Employment Advisor

Do you have experience of supporting people who experience complex challenges?

Are you good at building trust and rapport?

Are you confident working with a wide range of people including participants and employers?

If the answer is yes, we want to hear from you

We are excited to recruit an Employment Advisor for Connect to Work in West Sussex, passionate about making a real difference in people's lives.

Connect to Work is a national, government-funded initiative, aimed at working with individuals facing barriers and supporting them into employment. Working with a small group of clients, you will use a Supported Employment model to move participants quickly into work and help them stay in work.

This team will be at the heart of delivering the service in West Sussex. Working with a caseload of participants and with local employers, you’ll provide information, advice, guidance, support, to break down barriers and help people move quickly into meaningful employment

**Salary**:£36,363 to £39,152 per annum

**Working Pattern**:Full-time (37 hours per week)

**Location**:based at County Hall, West Street, Chichester PO19 1RQ with required countywide travel.

**Interview Date**:week commencing Monday 13 October 2025

To work closely with clients and offer them the vital face-to-face support they deserve, you will need to be able to travel independently around the county, including to areas that may not be easily accessible by public transport. Pool cars and pool bikes available.

About the Job

Working as an Employment Advisor promises to offer a unique experience each day, filled with unexpected challenges and rewards There are several key responsibilities that will be integral to this role, including:

- Building trusting relationships with participants, motivating and empowering them to take ownership of their employment journey.
- Conducting comprehensive assessments, including needs analysis and vocational profiling, to tailor support to each participant.
- Providing trauma-informed and goal-centred support, encouraging sustainable progress and addressing challenges constructively.
- Coaching participants to develop job-seeking strategies, improving CVs, building interview skills and supporting the development of work-related skills.
- Advocating for the benefits of recruiting a diverse workforce with local employers, using a strong understanding of the local labour market.
- Building and maintaining partnerships with employers, including from small
- and medium-sized businesses, to create opportunities for your clients.
- Identifying and helping to secure competitive job opportunities that align with participants' aspirations, including accessing jobs that are not advertised.
- Working to the Supported Employment model which requires participants to begin their job search quickly, get into work as soon as they can and then supports them to maintain employment. Full training in the model will be given.
- Working the participants who are already in work but need support from Connect to Work to stay in work.

If you are passionate about making a positive difference in the community, then this role is perfect for you.

We would love to hear from you if you have
- Experience of delivering employment support and in particular of Supported Employment (IPS or SEQF).
- Good organisational skills: capable of managing a caseload and prioritising competing demands effectively.
- The ability to communicate and collaborate with a wide range of people, including members of the wider community, participants, employers and clinical or specialist support teams.
- Emotional intelligence and the ability to build and maintain rapport and a professional relationship with people with significant barriers.
- The ability to use assessment processes and to manage risk with people who may have complex needs and barriers.
- Tenacity, resilience and resourcefulness - the ability to overcome challenging situations and find alternative solutions.

**For more information on the Key Skills as well as the Qualifications and/or experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached.**

Rewards and Benefits

We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do.

A laptop and mobile will be supplied if applicable to your role. You will benefit from **27** days annual leave, rising to 28 days after 5 years’ service (pro rata for part time) plus the opportunity to buy additional leave and an excellent **local government pension scheme**.

A range of discounts give our staff access to hundreds of offers; groceries, travel, cinema tickets, days out, leisure activities, high street retailers and the opportunity to save over £1,000 a year through our West Sussex Choices benefits platform.

For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit our **Rewards and