Senior Employment Specialist

Senior Employment Specialist – Connect to Work Tees Valley (2 positions available)

Salary: £29,430 will be starting salary, with full earning potential up to £37,610

Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm, with one 30-minute early finish

Location: Morton Park Business Centre, Darlington

Travel: Travel throughout Tees Valley will be required

Please note:

The salary listed reflects the full earning potential for this role. Starting salaries depend on experience and progression within the band.

Waythrough was formed in 2024 following the merger of Humankind and Richmond Fellowship. Together, we’ve created one of the largest mental health and social support charities in England.

Every year, we support around 125,000 people through nearly 200 services – and it’s all made possible by our 3,500 brilliant staff and volunteers.

Are you passionate about helping others live safer, healthier, more independent lives? Join our team at Waythrough and support people facing challenges around mental health, substance use, housing or domestic abuse. This is more than just a job – it’s a chance to build meaningful relationships and create lasting change.

We’re excited to be launching a new Connect to Work Tees Valley service, and we’re looking for two experienced Senior Employment Specialists to join us at this important stage.

As a Senior Employment Specialist, you’ll play a key role in helping us establish and develop the service, supporting a team of Employment Specialists to deliver high-quality supported employment to participants across the Tees Valley.

You’ll provide leadership, supervision, coaching and quality assurance, helping colleagues to deliver in line with the Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF) and the requirements of the Connect to Work programme.

This is a varied role where no two days are likely to be the same. As this is a new contract, you’ll have the opportunity to be involved in developing the service, working with colleagues and external partners, and helping us build a service that stands out for the quality of support it provides.

You’ll provide day-to-day support and oversight to Employment Specialists employed by Waythrough and our subcontracted delivery partners.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Providing leadership, supervision, coaching and quality assurance to Employment Specialists.
• Supporting the implementation of Connect to Work Grant Guidance, contractual requirements and fidelity standards.
• Promoting and embedding the principles of the Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF).
• Acting as a subject matter expert, providing advice and guidance to colleagues and delivery partners.
• Working with subcontractor managers to support workforce development, performance improvement and consistent service delivery.
• Facilitating performance, quality and case management reviews.
• Managing a small caseload of approximately 5–10 participants.
• Supporting Employment Specialists to develop employer relationships and engage external partners.
• Ensuring high-quality employer engagement takes place to support participants to secure and sustain employment.
• Monitoring client satisfaction and using feedback to help improve the service.
• Identifying training and development needs and supporting colleagues with their continuous professional development.
• Supporting co-production and involving people who use our services in service development where possible.
• Creating a culture of continuous improvement across the service.

We’re looking for someone with experience of working within employment services, who can provide effective leadership and support to colleagues while also managing their own caseload.

You’ll have…