Employability Development Worker

Working as a key member of this new "Making Employment Work for Single Parents "team, the Employability Development Worker will provide a flexible, needs-led employability service to assist single to gain skills and qualification and move into suitable and sustainable education and employment opportunities. The Employability Development Worker also support parents through the transitional stages to equal access to entitlements, address hidden costs, arrange appropriate flexible childcare and support parents with their change of circumstances and their work life balance., This is a broad picture of the post at the time of preparation. It is not an exhaustive list of all possible duties, and it is recognised that jobs change and evolve over time. Specific duties

• Case Management: Support single parents with additional barriers using case management methods, to provide a continuum of consistent support on their employability pathway into training, education and employment.
• Families: Help single parents to identify their future goals, assess motivation, develop personal development plans and help in their implementation through individual and group work.
• Barriers: Identify barriers to employment and work with single parents with to address those challenges and barriers.
• Liaison: Building links with organisations and groups throughout Glasgow including the Supporting Families Project, Glasgow Life etc to identify single parents interested in progressing towards training, education and employment.
• Outreach & Engagement: Undertake activities in communities to actively reach eligible single parents as a basis to support their learning and development and engage them in action to support change within their lives.
• Work/Vocational Activities & Training: Co-ordinate and deliver a range of activities to enable single parents to develop core knowledge and skills to increase their employability potential.
• Job Matching: Refer job ready single parents to support within the consortium to help with job searching, interviews, securing and sustaining employment.
• Transition Support: Supporting parents to access flexible affordable childcare, address hidden costs, access support via discretionary funds for travel, clothing etc.
• In Work Support: Provide single parents with continued support whilst in employment to help sustain their jobs
• Local services: Develop knowledge of services related to employment, training, education, childcare and other support. Develop an effective network of referral agencies to support clients' needs.
• Signpost: single parents to services that will address their needs.
• Marketing: To implement the marketing and promotion strategy for the service.
• Monitoring and Evaluation: Ensure effective recording, monitoring and evaluation procedures are implemented.
• Other relevant duties: Carrying out any other relevant duties related to the above.
Personal specifications
• Qualification: A relevant professional qualification or good standard of education equivalent to HNC/HND, SVQ 3 or 4 combined with relevant experience.
• Knowledge of issues affecting single parents in Scotland.
• Knowledge of employability issues relevant to single parents.
• Experience of liaison and partnership working with other agencies.
• Knowledge and understanding of the roles of other voluntary and statutory agencies relevant to single parent families.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• IT skills commensurate to the needs of the post.
• Commitment to professional development.
• Flexibility to meet the needs of the services.
• Satisfactory Disclosure check., An understanding of current government policies and how these impact on single parent families.
• Knowledge of Welfare Benefits: it would be helpful for candidates to have a broad understanding of the benefits system as it relates to single parents.
• Experience of developing new services.
• Experience of group work: candidates should preferably have had experience of running groups and understand group work issues.
• Driving license and use of a car.
• Experience of work with single parents: Prior experience of work with single parent families in a voluntary sector or statutory context would be helpful.
  All roles at OPFS contribute to our mission of working with and for single parent families, providing support services that enable them to achieve their potential and help create lasting solutions to the poverty and barriers facing many single parents and their children.
  Salary: OPFS salary scale points 13 - 17, £ 23,233 - £28,373 (pro rata for part time hours).
Appointments will be made at a point reflective of previous experience and salary.
• Hours of work: 25 hours weekly with flexibility to meet the needs of clients.
• Holidays: Annual leave entitlement is 25 days and 12 Public holidays pro rata.
• Pension: You will be auto enrolled from your start date. OPFS pays 7% of your salary and you pay 3%.
• Training, support and supervision: OPFS is committed to the development of its staff through internal training and access to external training. We also have an annual staff appraisal system in place and all staff receive regular monthly support and supervision from their manager.
• Equal Opportunities and Family Friendly Employment: OPFS aims to be an equal opportunity and family friendly employer. We have Investors in People status and Living Wage accreditation.
• Closing date: The closing date is at 5PM on Monday 21st November.