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Employment Support Specialist

Employment Support Specialist

Luton Borough Council
locationLuton, UK
remoteHybrid
ExpiresExpires: Expiring in less than 2 weeks
Social Care
Full time
£32,115 - £35,235 per year

About the job

Salary: £32,115 - £35,235 a year pro rata
Hours per week: 37
Contract type: Secondment until August 2027

This position is available as a secondment opportunity until August 2027. If you are a permanent LBC employee, you must have written approval (an email will suffice) from your manager prior to applying and a copy will need to be submitted with your application. Please note: we will not be able to proceed with your application form without your manager’s permission.

Are you passionate about helping people reach their potential, no matter the challenges they face? Do you believe in the power of employment to change lives? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for you to join our team as an Employment Support Coach.

In this role, you’ll work directly with individuals who face complex barriers to employment, including long-term unemployment and disabilities. You will play a vital part in helping them develop the confidence, skills, and support they need to succeed in the workplace.

Key responsibilities include:

- Engaging face-to-face with participants to design and deliver tailored vocational profiles and employment pathways.
- Carrying out skills gap analyses and identifying appropriate training strategies.
- Providing person-centred advice, support and guidance through assessments and bespoke support plans.
- Delivering employability sessions, coaching interview techniques, enhancing job search skills, and helping rebuild confidence.
- Meeting key performance indicators in line with contractual obligations and performance-based outcomes.
- Promoting inclusive employment practices and advocating for equal opportunities in the workplace.
- Developing strong relationships with employers to identify suitable vacancies, encourage interviews, and create accessible opportunities for individuals with complex employment needs.

Please note this role does not attract sponsorship.

About you

To be successful in this role, you’ll bring a blend of empathy, initiative and a strong commitment to making a difference. We’re looking for someone who can engage, support, and challenge individuals to help them move forward in their employment journey. You’ll also have:

- Proven experience in the employment and skills sector, delivering against performance targets and quality standards.

- A track record of providing one-to-one support, coaching or mentoring to influence and support personal or professional development.

- Strong administrative and IT skills, including experience using CRM systems and Microsoft Office software.

- A sensitive and empathetic approach, with the confidence to challenge constructively when necessary.

- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to influence and negotiate effectively with a wide range of people and organisations.

- Experience of working within structured quality guidelines and compliance frameworks.

- A minimum of Level 2 qualifications in English, Maths and ICT—or equivalent relevant experience.

- Confidence using a range of digital tools and channels, including phone, video conferencing, and email.

This is a public facing role so you’ll need to show off your fluency in speaking and writing English

About us

Our ambitious Luton 2040 Vision – that no-one in Luton will have to live in poverty – is at the heart of everything we do. We recognise that our people are remarkable, talented, committed and passionate about serving our residents.

The people of Luton depend heavily on this council – and that means our workforce! Are you ready to realise the remarkable and help us deliver our vision?

We welcome applications from all sections of the community and are committed to developing a workforce that reflects the diversity of our borough

Application Process

On occasions, we may close a vacancy early due to a very high number of applications being received.

Because of the nature of this job, it will be necessary for the appropriate level of criminal record disclosure to be undertaken. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare all unspent cautions and convictions; and also any adult cautions (simple or conditional), and spent convictions that are not protected as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020). A person’s criminal record will not in itself prevent a person from being appointed to this post. Applicants will not be refused posts because of offences which are not relevant to, and do not place them at or make them a risk in, the role for which they are applying. However in the event of the employment being taken up, any failure to disclose such offence, as detailed above, will result in dismissal or disciplinary action by the Authority.

Benefits

We offer a range of excellent staff benefits which include:

- From 25 to 32 days’ annual leave: linked to length of service and grade
- Buying annual leave scheme: buy up to 20 days additional annual leave
- Career Pathways: step up in your career or move into a specialist area
- Pension scheme: with generous employer contributions of up to 20.2 per cent (at July 2023) and 3x salary death in service grant
- Generous relocation package: up to £8,000 (subject to eligibility)
- Employee Assistance Programme: a free, 24/7 confidential counselling and wellbeing support service available to all employees, their partner or spouse and dependent children over 16 still living at home
- Work/life balance: flexible working options including working from home where possible. We welcome requests for flexible working arrangements including part-time hours and alternative working patterns
- Training and support: unlimited access to development courses, mentoring and support and clear career pathways
- Staff offers: includes discounts on your MOT, gym and fitness, restaurants and salons
- Arriva Travel Club: great value savings on local bus travel

How to apply

We understand that job applications take time and effort, but a high-quality application shows that you are professional with a good attention to detail. The recruiting manager may receive a number of applications for each job advertised so you want yours to stand out!

Our ‘How to apply' page has more tips to help with your application: How to apply

Available documents

Attached documents are available under links. Clicking a document link will initialize its download.

    Salary range

    • £32,115 - £35,235 per year