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Mencap; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

32 days holiday

Health cash plan

Interest-free loans

Job summary

Mencap is seeking an Employment Specialist to deliver the Connect to Work programme across Newcastle-under-Lyme. This is a full-time fixed-term role for 2 years, aimed at helping people with learning disabilities gain and sustain employment.

You will support up to 20 participants, follow the five-stage SEQF framework, and work with local employers to create meaningful job opportunities. The role requires strong organisation, communication, and the ability to manage a caseload while recording

Qualifications

• Experience delivering supported employment programmes.
• Ability to manage a caseload up to 20 participants.
• Proven skills in recording progress and evidencing achievement.

Responsibilities

• Deliver the five stages of the Supported Employment model.
• Provide personalised, intensive employment support for participants.
• Build trust with participants and employers to create lasting opportunities.

Skills

Independent working

Excellent communication

Highly organised

Caseload management

Job description

Employment Specialist

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 Newcastle-under-Lyme. 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 Tuesday 29th August

• Salary: £28,706 to £28,706 a year
• Hours: Full-time
• Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, ST5
• Job type: Contract
• Posting date: 17 Sept 2026
• Closing date: 16 Oct 2026

Benefits

Here at Mencap, we offer an impressive range of benefits designed to support and reward our employees to ensure that our teams feel valued and appreciated. Our benefits package offers 32 days of paid holiday (including bank holidays, pro rata), along with a range of perks such as discounts at leading high-street retailers, access to health cash plans, interest‑free loans, and many more exciting offerings. For more details on what we have to offer, please see the attached document outlining all the fantastic benefits available to you as a member of our team!

About Mencap

Our vision is for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live their lives to the full. We campaign for a fairer society. We work with families and partners to build inclusive communities. And we deliver the services people need to live their lives.

Everyone works with people with a learning disability either providing support or advice, or alongside one another as colleagues. Belonging at Mencap is for everyone, every day, everywhere.

Belonging Network Groups

• Everyone is expected to treat people well and make Mencap an inclusive organisation.
• Every day we grow and learn. It’s okay to make mistakes but we learn from them and make changes.
• Everywhere people will feel respected, valued, and safe to be themselves.
• We have Belonging network groups that meet online and are open to all colleagues. The groups include people who identify as Black and Asian, LGBTQIA+, disabled or with a long- term health condition, women, parents and carers, and their allies.
• We want to encourage everyone to apply to work at Mencap and we offer a variety of different contract types and working patterns.
• We’re not looking for specific experience. It is your personality and values that will make you a great colleague. We will train and develop you to succeed in the role you’re applying for.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

About Disability Confident

Disability Confident is a government scheme. It encourages employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with long term health conditions.