Employment Support Specialist

Job description

Job Introduction

Salary: £34, 237 - £37,563 a year pro rata plus £963 essential car user allowance (subject to criteria)
Hours: 37 hours a week
Contract type: Internal Secondment / Fixed Term until March 2029

We welcome applications from both internal and external candidates.

This role is available until March 2029. Internal candidates who are permanent employees of Luton Council will be appointed on a secondment basis, while external candidates and other eligible applicants will be appointed on a fixed-term contract until 2029.

Current Luton Council employees applying for this opportunity must obtain written approval from their manager before applying (an email will suffice). A copy of this approval must be included with the application, as we will be unable to progress applications without it.

Please note this role does not attract sponsorship.

What You'll be doing
As an Employment Specialist, you'll make a real difference to people's lives by helping individuals find, stay and succeed in employment. You'll provide personalised, one-to-one support, working with each participant to understand their goals, strengths and circumstances and create a tailored action plan. This could include supporting people with job searching, CVs, interviews, digital skills and job-keeping, while helping them overcome wider barriers such as benefits, housing, childcare, health and travel.

You'll also play a key role in developing opportunities with local employers. Building strong relationships across the local labour market, you'll identify vacancies, develop accessible recruitment pathways and support employers to become more disability confident. You'll advise on reasonable adjustments, workplace support and Access to Work, helping employers create inclusive and diverse workforces while ensuring participants have the best possible opportunity to succeed.

This is a varied and rewarding role that requires strong partnership working. You'll build effective networks with employers, health professionals, training and education providers, social care teams and community organisations to ensure participants receive the right support. You'll manage your own caseload, work towards challenging performance targets and ensure high-quality, consistent support, while promoting the rights, opportunities and independence of disabled people.

What we're looking for
We're looking for an experienced and motivated employment professional who is passionate about helping people achieve their goals and progress into sustainable employment. You'll have experience of providing one-to-one coaching, mentoring or support, ideally within the employment and skills sector, and be confident working towards challenging targets, quality standards and deadlines. An empathetic approach is essential, alongside the confidence to encourage, challenge and motivate people when needed.

You'll be a strong communicator and relationship builder, able to consult, negotiate and influence a wide range of people, from participants and employers to partner organisations and professionals. You'll be organised and able to manage a complex caseload, prioritise your workload and work independently while maintaining high standards of service, compliance and record keeping. Confidence using CRM systems, Microsoft Office and digital communication channels such as telephone, email and video conferencing is also important.

You'll bring resilience, integrity and a commitment to equality, inclusion and safeguarding, with the ability to work sensitively with people from a wide range of backgrounds and circumstances. You'll be comfortable working across different locations and teams in Luton, including meeting participants, employers and partners. A minimum Level 2 qualification in English, ICT and Maths, or equivalent experience, is required. Due to the travel involved, you'll also need to be a car owner and driver and be willing to work outside normal office hours when required.

About us
Our ambitious Luton 2040 Vision - that no-one in Luton will have to live in poverty - is at the heart of everything we do. We recognise that our people are remarkable, talented, committed and passionate about serving our residents.

The people of Luton depend heavily on this council - and that means our workforce! Are you ready to realise the remarkable and help us deliver our vision?

Application ProcessBecause of the nature of this job, it will be necessary for the appropriate level of criminal record disclosure to be undertaken. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare all unspent cautions and convictions; and also any adult cautions (simple or conditional), and spent convictions that are not protected as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020). A person's criminal record will not in itself prevent a person from being appointed to this post. Applicants will not be refused posts because of offences which are not relevant to, and do not place them at or make them a risk in, the role for which they are applying. However in the event of the employment being taken up, any failure to disclose such offence, as detailed above, will result in dismissal or disciplinary action by the Authority.

Applicants for this public-facing post will need to demonstrate the ability to converse, and provide effective help or advice, fluently in spoken English

On occasions, we may close a vacancy early due to a very high number of applications being received.

Benefits
Please click here to learn about Luton Council Employee Benefits.

How to apply
We understand that job applications take time and effort, but a high-quality application shows that you are professional with a good attention to detail. The recruiting manager may receive a number of applications for each job advertised so you want yours to stand out!

Our 'How to apply' page has more tips to help with your application: Please click here for further information.

Attached documents:

• Employment Support Specialist JD AUG 26.pdf - JD
• Luton_Values_Flyer.pdf