Employment Specialist

The Growth Company’s (GC) Employment, Justice and Health team have an incredible new opportunity for an Employment Specialist to join the new Connect to Work service across Wirral. You’ll work within the community to support people with health conditions or barriers to employment to achieve their goals and move into sustainable work.

The Connect to Work programme uses the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) approach to help individuals with health conditions or disabilities to move into employment, providing personalised, one‑to‑one support tailored to each person’s needs and circumstances. We focus on building confidence, developing skills, and improving readiness for work, while working closely with employers to promote inclusive recruitment and job opportunities. Through this, we aim to help people access and sustain meaningful employment.

As this role is delivered within the community, frequent travel across the Wirral is required. Applicants should ideally hold a full UK driving licence and have access to a car, however, other travel options may be considered.

Key Responsibilities:

Manage a caseload of around 24 clients, supporting their journey into meaningful and sustainable employment.

Deliver tailored support including CV writing, job searching, interview preparation, and career planning.

Follow the principles of the Individual Placement and Support model and work toward the standards set out in the IPS Fidelity scale.

Complete Vocational Profiles and Action Plans to identify individual strengths, aspirations, and goals.

Collaborate with clinical teams and other community partners to generate referrals and promote employment as a positive health intervention.

Provide ongoing in-work support to both clients and employers to help sustain employment outcomes.

Identify suitable job opportunities through tailored searches and proactive employer engagement.

Offer guidance on personal circumstances such as benefits, health disclosures, and workplace adjustments.

Maintain accurate and compliant records using internal systems and documentation protocols.

About You:

Empathetic and approachable, with a genuine interest in helping others achieve their goals.

Confident working independently and managing a varied caseload with flexibility and resilience.

Brings a solid background in employability and understands the challenges faced by jobseekers.

Comfortable building relationships with a wide range of stakeholders including employers and clinical teams.

Experienced in lone working and outreach, with a proactive and solution-focused approach.

Skilled at developing trust and rapport with clients from diverse backgrounds.

Able to build and develop relationships with employers to generate and tailor employment opportunities.

Skills Required:

Excellent communication, interpersonal, and negotiation skills.

Proven experience supporting individuals with complex needs, including health conditions or disabilities.

Ability to work in a target-driven environment focused on achieving and sustaining job outcomes.

Strong guidance and coaching skills, with experience delivering one-to-one and group sessions.

Good understanding of local labour markets and employment support services.

Background in advice, guidance, or counselling environments.

Awareness of barriers to employment and strategies to overcome them.

Familiarity with safeguarding, information governance, and vocational rehabilitation practices.

We are currently unable to provide sponsorship for work permits or visas. Therefore, we can only consider candidates who already have the legal right to work in the UK.

Artificial intelligence can assist you during the application process, but every example and statement you include must be honest, accurate, and based on your own real experiences. If plagiarism is detected, meaning you present someone else’s ideas or experiences, or AI‑generated content, as your own, your application may be withdrawn, and internal applicants could face disciplinary action.

At GC, safeguarding the welfare of all individuals including vulnerable adults and young people is a top priority, and we expect all staff to uphold this standard. All appointments follow Safer Recruitment Procedures, including a DBS check carried out by Due Diligence Limited (DDC Ltd), at no cost to the successful candidate.

Please note: It is a legal offence to apply for a role involving regulated activity if you are on the Barred List.

We are committed to increasing workforce diversity and offer a guaranteed interview to applicants who meet the essential criteria and either have a disability or are from a diverse ethnic community.

If this applies to you, you can request consideration under this scheme during the application process. Your request will be shared only with the Hiring Manager and Internal Recruitment Team.

We also aim to make our recruitment process inclusive and accessible. If you need reasonable adjustments or have any general enquiries at any stage or the recruitment process, please contact [email protected] or call us on 0161 237 4447.

We’re proud to support the Ban the Box campaign, which helps people with convictions access job opportunities. As part of this, we’ve removed questions about convictions from the initial application stage.

GC is committed to fostering a culture of flexibility and agile working. Many roles will increasingly support full agile arrangements. If you require more permanent flexibility, we encourage you to discuss this during your interview so your request can be considered early in the process.

All GC colleagues will work in line with the Health and Safety at work act and the GC Health and Safety Policy.

REF 5426

Pay: Up to £31,100.00 per year

Application question(s)

What evidence can you provide to demonstrate your right to work in the UK?

(For example: Passport, Visa, Birth Certificate, or National Insurance number.)

Work authorisation

United Kingdom (required)

Work Location: On the road