Employability manager jobs in East of england

What if your next archive didn't just preserve history—but helped shape the future?

At Union Chapel, our extraordinary archive sits at the heart of a place where heritage, music, faith and social justice come together. From 200 years of Nonconformist history to iconic gig posters and stories of local people striving for a better world, our collections tell the story of a community that continues to inspire change.

We're looking for an enthusiastic and experienced Archivist to lead the next chapter of this remarkable collection. Based in our purpose-built archive store and Reading Room, you'll care for and develop the archive, support volunteers, welcome researchers and visitors, create engaging exhibitions and interpretation, and build partnerships that ensure the collection continues to thrive.

This is an opportunity to combine professional archive practice with public engagement, creativity and community impact in one of London's most distinctive cultural organisations.

If you're a qualified archivist with experience in collections management, digital preservation and volunteer engagement—and you're passionate about making heritage accessible to everyone—we'd love to hear from you and discover how you could help bring Union Chapel's stories to life.

We are Hestia. We make a difference.

At Hestia, we are guided by our core values and are dedicated to fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive organisation. Our mission is to empower individuals to rebuild their lives and achieve independence. Right now, we are looking for a Employment Specialist to play a pivotal role in our Employability Services in Haringey.

Sounds great, what will I be doing?

We are seeking a dedicated and adaptable professional to manage a caseload of up to 20 clients, supporting individuals with mental health conditions into meaningful employment using the IPS model. The ideal candidate will work closely with clinical teams, contribute to multi-disciplinary care planning, and build strong relationships with employers to tailor job opportunities. Strong organisational and communication skills are essential for managing referrals, job retention support, and compliance with NHS and Hestia protocols. The role also requires accurate KPI tracking, benefit guidance, and flexibility to work across various settings. A commitment to professional development, collaboration, and client-centred outcomes is key.​

What do I need to bring with me?

You'll need to be able to demonstrate the core skills this role requires as well as match our values and mission. You don't have to tick all the boxes right away; the important thing is that you're willing to learn. We also value lived experience of the areas we support, so if you feel comfortable, please do mention this on your application.

Someone who is a self starter and comfortable with a lone working environment, you will have strong empathy skills and an eye for detail. You should have experience of supporting people in a job search and have made an impact on this. To succeed you would need to have worked in a target environment and used to meeting and exceeding targets.

Interview Steps

We keep our interview process simple, so you know exactly what to expect.

• Shortlisting call: We have a team of dedicated recruitment specialists who will speak to you about your experience, motivations and values. They will also tell you about all the great work we do!
• Face to face interview: Now you will have face to face interview with the hiring manager. Our interviews are value and competency based.

Don't be alarmed if there are other stages in the process, it's all part of the plan for some of our roles.

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

Hestia is proud to be a disability confident employer, dedicated to the employment and career development of individuals with disabilities. We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for all applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the role they have applied for. We also provide reasonable adjustments during the selection and interview process, and throughout your employment with us.

Safeguarding Statement

Hestia is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults, children and young people who are potentially at risk, and we therefore expect all staff and volunteers to do the same. We require all staff to undertake internal and external safeguarding training throughout their employment with Hestia.

Important Information for Candidates

If your application is successful, please be aware that you will be required to undergo pre-employment checks before a formal offer of employment can be confirmed.

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 encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible to ensure their application is considered.

Employment Specialist - Medway and Gravesham

Location:  Medway

Salary:  Up to £28,000, depending on experience

Vacancy Type: Permanent

About The Role

Are you passionate about helping people unlock their potential through meaningful employment?

We’re looking for a motivated Employment Specialist to support people living with mental health conditions, long-term physical health conditions, or disabilities to move into work that suits their skills, strengths, and ambitions.

Working across Medway and Gravesham, you’ll deliver the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model as part of the Connect to Work programme. This evidence-based approach focuses on helping people move into competitive employment quickly, with personalised support that continues once they start work. Full IPS training will be provided, so if you bring the right passion and people skills, we’ll equip you with the rest.

Due to the nature of the role, all applicants must hold a valid UK driving licence and have access to a vehicle.

 What you’ll be doing

You’ll manage a caseload of around 25 participants who are motivated to start or return to work, providing personalised support from first meeting through to sustaining employment.

Your role will include:

• Identifying participants’ skills, strengths, and career aspirations
• Creating Vocational Profiles and tailored Action Plans
• Supporting with CV writing, job searching, applications, and interview preparation
• Delivering one-to-one and group coaching to build confidence and employability skills
• Helping participants overcome barriers including benefits concerns, health disclosures, or workplace adjustments

You’ll also play an important role in connecting participants with opportunities in the local labour market.

• Build strong relationships with local employers across North and East Kent
• Identify opportunities in both the advertised and hidden job market
• Match participants to suitable vacancies and coordinate interviews
• Work with employers to promote inclusive recruitment and reasonable adjustments

This role is highly collaborative and community-focused. You’ll work closely with clinical teams, community organisations, training providers, and employers to ensure participants receive holistic support.

Once someone starts work, your support doesn’t stop. You’ll continue to provide in-work coaching and guidance, helping participants settle into their role, build confidence, and sustain long-term employment.

About you

We’re looking for someone who is passionate about people and motivated by helping others achieve their goals. You may come from a background in:

• Health or wellbeing services
• Employability or welfare-to-work programmes
• Adult skills, training, or education
• Recruitment or employer engagement

You’ll also bring strong relationship-building skills, the ability to motivate and coach individuals, and confidence working independently within the community.

If you’re looking for a rewarding role where you can make a real difference in people’s lives through employment, we’d love to hear from you.

About Us

We are The Forward Trust, the social enterprise with charitable status that empowers people to break the often interlinked cycles of crime and addiction to move forward with their lives. For more than 25 years we have been working with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past. We believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. Our services have supported thousands of people to make positive changes and build productive lives with a job, family, friends and a sense of community.

We are committed to our cause and the work we carry out as a charity. Equally the wellbeing and the employees who work for us are also important. Joining us an employee, we will offer you the following benefits - 

• Flexible working
• Training and development opportunities
• Simply Health Cashback Scheme (optional)
• Season Ticket Loan Scheme 
• Cycle to work scheme
• Crisis Loan Scheme
• Electric Car Scheme
• 3 x Wellbeing Days (pro rata'd for part time employees)
• Access to Blue Light Card
• 25 days (rising to 30 with length of service) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays 
• Contributory Pension Scheme – Employer matched contributions of up to 6% in the first two years’ service and up to 9% thereafter 
• Death in Service Payment (2x annual salary) 
• Critical Illness Insurance (subject to qualifying criteria)

Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

To Apply

If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for Forward Trust, please click apply to be redirected to our website to complete your application.

The Role

The Senior Programme Coordinator will support the development and delivery of SEO London’s apprenticeship programmes.

The post holder will develop a strong understanding of SEO London’s programmes, the industries we support and the needs of our students and partner organisations.They will use this knowledge to deliver projects, respond to stakeholder needs and provide a professional and supportive participant experience.

The role has three core areas of focus:

· Delivering high-quality apprenticeships programmes, projects and events

· Building trusted relationships with students, schools, partner firms and other stakeholders.

· Using data, feedback and evaluation to improve programme delivery and demonstrate impact.

This is a hands-on delivery role with responsibility for independently managing defined programme workstreams and projects from planning through to evaluation.

The successful candidate will be expected to create structure, manage competing priorities, anticipate delivery challenges, and resolve routine issues without requiring detailed day-to-day direction. They will understand when to make decisions independently and when a significant risk or issue should be escalated.

The rolewillsit within SEO London’s Apprenticeships Team, and support thedevelopment, preparation anddelivery of two new keyinitiatives:

· Plan A (Year 12-13): An 18-month apprenticeship support programme for Schools Leavers pursuing Higher-Level Apprenticeships across SEO London industries.

· Schools Alumni: A dedicated post-Schools community that keeps participants connected to SEO London, supports diverse progression pathways, and enables long-term tracking and engagement.

As these initiatives continue to develop, the post holder will contribute ideas, identify improvement and help establish effective and consistent delivery processes.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

PROGRAMME  AND PROJECT DELIVERY

· Take ownership of defined apprenticeship programme workstreams, projects and events from planning through to delivery and evaluation, ensuring agreed outcomes, deadlines and quality standards are met.

· Develop and maintain clear delivery plans, coordinate resources and stakeholders, and proactively identify and resolve delivery risks or issues.

· Facilitate engaging programme sessions and provide appropriate one-to-one coaching and support to students.

PARTICIPANT & STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT 

· Act as a key point of contact for students, schools, partner firms, volunteers, internal teams and third parties, providing clear, responsive and professional communication.

· Build trusted relationships, understand different stakeholder needs and use sound judgement to manage expectations, resolve routine issues and escalate significant concerns appropriately.

· Represent SEO London confidently and professionally at programme, school, partner and external events.

QUALITY, DATA AND IMPROVEMENT

· Maintain accurate and timely programme, participant, partner, event and volunteer records within the CRM, ensuring high standards of data quality, confidentiality and compliance.

· Use programme data, feedback and evaluation findings to assess impact, identify improvements and make practical recommendations that strengthen the participant and partner experience.

Person Specification

We are looking for an experienced programme professional who can combine strong project coordination with excellent stakeholder management and a genuine commitment to supporting young people.

The successful candidate will be proactive, organised and comfortable taking responsibility for complex activities. They will be able to create structure in a developing environment, manage competing priorities and make sound day-to-day decisions.

Direct experience within the apprenticeships sector is desirable but not essential.

Essential Skills and experience

· Experience of coordinating programmes, projects or events from planning through to delivery and evaluation.

· Strong organisation and time-management skills, with the ability to independently manage competing priorities, deadlines and defined workstreams.

· Experience building effective relationships with students, schools, employers, partners or other internal and external stakeholders.

· Strong written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills, including the confidence to facilitate sessions, present information and handle stakeholder queries professionally and empathetically.

· Experience using CRM systems, databases and Microsoft 365 to maintain accurate records, analyse information and produce reports or programme materials.

Desirable Experience and Knowledge

· Experience or knowledge of the UK apprenticeships, employability, careers, education or youth sector.

· Experience providing one-to-one coaching or student support.

Required qualifications

· University degree in any discipline; or

· 2 years of relevant and transferable work experience in a similar capacity

We recognise that relevant experience can be gained through different professional, educational and personal routes. Candidates should use their application and cover letter to demonstrate how their experience meets the requirements of the role.

What we offer?

· Annual Leave: 28 days + Bank Holidays.

· Enhanced Family Friendly Policy.

· Flexibleworking(2 days in the office) and a lovely office space by Borough Station.

· Benefits:

o Employee Assistance Programme

o And more…

About Working Well Trust 

Working Well Trust is a mental health and employment charity in London. All of our projects share the aim of improving the lives of people with mental health support needs, learning disabilities and/or complex issues through training and employment. 

We are now recruiting an IPS Employment Advisor to join our Connect to Work service across Enfield. This is a full-time, permanent role working 35 hours per week, following the principles of the IPS model to support people into paid employment. 

This role is specific to being co-located on site with probation services within Enfield. Candidates must be willing to undergo a vetting form including digital ID verification technology, right to work checks, proof of identity, proof of address and a DBS. Due to the nature of the role, the successful candidate with need to include contact details for prior workplaces and personal references.

Previous experience/understanding of probation services and MAPPA restrictions are essential to the role.

What you’ll be doing 

If you were working with us, your days would be varied and people-centred. You would manage a caseload of clients with mental health support needs, people experiencing homelessness, and people with offending histories, offering one-to-one support to help them secure and sustain employment that matches their preferences. 

You would provide person-centred guidance using the IPS approach (training is provided), helping clients build confidence, prepare for work, and navigate challenges that may arise. A key part of the role involves engaging employers, promoting the value of our service, and identifying suitable job opportunities.

You would work closely with external teams, contributing to an integrated approach to recovery through employment. This includes attending team meetings, coordinating support, and maintaining clear, client-led communication. The role also involves working to agreed targets while maintaining a high-quality, supportive service. 

What you’ll need 

You do not need previous employment support experience. What matters most is that you bring: 

• A genuine desire to support people with mental health support needs and/or learning disabilities to achieve their employment goals. 

• Motivation to help people from all backgrounds move into meaningful work. 

• Confidence speaking with a wide range of people, from clients to employers. 

• Strong organisation skills, with the ability to multitask and manage your workload. 

• Willingness to learn the IPS model and become confident approaching employers. 

We welcome applications from people with lived experience of mental health, personally or through a close contact. 

What we offer 

• 30 days annual leave plus public holidays (FTE) 

• Paid company closed days at the end of the year (FTE) 

• Flexible, paid Wellbeing Hour every fortnight (FTE) 

• 6% employer pension contribution 

Working Well Trust is an equal opportunities employer and Confident about Disabilities. 

What’s next 

Before you apply, please note the following: 

• We actively recruit and carefully review all applications. Due to rapid service expansion, we have onboarded 20 external hires in the last six months. 

• To ensure we can best support the people and communities we serve, we progress applications only where candidates provide meaningful answers to the screening questions. 

• Career development is real here: in the past year, 10 colleagues have progressed internally into Senior roles, Project Lead, Team Lead, and Operations Manager positions. We value ambition and celebrate progression. 

• If you require any reasonable adjustments at the interview stage, for example due to a disability, learning difficulty or health condition, please let us know in advance so that we can make appropriate arrangements.

• Please note: This post involves access to NHS clinical records through RiO. For confidentiality, information-governance and wellbeing reasons, successful candidates cannot be appointed within the same secondary mental health service area in which they are currently receiving care.

  We will not ask applicants to disclose health information during the application or interview process. A confidential service-location conflict check will only take place following a conditional offer. Where a conflict is identified, we may explore an equivalent vacancy in another area, but alternative employment cannot be guaranteed.

If you are ready to help us build a service that supports people into meaningful work, click Apply to submit your CV and answer the screening questions. Telephone and final interviews will be confirmed. 

Start your application today and take the next step in a rewarding career. 

Lead our IPS service and help transform lives through employment.
We're looking for an ambitious and values driven leader to develop a talented team, drive excellent outcomes and shape the future of mental health employment support in Islington.

About the Role

Hillside Clubhouse is looking for an experienced IPS Team Leader to lead our Individual Placement and Support (IPS) SMI service across Islington and as part of the newly merged North West London NHS Trust. You'll provide leadership, coaching and support to a team of Employment Specialists, ensuring high-quality, recovery focused employment support for people with mental health conditions. 

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who wants to make a lasting impact. You'll work closely with NHS partners, employers and local stakeholders while helping to strengthen and develop the service, improve performance and deliver excellent employment outcomes. 

Why Join Hillside?

Hillside Clubhouse is a co-produced mental health employment support charity working across Islington. We believe employment is a powerful part of recovery and support people to achieve their goals through our Clubhouse and community-based services. 

As a small, ambitious charity, you'll have genuine opportunities to influence decision-making, shape services and work closely with senior leaders. We offer flexible and hybrid working, generous annual leave, pension contributions and ongoing professional development opportunities.

As a Support Worker at Ace of Clubs drop-in day centre supporting people who are homeless and facing adversity, you will play a key role in supporting individuals who may be navigating chaotic lifestyles, trauma, and multiple disadvantages. You will provide practical and emotional support, help people access essential services, and work to empower them to move towards independence.

Your role will involve working directly with service users, managing case records, liaising with partner agencies, and contributing to the smooth running of our busy centre. Ultimately, you will support people to overcome barriers, develop essential skills, and build confidence in navigating life challenges and providing advocacy where needed.  In particular, you will be on duty as Support Worker during our busy, daily lunchtime service - responding to the needs of a variety of guests – on a busy day we can reach 150 – 200 guests visiting our service.

In addition, Ace of Clubs works with a wide range of volunteers and partners on a daily basis including food partners, health partners, corporate, individual and client volunteers.  Your role will also be required to support the team in the smooth functioning of these areas, for example liaising with partners on site, showing around volunteers or feeding back any issues during lunch service.

You will also support with the operations and building’s co-ordination, including carrying out weekly health and safety checks as required, i.e. fire alarm checks, legionella checks etc., meeting onsite contractors, counting and logging cash takings, responding and filtering the central email account and making food and supplies orders. You will be provided with comprehensive training in these areas.

Application Instructions

• For your application you need to submit:
- A covering letter (no longer than 1.5 sides of A4) which clearly states how your experience demonstrates your Skills, Competencies and Personal Attributes specified in the Personal Specification. If you do not have direct experience in the charity sector, please consider the skills and experience you have gained in other work, volunteer, studying or extra-curricular activities.
- A CV (no more than 2 pages) that includes Contact Details, Education, Employment, Volunteering/Extra-Curricular (as relevant), 2 x Reference contacts (Employment and Character Reference required).

An exciting opportunity to join the team as a Bar and Catering Supervisor to work in the Engine Shed Café both in the daytime and for events. Main duties of this role will include, serving customers and setting up for and working a range of student and external events.