Employment Specialist

Maximus UK; Preston; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

9% combined pension

25 days annual leave

Holiday trade scheme

Flexible benefits package

Job summary

Maximus UK is recruiting Employment Specialists for supported employment, a field-based role requiring travel around your local delivery area and a valid driving licence. Salary ranges from £28,500 to £32,000, with a comprehensive benefits package including a 9% pension and 25 days annual leave.

You will empower vulnerable adults by guiding them through the five stages of Supported Employment, engaging stakeholders, and delivering person-centred support to achieve sustainable employment outcomes.

Qualifications

• Familiarity with MS Outlook, Teams and OneDrive.
• Numeracy and literacy skills; working to KPI standards.
• Creative problem solving and prioritising a workload.
• Experience of people development in individual or group settings.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Passion for empowering individuals with disabilities or barriers to employment.
• Commitment to person-centred support and positive life-changing outcomes.
• Strong drive to transform lives through dedicated and compassionate support.

Responsibilities

• Support a caseload through the five stages of Supported Employment.
• Develop vocational profiles and conduct job analyses to identify support needs.
• Provide job-matching services and on-the-job support, including coaching and adjustments.
• Deliver pre-employment support and ongoing retention assistance.
• Provide benefits calculations and disclosure support.
• Meet KPI targets and ensure accurate data entry and documentation.
• Engage with employers and community partners to generate referrals.
• Promote zero rejection philosophy and support career development for participants.

Skills

Numeracy

Literacy

Creative problem solving

Workload management

People development

Independent working

Teamwork

Empowerment focus

Client-focused support

Tools

MS Outlook

Teams

OneDrive

Job description

Be part of something great

Maximus is a global organisation that specialises in providing health and employment services to millions of people every year. Here in the UK, we employ around 5,000 people across the country to deliver services that have a profound impact on people’s lives. From assessments and health services to employability programmes and specialist support, we do work that matters with people who care.

Maximus is recruiting for Employment Specialists within supported employment. This role is field based and will include travel around your local delivery area, as such a driving licence is essential.

Salary - £28,500 - £32,000 dependent on experience.

Benefits include

• 9% combined pension
• 25 days annual leave
• Holiday trade scheme
• Flexible benefits package

Job Summary

The Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF) Employment Specialist will demonstrate the core values of Supported Employment, empowering participants to gain employment whilst delivering the 5 stages of Supported Employment: Customer Engagement; Vocational Profiling; Employer Engagement; Job Matching and providing In-Work Support/Career Development.

Supporting vulnerable adults with a variety of health conditions, disabilities and other barriers to meaningful employment, you will engage with a variety of stakeholders and advocate on behalf of your caseload by promoting equality and gaining employment opportunities.

We are looking for dedicated and enthusiastic individuals who are deeply passionate about supported employment and truly believes in its power to transform lives. The ideal candidates will have a strong desire to drive meaningful change, empowering individuals to unlock their potential and achieve sustainable employment opportunities. If you are motivated by the opportunity to make a real difference and contribute to positive life-changing outcomes, we want to hear from you.

Role Responsibilities

Supporting a caseload through the 5 stages of Supported Employment. You will be expected to build rapport and trust with your caseload, ensuring that they have choice and control over their journey and being an advocate on their behalf.

Engage with a variety of stakeholders (Partners & Employers) to advocate on behalf of your caseload.

• Adhere to the SEQF quality framework - Develop a comprehensive vocational profile and conduct a detailed job analysis to identify support needs, ensuring tailored interventions are provided to help individuals achieve their employment goals
• Provide job-matching services by identifying suitable employment opportunities that align with the client’s skills and preferences while meeting the needs of the employer
• Deliver one-to-one pre-employment support
• Offer on-the-job support to clients, including job coaching, workplace adjustments, and mentoring, to ensure a smooth transition into employment and long-term retention.
• Provide benefits calculations and disclosure support.
• Meet and exceed KPI’s
• Ensure compliance by accurate data entry, completion of contractual and internal documentation and/or provider guidance.
• Facilitate the integration with local communities and their partners, ensuring that employment support is seamlessly woven into the broader network of local services and resources to optimise outcomes/support and opportunities.
• Engage with community organisations to promote the program to generate referrals .
• Use a range of recruitment activities to match and market participants to relevant vacancies and/or potential employers. (e.g. Labour Market Analysis)
• Engage and work with employers to ‘job carve’ positions/negotiate work trials and provide support (e.g. in job training such as Training in Systematic Instruction or support development of natural sources of support)
• Identify and work with partner services to signpost participants to effectively support barriers and develop support networks/coping strategies.
• Provide mentoring support, advice and guidance to both participants and employers to ensure sustained employment, incorporating reasonable adjustments where possible. - Support development of ‘circles of support’ for participants to support individual’s aspirations.
• Promote zero rejection philosophy of Supported Employment to stakeholders.

Quality & Continuous Improvement

• Striving for the best quality standard (accurate record keeping/following SEQF)
• Gaining feedback from stakeholders: working with team to make improvements to the service
• Seek feedback from participants, employers, and other stakeholders to inform continuous improvement efforts - Identify and implement innovative approaches to improve service delivery and participant outcomes - Reflect on personal performance and engage in professional development activities to enhance skills and knowledge. - Collect and analyse data to monitor the effectiveness of the program, identifying areas for improvement.

Qualifications & Experience

Essential

• Familiarity with systems including MS Outlook, Teams and OneDrive
• Numeracy and literacy skills - Experience of working to Quality Standards and associated Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s)
• Creative problem-solving skills
• Experience of organising a workload and managing priorities
• Experience of people development in and individual and/or group environment
• The ability to work independently and demonstrate self-management.
• Experience of working as part of a team
• A genuine passion for empowering individuals with disabilities or barriers to employment, supporting them to achieve their full potential through meaningful work opportunities
• A strong commitment to delivering person-centred support and achieving positive, life-changing outcomes for individuals
• The ability to inspire confidence, self-belief, and motivation in individuals, helping them to build resilience and achieve their goals
• A deep sense of purpose and motivation to make a real difference in the lives of others by fostering independence and empowering individuals to overcome barriers
• Committed to transforming lives and making a meaningful impact through dedicated and compassionate support

Desirable

Experience of supporting participants through Supported Employment contracts (And/Or) Experience of working in an employability related area supporting vulnerable adults

Ability to coach individuals within their role – to support developing healthy work behaviours and achieve their maximum potential and career development (if you do not have experience, there is an expectation to learn this skill)

Welfare to Work Sector specific qualification e.g. Supported Employment Techniques; Level 3 Certificate for Supported Employment Practitioners; NVQ 3 L3 in Employment related services. (If you do not have any of these qualifications, have a willingness to develop/train in this field).

Individual Competencies

• Motivated whilst demonstrating an adaptable nature
• Demonstrate experience of working in a role where, sales, promotional or influencing skills are required
• Excellent Communication Skills
• Strong Interpersonal Skills, specifically active listening, questioning, building relationships - Participant Focused whilst setting realistic goal setting
• Stakeholder & Communication Skills (e.g. relationship building, negotiation and persuasiveness)
• Quality Focus – creative and innovation input to build quality standards
• Integrity
• Willingness to learn
• Teamwork – being an active and proactive member of your team
• Empathy
• Behaviours including ability to manage conflict; demonstrate resilience & good time management skills

Travel Requirements

Be able to travel independently throughout contract area (due to areas covered, applicants will need to be able to drive):

• to support clients in their local area,
• be able to visit employer sites and provide support to all stakeholders
• Attend team meetings/organisational events.

EEO Statement

Maximus is committed to developing, maintaining and supporting a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the recruitment process. We know that feeling included has a dramatic impact on personal wellbeing and are working to ensure that no job applicant receives less favourable treatment due to any personal characteristic. Advertisements for posts will include sufficiently clear and accurate information to enable potential applicants to assess their own suitability for the post.

We are a Disability Confident Leader, thanks to our commitment to the recruitment, retention and career development of people with disabilities and long-term conditions. The Disability Confident scheme includes a guaranteed interview for any applicant with a disability who meets the minimum requirements for a job. When you complete your job application you will find a question asking you if you would like to apply under the Disability Confident Guaranteed Interview Scheme. If you feel that you have a disability and apply under this scheme, providing that you meet the essential criteria for the job, you will then be invited for interview. Your Guaranteed Interview application will only be shared with the hiring manager and the local resourcing team. Where reasonable, Maximus will review and consider adjustments for those applicants who express a requirement for them during the recruitment process.