Job Details
Resident engagement and caseworker
• Service area: Inclusive Economies and Jobs Directorate
• Grade: SO2
• Reports to: Connect to Work Project Manager
• Your team: Connect to Work Team
Our mission
We are determined to create a more equal Islington, where everyone who lives here has an equal chance to thrive.
To do this, everyone who works at Islington Council lives by a set of values which guide us in everything that we do: collaborative, ambitious, resourceful, and empowering. They spell out ‘CARE’, which is what we think public service is all about.
Watch our video to hear more about our mission and how you can help us achieve it from the Leader of the Council, Cllr Kaya Comer-Schwartz.
Key responsibilities
These posts are responsible for supporting Islington residents to secure good and sustained paid employment through providing advice, information, employer engagement and practical medium term support.
The post holders will usually be attached to a specific sectoral team within the iWork service, supporting officers to source candidates from the widest possible talent pool within the Islington community by engaging and informing our residents about the opportunities offered by the specific sectors, and assessing residents fit with the requirements of the employers.
There will also be a duty officer function, offering advice and guidance to all enquiries coming into the service and on occasion caseloading Islington residents who are unable to find the support they need from other local agencies.
The post holders will work in line with the iWork procedure manual. This sets out quality standards for a person centred approach, seeing paid employment as the primary goal for the engagement with the client, and other issues that need to be addressed as ancillary priorities.
Key Tasks include
• Build and maintain an effective working relationship with residents who meet the criteria for casework support by engaging in outreach and promotional activities:
• Adults living in Islington over the age of 18 who could be suitable for or are already interested in the sector you are promoting .
• Adults living in Islington over the age of 18 who are unable to access the employment support they need from any other Islington Working Partners .
• All residents you caseload must be interested in gaining some paid employment.
• Contribute to and support the ongoing development and delivery of the ambition of the Inclusive Economy and Jobs Directorate, and the iWork service:
• Demonstrating and ensuring wider commitment to the principles of an Inclusive Local Economy and a council employment service -partnership working, strength-based practice, and working collaboratively with Islington Working providers and other partners.
• Supporting the leadership and wider team to promote the vision and principles of Inclusive Economy and Good Work – to staff, partners and communities – adopting a creative, solution focused approach to overcoming obstacles and challenges and ensuring that the work of the team contributes to building a more inclusive local economy where all residents are supported to contribute to the labour market.
• Support the job brokers to make more opportunities accessible to a wider talent pool by helping reframe job specifications and market the benefits of employment in our key sectors.
• Support and enable residents to clarify their goals, strengths and needs to implement an action plan to support them to secure sustainable employment – usually in your specialist sector – based on the principles set out in the iWork procedure manual:
• Taking a strength based, relational approach, explore their current position in relation to the jobs available, identify their strengths and development needs, and plan their action plan for securing employment, built around what a good quality of life looks like to the person, and how best to market their skills and talents to prospective employers.
• Where required carry out a full pre-screening against current live vacancies and provide a clear outline of the clients fit to the relevant employment broker, advocating for adjustments needed as appropriate.
• Follow the processes set out in the iWork procedure manual to ensure a quality service is offered to all clients.
• Maintain a caseload of an agreed number of job seeking service users at any one time, (currently set at 50 FTE) whilst maintaining contact with clients who have already been placed in work.
• Contribute to and maintain iWork’s effective partnerships and working relationships with a wide range of colleagues and partners to:
• Improve community understanding of the full range of roles in the sectors offered by IWork and the benefits of working within these sectors.
• Secure a ‘Team Around the Person Approach’ to collaborate and provide support for good outcomes in a community context for clients who have multiple or complex barriers to the labour market.
• Build, maintain and develop effective working partnerships and relationships with statutory services regarding early identification of effective responses to any risk factors including homelessness, childcare, debt, safety and safeguarding concerns.
Achieve sustainable paid employment outcomes for residents in your specialist sector or area
• Develop an understanding of the work of the iWork sector brokerage team, of the relevant local labour market and sector employers needs and drivers.
• Work with local VCS and community organisations to maximise local community-based networks, and support residents to access, navigate and master the application processes and employment pathways for your specialist sector, including fully understanding the range of apprenticeship routeways that are available.
• Identify any potential barriers to successful onboarding into work, or sustainment in work- looking at travel routes, individual concerns, employers’ level of awareness, training needs and benefits.
• Identify and implement solutions to ensure that job outcomes are achieved and sustained.
Organise and maintain case management records/data sharing within Council protocols and contribute to the effective operation of the service and team:
• Ensure proper records are maintained for all residents supported through use of the iWork customer management database
Leadership
As a member of the council’s management team, to contribute proactively to the collective leadership for the council, working collaboratively with Members, services across the council, partners and stakeholders to deliver the council’s objectives and priorities.
To drive positive cultural change, embodying and promoting the values and behaviours of the council and empowering staff to reach their full potential. Ensure that the performance and development framework is effective for all staff.
To lead on and ensure the effective implementation of corporate initiatives and transformation programmes that cut across the whole or part of the council’s activities.
Resources and Financial Management
Ensure effective Financial Management, cost controls and income maximisation in an ever changing environment, fluctuating demands and priorities. Ensure resources are well managed and effectively deployed to the best possible effects assuring value for money in all activities.
Compliance
Ensure legal, regulatory and policy compliance under GDPR, Health and Safety and in area of your specialism identifying opportunities and risks and escalating where appropriate.
Work style
Flexible, Some lone working, Some out of hours work may be required
Person specification
You should demonstrate on your application form how you meet the criteria. Please ensure you address all the criteria as this will be used to assess your suitability for the post.
Essential criteria
Experience
E1 Experience of work with people who face multiple barriers to engaging in the labour market. Application/Interview
E2 Experience of working with a diverse range of people including those who require specialist support or advocacy. Application/Interview
E3 Experience of working with employers and identifying the skills required for vacancies promoted. Application/Interview
Skills
E4 Ability to work positively with multi-agency partners. Application/Interview/Test
E5 Ability to work effectively both independently and as a team member, use initiative and be self-motivated within agreed time constraints. Application/Interview
E6 Ability to think creatively and in a solution focused, analysing issues and reaching creative solutions. Application/Interview/Test
E7 Ability to take a person centred and trauma informed approach to supporting residents seeking employment. Application/Interview/Test
E8 Ability to hold boundaries around the job scope, and to know when to refer issues across to other services and teams. Application/Interview/Test
E9 Strong communication skills including ability to adjust communication and service offer to meet clients individual needs. Application/Interview
E10 Willingness to work with flexibility to travel to areas and venues and support clients at flexible hours including some evenings and weekends to meet the needs of residents. Application/Interview
Our accreditations
Our accreditations include: the Healthy Workplace award; Timewise; London Living Wage Employer; Disability Confident Committed; The Mayor’s Good Work Standard; Stonewall Diversity Champion; and Time to Change.
