Employment Specialist – Connect to Work, Hampshire

IPS Grow; Southampton; Hybride; GBP 24 000 - 32 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

Palladium International Ltd is recruiting an Employment Specialist for the Connect to Work programme in Hampshire. The role is based in Southampton with travel across Hampshire and involves coaching individuals facing barriers to employment and delivering tailored support to help them secure and sustain work.

The post supports a UK government-funded initiative and requires a person-centred approach, strong partnership skills and commitment to safeguarding and inclusivity.

Qualifications

• Experience providing one-to-one coaching to individuals facing barriers to employment.
• Experience working with people with disabilities or health conditions.
• Demonstrated ability to develop networks and partnerships with stakeholders.
• Willingness to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends when required.

Responsabilités

• Champion customers as valuable candidates and promote them to employers.
• Create and monitor individualised action plans with customers.
• Conduct regular check-ins to track progress before and after employment.
• Advocate for programme values with employers to support inclusive recruitment.
• Develop employer engagement to create employment opportunities.
• Organise work experiences such as placements or shadowing with employers.
• Provide ongoing In Work Support to help customers thrive in roles.
• Address personal constraints to build customers’ confidence in recruitment.

Connaissances

Coaching

Partnership building

Customer-focused

Flexibility

Description du poste

Employment Specialist – Connect to Work, Hampshire

Southampton | Palladium International Ltd

Permanent contract

Could you help people facing barriers to employment build confidence, develop skills and achieve sustainable work?

Deadline: 28th October 2026

• South East
• Full-time

Job overview

You would be joining Palladium, a global impact organisation, with 3,000 employees in over 70 countries. We are a mission-driven business, for whom the impact of our work is as important as the commercial return; the common feature of all our work, regardless of contract size, is the requirement that it contributes to positive social and economic impact. We simply call this ‘Positive Impact’. For the past 50 years, we have been helping our clients to see the world as interconnected in over 90 countries- by formulating strategies, building partnerships, and implementing programs that deliver lasting positive impact. We are experienced in implementing large, complex programmes supporting skills and employment and are currently delivering 30 programmes for the UK Government.

Role

Connect to Work is a UK government-funded initiative aimed at supporting individuals with disabilities, health conditions, or other complex challenges in finding and maintaining employment. The program offers tailored assistance, including one-to-one coaching, employer engagement and help with CV writing. Participants can receive up to 12 months of guidance if they are seeking employment, or up to 4 months if they are currently employed but at risk of losing their job. Support is delivered through local partnerships, and individuals can either self-refer or be referred by professionals and community partners.

In Hampshire we will be delivering Lot 2 – aimed at supporting victims and survivors of Domestic Abuse. We will be working alongside Stop Domestic Abuse and other local partners and domestic abuse charities across the area to deliver a joined up and tailored support for this specific cohort. The role will be based in Southampton with travel expected across Hampshire throughout the week to agreed venues.

The Employment Advisor will be based in Southampton and play a vital role in the success of the programme for those across Hampshire. They will manage a small caseload, delivering person centred support to create and follow an individualised workplan, engaging with employers directly to support people into good and sustainable work. They will be enthusiastic and passionate about helping people to find that role that works for them.

Responsibilities

• Champion our customers as valuable candidates by actively promoting them to employers and raising awareness and support available through the programme
• Creating and following through with individualised action plans ensuring appropriate and effective activity is undertaken by and with each customer.
• Have regular check-ins with customers to track their progress before starting employment and once in employment
• Advocate for the values of our programmes by working in partnership with employers to view our clients positively and inclusively during recruitment.
• Build potential employment opportunities through proactive engagement with potential employers.
• Facilitate work experiences, such as placements, trials, and shadowing opportunities with suitable employers where appropriate.
• Provide ongoing In Work Support to customers who have successfully gained employment, helping them sustain and thrive in their roles, including working in partnership with employers.
• Address customer’s personal constraints to employment, providing challenge, advice, and guidance where appropriate to develop customers capability in the recruitment process ensuring they have the necessary skills and confidence to secure employment.
• Identify,structure, and recommend vacancy and training solutions, working in close consultation with the team to meet the specific needs of customers and employers.
• Maintain customer records to a required quality standard to ensure the customer journey is documented in accordance with our quality standards and contractual requirements.
• Develop an understanding of specialist signposting services in the local area/region, building knowledge in areas such as specific disabilities, housing, benefits etc
• Meet personal performance targets, Key Performance Indicators and all Quality and Compliance measures by delivering high quality employability provision to customers

The person

Required

• A passion for working with people and have a solution focused approach
• Experience working with people facing barriers to employment including health conditions and disabilities
• Experience of providing one to one support and coaching to individuals with the ability to constructively challenge where needed.
• Proven experience in developing networks and building strong partnerships with stakeholders
• A flexible approach to working hours is essential, including the ability to support occasional evening and weekend activities.
• Strong organisational skills including managing caseloads
• Knowledge of data protection and confidentiality requirements
• Driving licence and access to a car given the community delivery of the contract
• A knowledge of domestic abuse (physical, emotional, physiological, sexual, financial, coercive control) and the importance of a trauma informed approach
• Track record of helping individuals progress into work
• Understanding of supported employment programmes, such as IPS
• Knowledge of the employment market in their area.
• Knowledge of welfare and benefits, although training will be provided
• Safeguarding: A strong understanding of safeguarding policies and procedures for both children and adults, and legal responsibilities regarding information sharing