Employment Specialist

Mencap; Sutton; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

Mencap is seeking an Employment Specialist to deliver the Connect to Work programme across Sutton, Kingston and Merton. This full-time, fixed-term role (37.5 hours per week) runs for 2 years and involves intensive employment support for up to 12 months per participant.

You’ll deliver the five stages of the Supported Employment model and work independently with a caseload of up to 20 individuals, building strong relationships with participants and employers.

Qualifications

• Previous experience delivering supported employment programmes.
• Robust skills in recording progress and evidencing achievement.

Responsibilities

• Deliver the Connect to Work programme across Sutton, Kingston and Merton.
• Provide personalised, intensive employment support for participants (up to 12 months off work, 4 months for those employed).
• Manage a caseload of up to 20 individuals and build trust with participants and employers.

Skills

Independent work

Communication

Organization

Caseload management

Inclusion & rights

Supported employment experience

Job description

At Mencap, we believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to work, grow and thrive. Our Employ Me team helps people with a learning disability, learning difficulty and autism build the confidence, skills and real work experience they need to move into meaningful, sustained employment.

Every day, our teams see the life-changing impact that good employment support can have—stories celebrated across our Good News blog. From individuals gaining their very first job, to people discovering passions they never knew they had, our employment programmes open doors, shift expectations and help people achieve independence and pride.

We have an exciting opportunity for an Employment Specialist to deliver Mencap’s Connect to Work programme across South London boroughs of Sutton, Kingston and Merton.

This is a full time (37.5 hours per week), fixed term position for 2 years.

Connect to Work is part of the Government’s Get Britain Working strategy. It aims to:

• Reduce economic inactivity for people facing complex barriers
• Increase workforce participation
• Support better workforce retention through structured in-work support
• Strengthen the connection between employment, health and social care
• Deliver measurable outcomes including job starts, sustained employment and employer engagement

You’ll provide personalised, intensive employment support for up to 12 months for participants who are out of work, and up to 4 months for those in work but at risk of leaving their job.

You’ll deliver the five stages of the Supported Employment model, following the Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF):

1. Engagement
2. Vocational Profiling
3. Employer Engagement
4. Job Matching
5. On and Off-the-Job Support

We’re looking for someone who is:

• Motivated and able to work independently
• A great communicator, able to build trust with participants and employers
• Highly organised with strong attention to detail
• Comfortable supporting a caseload of up to 20 individuals
• Passionate about inclusion, employment rights and supporting people to achieve their goals

You’ll need previous experience delivering supported employment programmes, alongside robust skills in recording progress and evidencing achievement.

If you’d like to be part of a team creating real opportunities—and real change,we’d love to hear from you.

This vacancy closes on Sunday 11th October, with interviews to follow soon after.