Employment Advisor

We are a dynamic mental health charity on a mission to support Londoners facing mental health challenges to harness good employment as part of their mental health recovery journey. We have been successfully changing lives for over 30 years by applying innovative evidence-based approaches to employment support. Our approach is guided by our core values, and we are dedicated to fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive organisation.

The service you will work in enables NHS Talking Therapies (TT) services in Harrow to offer a personalised package of psychological therapy and employment support to all TT clients who want to find, sustain, get back to, or positively leave, work. As an Employment Advisorat Twining Enterprise, you will play a crucial role in our employment support services. Your contributions will directly influence the lives of our clients, changing their lives by guiding them towards a path of empowerment and independence.

A day in this role might include client meetings in person or online, reviewing client documents and providing feedback, following up on new client referrals, completing client records using Twining's client database, completing performance/progress reports, liaising with employers about potential job vacancies, going to jobs fairs, and liaising with referral partners.

Why Twining Enterprise?

Joining Twining Enterprise means more than just a job; it's an opportunity to be part of something bigger. We offer a supportive, inclusive and resolution driven work environment where your contributions are recognised and valued. As a member of our team, you will have the chance to grow both personally and professionally while making a lasting impact on the lives of those we serve.

We are looking for candidates who bring a combination of passion, expertise, and dedication to the table. To excel in this role, you should possess:

• A commitment to Twining's mission, vision, values;
• A dedication to promoting mental health and meaningful employment;
• A positivity to champion equality, diversity and inclusion'
• Engage a mixed caseload of around 25-35 clients at any given time (100-125 per year), with common mental health problems, to establish trusting, collaborative relationships to support them to find new employment or support them in, or to leave, existing employment. Support will be provided face-to-face in TT settings, via secure online meeting platforms or over the telephone.
• Along with their NHS clinician, assess clients' support needs with a view to creating, implementing and adjusting a personalised action plan to help improve clients' mental health and achieve their stated employment goals.
• Develop and deliver a range of practical services to support clients to find work, including career guidance, job searching skills, CV preparation, application form completion, interview skills, advice on local labour market opportunities and advice on education and training to further their career.
• Provide guidance to support clients to stay in existing work, including advice on mental health disclosure, negotiating reasonable adjustments to existing workplaces, creating wellness action plans and improving productivity, support to return to work after sickness absence or to leave an existing role with dignity, and signpost clients to organisations that can represent them (EAs should only look to represent clients in exceptional circumstances).
• Facilitate access to other advice in areas such as financial benefits, debt management, food banks and community food outlets and social housing providers, as necessary.

The role holder must also:

• NVQ Level 3 minimum or equivalent in either employment support/advice, mental health or other relevant area, or equivalent experience gained through work experience in the field.
• Understanding and experience of the support needs of people with common mental health conditions in finding, retaining, returning to, or leaving mainstream employment.
• Knowledge and experience of working in a health or social care setting.
• Evidence of basic counselling skills.
• Ability to assess individual client strengths and needs in relation to employment and think creatively to provide bespoke client action planning and solutions.
• Experience of effective diary management, prioritising tasks and working to tight deadlines to manage own caseload and associated administration.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with clients (face to face, by telephone and in writing) and as part of a team.
• Able to present confidently to external stakeholders and partners at various levels.
• Proven ability to work effectively and be accountable in an outcome-driven environment.
• Ability to collect and report data to support service performance and evaluation.
• Excellent computer skills including ability to utilise database and Microsoft packages.
• Willingness and ability to undertake the relevant training associated with the role and then integrate that training into practice.
• Knowledge of employment and disability related benefits.
• Knowledge of and commitment to relevant policies, procedures, and standards e.g. Health & Safety, Confidentiality (Data Protection), Equality & Diversity and Sustainable Development, Equality Act 2010 and employment law.
• Willingness to travel in designated Borough of Harrow.
• This post is subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
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Our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Our services users come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes us stronger. We are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce and value the skills, abilities, talent and experiences, different people and communities bring to our organisation.

We are a disability confident employer

Twining Enterprise is proud to be a disability confident employer, dedicated to the employment and career development of individuals with disabilities.

We reserve the right to close this job advert early should we receive a high volume of applications or if the position is filled before the closing date. We therefore encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible to ensure their application is considered.