Connect to Work Employment Specialist

Acorn Training Ltd; Daventry; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Pension scheme

CPD & professional development

Westfield Health Scheme

Wellbeing initiatives

Volunteering day & charity initiatives

Employee referral bonus

Career progression support

Job summary

Acorn Training Ltd in Daventry is seeking an IPS Employment Specialist to deliver intensive, tailored employment support to clients with complex barriers. You will manage a caseload, conduct profiling, and create action plans to help clients secure and sustain work with timely follow-up.

The role requires NVQ2 level in relevant fields, GCSEs, IT qualification and driving license, with IPS training and a driving focus for community-based work. Flexible, supportive team environment awaits.

Qualifications

• NVQ Level 2 in customer service, business administration, accounting or IT is essential.
• GCSEs in English and Maths are essential.
• Level 2 IT qualification (e.g., ECDL) is essential.
• Full UK driving licence is often required for community-based work (essential).
• Willingness to undertake IPS-specific training (e.g., IPS Grow, Fidelity) is essential.
• Desirable: First Aid at Work Certificate; IOSH Health and Safety qualification; Level 3 qualification or above in related field (Health & Social Care, Employability, Psychology).

Responsibilities

• Manage an active caseload of clients aiming to start or return to work.
• Conduct vocational profiling to identify skills, aspirations and goals.
• Develop personalised action plans including job search, CVs, applications, interview prep and career planning.
• Assess support needs (travel, benefits, disclosure around health, budgeting).
• Provide in-work support to help clients sustain roles with regular follow-ups.
• Source job opportunities and promote services to employers.
• Maintain contact with employers to support job retention and negotiate reasonable adjustments.
• Champion equality, diversity and inclusive employment practices.
• Work with multidisciplinary teams and referral partners.
• Maintain accurate case notes and CRM documentation.
• Work to IPS fidelity standards and monitor client outcomes.
• Collect feedback for service improvement.
• Work independently, reliably and with high quality IPS practice.

Skills

Caseload management

Vocational profiling

Action planning

Needs assessment

In-work support

Job sourcing

Employer liaison

Equality champion

Team collaboration

Documentation

IPS fidelity

Feedback collection

Independent work

Education

NVQ Level 2 (customer service / admin / IT)

GCSE English & Maths

IT qualification (ECDL)

Driving licence (UK)

IPS training (Grow / Fidelity)

First Aid at Work

IOSH Health & Safety

Level 3 qualification in related field

Job description

Description

We reserve the right to close this advertisement at any time if we receive suitable applications for the role.

Department: Employability

Location: Daventry

Compensation: £28,000 - £30,000 / year

An IPS Employment Specialist in the Connect to Work programme provides intensive, personalised, employment-focused support to people with complex barriers, working collaboratively across health, employment, and community settings. The role is dynamic, relationship based, and highly impactful, helping clients achieve lifechanging outcomes through meaningful employment.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage an active caseload of 25 clients who want to start or return to work
• Conduct vocational profiling, identifying skills, aspirations, and employment goals
• Develop personalised action plans, supporting job search, CV writing, applications, interview preparation, and career planning
• Assess clients’ support needs, including:
  • Travel planning
  • Benefits and welfare advice
  • Disclosure support around health conditions
  • Budgeting and better-off calculations
• Provide in-work support to help clients sustain roles, including frequent early-job check-ins and long-term follow-up
• Support clients at risk of job loss due to ill health, helping them maintain employment
• Source job opportunities
• Promote the service to employers and negotiate reasonable adjustments and phased returns
• Maintain ongoing contact with employers to support job retention and resolve employment challenges
• Champion equality, diversity, and inclusive employment practices
• Work as part of a multidisciplinary team, including Primary Care, training providers, mental health teams, DWP, and referral partners
• Build relationships that generate referrals and strengthen community-based employment support networks
• Maintain accurate case notes, progress reports, and CRM-based documentation
• Work to IPS fidelity standards and ensure effective monitoring and evaluation of client outcomes
• Collect feedback from service users to support continuous service improvement
• Work independently, reliably, and consistently to deliver high-quality IPS practice

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Qualifications and Specific Training

• Full NVQ Level 2 in customer service, business administration, accounting, or IT (essential)
• GCSE (or equivalent) in English Language and mathematics (essential)
• Level 2 IT Qualification, such as ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence) (essential)
• Full UK driving licence (often required due to community-based work) (essential)
• Willingness to undertake IPS-specific training (e.g., IPS Grow training, Fidelity training) (essential)
• First Aid at Work Certificate (desirable)
• IOSH Health and Safety Qualification (desirable)
• Level 3 qualification or above in a relevant field (e.g., Health & Social Care, Employability, Psychology, Social Sciences) (desirable)

Experience

• Experience supporting individuals to achieve goals, ideally in employment, skills, health, or social care settings (essential)
• Experience engaging with employers or supporting clients into work (essential)
• Skills for Life awareness (desirable)
• Knowledge of the local labour market (desirable)
• Understanding and awareness for clients with multiple and complex difficulties (desirable)

Knowledge

• Barriers to learning and employment (essential)
• How to support customer and promote independence (essential)
• Support strategies for various customer specific needs (essential)
• Comfortable working in community settings and travelling within the region (knowledge of local community/work environments) (essential)
• Understanding of the IPS Fidelity Model and evidence-based practice (training provided) (desirable)
• Knowledge of mental health, disability, health inequalities, and the Equality Act 2010 (desirable)

Skills

• The ability to work under pressure in a highly performance driven organisation (essential)
• The ability to work effectively as part of a team (essential)
• The ability to work accurately and actively programme solving (essential)
• The ability to reflect on your own performance to support quality improvement (essential)
• The ability to manage time effectively and plan your own workload (essential)
• Strong organisational and caseload-management skills (essential)
• Excellent communication skills (in person, telephone, written) (essential)
• Ability to build effective relationships with clients, employers, and multi‑agency partners (essential)

We welcome applications from all suitably-qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, disability, marital or parental status, ethnic or social origin, religion, belief, or sexual orientation. In addition, during the various stages of recruitment, reasonable adjustments can be taken to ensure equal opportunities for candidates with disabilities or special needs.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy

Job Benefits

• Flexible working including home-based, centre-based, or hybrid job role dependant
• Up to 26 days annual leave, with the option to purchase up to 10 additional days
• Pension scheme to support your long-term financial wellbeing
• Training and professional development, including CPD workshops and professional qualifications
• Westfield Health Scheme with benefits including 13 healthcare services, cashback towards essential health bills, counselling and therapy treatments, fast access to MRI, CT, and PET scans, and discounted shopping vouchers
• Wellbeing initiatives including Wellbeing Wednesdays and the Mental Health at Work Pledge
• Disability Confident Leader, Menopause Workplace Pledge, Armed Forces Covenant, Ban the Box Employer, and secure prayer spaces
• Annual paid volunteering day and charity initiatives
• Cash incentives for Employee of the Month and Employee of the Year awards
• £500 Recommend a friend scheme