Employment Specialist - Folkestone/Hythe /Dover

Forward Trust; Folkestone; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Training & development

Cycle to work

Annual leave 25–30 days

Job summary

The Forward Trust is seeking an Employment Specialist to join the Connect to Work team across Folkestone, Hythe and Dover. This full-time role (35 hours per week) focuses on supporting people facing barriers to employment to find meaningful work and sustain it.

You will manage your own caseload, provide personalised support, deliver CV and interview coaching, build relationships with employers, and work with local community services.

Qualifications

• Experience in employability or recruitment is desirable but training will be provided.
• Experience in health, wellbeing or support services is desirable but training will be provided.
• Experience in adult learning or skills programmes is desirable but training will be provided.
• Coaching, mentoring or support work experience is desirable but training will be provided.

Responsibilities

• Manage your own caseload and provide personalised support throughout participants’ employment journey.
• CV writing, job applications and interview preparation.
• Career coaching, confidence building and job searching.
• Deliver one-to-one and group support sessions.
• Build relationships with local employers and identify opportunities.
• Support inclusive workplaces and reasonable adjustments.
• Provide in-work support to help clients sustain and progress in employment.
• Collaborate with community organisations, health services and training providers to remove barriers.

Skills

Communication skills

Relationship-building

Person-centered approach

Diversity awareness

Job description

Employment Specialist - Folkestone/Hythe /Dover

About The Role

Looking for a role where you can genuinely change lives?

At The Forward Trust, we’re looking for compassionate, motivated Employment Specialists to join our Connect to Work team across Folkestone / Hythe and Dover. This is a full-time role working 35 hours per week, although part-time or reduced hours will also be considered depending on business needs and service requirements.

If you enjoy helping people build confidence, overcome barriers and move towards a better future, this could be the perfect opportunity to make a real difference every day.

You’ll support people facing barriers to employment, including mental health challenges, long-term health conditions, disabilities and other life circumstances, helping them find meaningful work, sustain employment and progress towards greater independence.

What you’ll be doing

You’ll manage your own caseload and provide personalised support throughout each participant’s employment journey, including:

• CV writing, job applications and interview preparation
• Career coaching, confidence building and job searching
• Delivering one-to-one and group support sessions
• Building relationships with local employers and identifying opportunities
• Supporting inclusive workplaces and reasonable adjustments
• Providing in-work support to help people sustain and progress in employment
• Working closely with community organisations, health services and training providers to remove barriers and create joined-up support

Full IPS / Connect to Work training will be provided, along with ongoing development and support.

What we’re looking for

Experience in the areas listed below is desirable but not essential, as comprehensive training will be provided to successful candidates.

• Employability or recruitment
• Health, wellbeing or support services
• Adult learning or skills programmes
• Coaching, mentoring or support work

You’ll also bring:

• Strong communication, relationship-building and transferable skills
• Confidence working with people from diverse backgrounds
• A positive, supportive and person-centred approach
• A genuine belief that everyone deserves access to employment opportunities

A full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle is essential for this role.

We value your time and commitment, which is why all business-related travel mileage and site parking costs can be fully claimed back. Whether you're travelling between locations or attending meetings in the local community, you'll be reimbursed for eligible expenses, helping to keep your out-of-pocket costs to a minimum while you focus on delivering great work.

For more than 25 years, The Forward Trust has helped people overcome challenges including addiction, offending and unemployment to build healthier, more stable futures.

We’re committed to creating a supportive, flexible and inclusive working environment where our people can thrive while making a genuine impact in the communities we serve.

Please see attached Job Description for full details

About Us

We are The Forward Trust, the social enterprise with charitable status that empowers people to break the often interlinked cycles of crime and addiction to move forward with their lives. For more than 25 years we have been working with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past. We believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. Our services have supported thousands of people to make positive changes and build productive lives with a job, family, friends and a sense of community.

We are committed to our cause and the work we carry out as a charity. Equally the wellbeing and the employees who work for us are also important. Joining us an employee, we will offer you the following benefits -

• Training and development opportunities
• Simply Health Cashback Scheme (optional)
• Season Ticket Loan Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Crisis Loan Scheme
• Electric Car Scheme
• 3 x Wellbeing Days (pro rata'd for part time employees)
• Access to Blue Light Card
• 25 days (rising to 30 with length of service) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays
• Contributory Pension Scheme – Employer matched contributions of up to 6% in the first two years’ service and up to 9% thereafter
• Death in Service Payment (2x annual salary)
• Critical Illness Insurance (subject to qualifying criteria)

Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Diversity at Forward Trust

The Forward Trust commits to providing opportunities to everyone. We want to ensure we have a diverse team with a range of lived and professional experiences. This includes those with ‘Lived Experience’ of addiction, offending, or homelessness.

When we recruit, we welcome applications from everyone. This is inclusive of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion and/or belief, marriage and civil partnerships, pregnancy and maternity and socio-economic background. Where operationally possible, we will consider flexible working requests and make reasonable adjustments for all roles.

To find out more about Forward’s commitment to being an inclusive employer and our current EDI strategy click here .

We want our recruitment process to be accessible to everyone. If you require any reasonable adjustments at any stage, please let us know.

Employee Screening and Eligibility to Work Dependent on role you may be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service Check, details of which will be shared with you at interview.

If successful in your application, you will be required to provide eligibility to work evidence in line with the ‘Eligibility to Work in the UK’ requirements.

Our Commitment to Safeguarding

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and adults at risk. Forward Trust follow safer recruitment practices and support a culture of openness and accountability.