Connect to Work Supported Employment Specialist

Human Resources & Development - Form 35a Version 16 - Issued June 2026 JOB DESCRIPTION AND PARTICULARS OF APPOINTMENT ▪ Job Title: Supported Employment Specialist ▪ Post Number: P27109 and P27110 ▪ Grade and SCP: Grade 7, SCP 12 - 17 ▪ Directorate: People Where your role fits at Shropshire Council At Shropshire our priority is to be a 'best value' authority that delivers, enables, and influences for Shropshire and its residents by:  • Being financially stable and sustainable  • Having clear priorities and purpose  • Supporting and enabling our workforce to excel  Recognising the challenge across local government today.  This starts with our Improvement Plan to address immediate challenges, while ensuring a focus on the future and how the Council will need to look, feel, and operate to best serve the needs of the county and its residents, and being aware of changes in national policy.     Our Shropshire values: PROUD  • Partnerships   • Respect   • Opportunities   • Understanding   • can Do   Aim to unify the workforce, support transformation, improve trust, and build a modern, sustainable Council. As a member of the team within Enable, you will be making a real difference to the lives of people in Shropshire by supporting individuals to secure and maintain employment. Overview of your role You will work with clients (managing a caseload) who are experiencing barriers to employment to assist them in securing sustainable paid employment in line with their preferences. You will be part of the Connect to Work team who provide Supported Employment (for which training will be given) following either the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) or the Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF) model fidelity. You will be providing person centred advice and guidance to clients, whilst building positive relationships with local employers to enable participants to move into suitable employment. You will work into referral teams, fostering a holistic approach to supporting participants by maintaining positive and integrated relationships. Who will your manager be and what will you be responsible for? You will be: ▪ reporting to a Senior Supported Employment Specialist who is in turn responsible for your health and safety, training, and development. What will you be doing? Core Duties: • Manage a caseload of around 25 clients who are experiencing barriers to employment, who are motivated to start/return to work. • Deliver the appropriate Supported Employment approach for which training will be given. • Meet and support clients to understand their key skills, aspirations, and goals through completing a Vocational Profile and produce an Action Plan to help them obtain and sustain competitive employment. This includes support with their job search, CV production, application forms, interview techniques and career development. • Assess client's support needs related to work which may include benefits/welfare advice, disclosure of health information etc, and provide support & guidance. • Attend weekly multi-disciplinary team meetings as an embedded Supported Employment practitioner. • Source job opportunities for clients through tailored job search and regular contact with local employers to explore hidden as well as advertised employment opportunities. • Provide education and support to employers, as agreed with the individual, which may include negotiating adjustments, into work strategy and on-going contact with the employer to ensure job retention. • Build relationships with colleagues in referral teams to engage and generate referrals and create collaborative working partnerships with staff (promoting employment as a positive intervention). • Once employment has been secured continue to provide quality service through conducting regular visits, effective monitoring and in-work support to clients and employers to help sustain employment. • Taking an active part in the development of Enable's services to people with disabilities within Shropshire and across Enable's services. • Demonstrating a high level of understanding and awareness of issues related to equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practice and reflect this in your practice. • Taking an active part in identified training and development and continuing personal and vocational development activities. • Contribute to Enable training and publicity as required. • Ensure safe systems of work in accordance with the Shropshire Council's Health, Safety and Welfare policies and procedures. • These duties are illustrative and not exhaustive. The post holder will be expected to become involved in a range of work to enable the service to respond effectively to the changing requirements of the Council and changes affecting the workforce. Relationship Management: Establish positive and integrated relationships with employers, relevant teams and other service providers. This includes: • To build and maintain employer relationships and maintain employer engagement database. • Arrange regular meetings with clients to monitor and review progress pre- and post-employment. • Spend time getting to know local employers, use a job analysis to understand the roles and negotiate job opportunities that meet each individual's strengths, needs, abilities and preferences. • To challenge inequalities experienced by clients and address existing discrimination, whilst ensuring a process of learning for the organisation • Work with employers to ensure reasonable adjustments and appropriate strategies are in place to reduce barriers in the workplace - this can include exploring 'job carving' i.e. carving small slices of work from the duties other staff do not have time to do. • To develop effective working relationships with a range of external agencies who can help individuals to achieve their employment goals. This may include local colleges and training providers. Other: • To adhere to administrative and data capture protocols which record the progress of individuals, and to keep accurate and complete records of casework. • To work independently, reliably and deliver consistently to deliver effective supported employment practice. • Ensure that effective monitoring and evaluation systems are adhered to and keep abreast of changing practice. • To co-produce service development with clients where possible. • To collect and contribute to employment case studies to promote supported employment. • Ensure that all relevant policies are implemented such as information governance, safeguarding etc. • Partake in continuous learning and undertake mandatory training as required. • Work flexible hours as required. The above duties are an illustrative outline and are not an exhaustive list. You will be expected to become involved in a range of work to enable the service to respond effectively to the changing requirements of the Council and changes affecting the workforce What we expect of you You will: ▪ adopt a customer focused approach when delivering your service, ensuring engagement with service users and maintenance of an appropriate personal profile, ▪ act as an advocate for your service and work collaboratively with colleagues across the whole Council to meet the needs of the people of Shropshire, ▪ meet individual, service and personal development targets agreed through the Performance Development Review Process, learn from experience and are committed to continuous improvement individually and as an employee of the Council, ▪ work with colleagues to meet your team's key performance indicators, support a culture of team working and ensure the team functions successfully in support of the Council's corporate and service objectives. ▪ meet the behaviours and competencies adopted by the Council in the way in which they achieve their objectives and carry out their work. ▪ A priority for the Council is the protection of vulnerable people, ensuring they are able to live as independently as possible. The post-holder will promote and engage with Council's responsibility to safeguard the welfare of children, young people and adults, and protect their right to be safe from harm. What are your conditions of Service The conditions of service are those laid down by Shropshire Council, which have been adopted and amended as necessary from those laid down by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services. Your primary work base will be in New Zealand House, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury or Hall Court, Telford, to be confirmed. With the requirement to also work from other community settings. Your post is subject to the following: ▪ The post is Fixed Term until 31/03/2028 for 37 hours per week, ▪ Normal office hours are 08:45am- 5:00pm Monday - Thursday and 08:45am- 4:00pm Friday with a minimum lunch break of 30 minutes. Occasional evening work may be required. ▪ The post is subject to the Council's annualised hours scheme as implemented within the specific work area. Annual leave entitlement is a pro rata flat rate scheme of 207 hours (28 days) annual leave plus bank holidays, with five days extra awarded to those staff with five years local government service giving an entitlement of 244 hours (33 days). Two days of an employee's allowance (pro rota for part time staff) must be taken at Christmas for any potential Christmas closures. Employees who work in a building/service which is required to open over the Christmas period, the two days leave (pro rota) can be carried over into your next leave year but must be used by the end of March. The appointment is subject to one months' notice in writing on either side. The ...