talents and contributions of everyone engaged with our organisation
  • Ability to work outside normal office hours.
  • Any other duties commensurate with the level of the post.

The person

About you
We’re looking for someone who is:

  • Passionate in supporting young people to overcome barriers and achieve their potential.
  • A strong communicator, confident engaging with clients, employers and partners.
  • Equipped with strong analytical and problem‑solving ability, able to assess needs and identify effective employment solutions.
  • Person‑centred, empathetic and passionate about helping others succeed.
  • Skilled at building positive, trusting relationships.
  • Highly organised with the ability to manage a varied caseload and meet deadlines.
  • Confident working independently and collaboratively.