Employment Specialist (Various posts across Dorset & Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole)

Are you passionate about helping people into sustainable employment?Join us in delivering the Connect to Work programme, a dynamic, person-centred employment support initiative designed to help individuals living in Dorset and Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole (BCP).Connect to Work is a voluntary employment support programme that helps people with disabilities, long-term health conditions, such as mental ill health and other complex challenges, secure and retain employment. Through personalised support and strong partnerships with local employers, we aim to empower people to overcome barriers and thrive in meaningful employment.We’re building a passionate and dynamic team to deliver the Connect to Work programme across Dorset and BCP and we’re currently recruiting for a range of exciting roles!If you’re enthusiastic about helping people into meaningful employment and think you’ve got the skills, experience, or potential to make a difference, we’d love to hear from you.Applications are welcomed from people with lived experience.We are a flexible employer and provide a variety of working arrangements tailored to the needs of each role. Part time working would be considered for this role.Main responsibilitiesmanage a caseload of participants with disabilities / health support needs and other barriers to employment, employing IPS methods to offer personalised guidance and support meet, assess and support participants to understand their key skills, aspirations, and goals through completing a Vocational Profile and production of an Action Plan to help them obtain and sustain competitive employment.provide person-centred advice and guidance to participantsmaintain a community focus and work collaboratively with multi-disciplinary teams, support services, referral partners, education partners, Primary Care and NHS teams, job centres and VCS organisations to maintain positive and integrated relationships, fostering a holistic approach to support build positive relationships with local employers to enable participants to move into and / or maintain suitable employment including sourcing job opportunities and raising awareness of reasonable adjustments, return to work strategies and ongoing contact, reducing barriers in the workplace and supporting employers to become disability confidentprovide a quality service through conducting regular visits, effective monitoring and in-work training and support to participants and employers to help sustain employment Further InformationWhy join us?This is your opportunity to be part of a forward-thinking programme that puts people at the heart of everything we do. Connect to Work follows a place, train, and maintain model supporting individuals to move into employment quickly, while providing tailored training and ongoing support to help them succeed and stay in work.As a ‘work first’ intervention, the programme is designed to help people achieve lasting employment outcomes through personalised, person-centred support and strong partnerships with local employers. You’ll be part of a team that makes a real difference in people’s lives by helping them build confidence, develop skills, and thrive in meaningful employment.As an Employment Specialist Practitioner, you’ll work closely with individuals who may face complex barriers to employment such as health needs, disabilities, or mental health challenges. You’ll support them to overcome these barriers by providing tailored advice and guidance, and by working collaboratively with employers to identify and adapt suitable job opportunities.Ready to make a difference? We’d love to hear from you!If you're passionate about helping others and excited by the opportunity to support people into employment, we encourage you to apply, whether you bring direct experience or transferable skills.To apply, please visit the BCP Council job page following the link.As part of your application, please include a personal statement that tells us why you’d be a great addition to our team. Use the Job Description to guide your response and highlight how your skills and experience align with the role.We’re looking forward to hearing from you!About UsAbout BCP CouncilBCP Council provides services to a diverse community of 400,000 residents and employs more than 5,000 people. Our area includes over 15 miles of beautiful world-renowned coastline. We can offer career defining roles to transform and improve services. By working with us, you can help deliver a vision of a thriving, word-class, prosperous and inclusive place for generations to come.Our BenefitsA Place to Thrive – Join BCP CouncilAt BCP Council, we’re not just building a workforce, we’re transforming how we recognise and reward our people.From 1 December 2025, we’re proud to introduce a new Pay and Reward package, shaped through close collaboration with our trade union partners. This marks a significant step forward in how we recognise and reward our colleagues, reflecting our commitment to creating a modern, inclusive, and supportive workplace.Our enhanced offer includes fair and transparent pay, modernised terms and conditions, and a comprehensive benefits package designed to attract and retain talented individuals. Whether it’s flexible working, wellbeing support, or opportunities for career progression, our new approach puts people first- we’re excited to welcome new colleagues into a Council that’s evolving to meet the needs of both our workforce and our communities.Check out our attractive enhanced benefits and find out more about the new Pay and Reward package at (Employee benefits | Working for BCP link to careers page)Be the difference - Join an organisation that values youMore About us | Working for BCPFrom 1 December 2025, our refreshed Pay and Reward package comes into effect, bringing a new approach to how we recognise and reward roles across the Council. This means the salary for this role will be changing. The pay range for this role will be £31,537 to £36,363 (pro rata for part time colleagues) from 1 December 2025.You can also find out more about the new terms and conditions that we are introducing on our careers site on, 'More than just a job' brochure