Belfast Works Connect Navigator

Other Belfast Works Connect Project Partner organisations are;

⦁    GEMS NI
⦁    Impact Training
⦁    East Belfast Mission  
⦁    Ashton Community Trust

The Connect Navigator will be a constant source of support and a point of reference throughout the client’s journey, ensuring success for the client.  The Connect Navigator will support the client to undertake a self-assessment of their, personal, social, emotional, financial, health, wellbeing, employability, and skills needs.

KEY TASKS & RESPONSIBILITIES:

⦁    To engage, build trust and maintain effective rapport with a caseload of Belfast Works Connect Economically Inactive participants and deliver within a pace that suits the individual client and their personal context.
⦁    Build an understanding of the strengths and areas for development that the client has at their point of entry to the Belfast Works Connect Service.
⦁    Support the client to undertake an initial self-assessment of their current personal, social and emotional, financial (including access to a better off calculation), health, wellbeing and employability and skills and needs.
⦁    Identify the key connections the client already has and the specialist services that they currently receive and explore additional areas of informal support from family, friends and faith-based etc.
⦁    Refer clients to Belfast Works Connect internal specialist provision e.g., homelessness, ESOL as required.
⦁    Provide the client with access and support to self-refer/or supported referral to complementary expertise from across the public, private and voluntary sectors. Including specialist support from trusted providers to effectively address the barriers which can keep them trapped in economic inactivity.
⦁    Deliver 1-1 mentoring sessions with all clients to remove barriers to health and well-being etc, providing a safe, relaxed environment, responding to sensitive issues in a confidential manner to help them move closer to employment.
⦁    Deliver work focused health solutions and interventions support, working in partnership with Condition Management Teams, GP’s etc.
⦁    Support the client to undertake a career interest inventory to identify employment interests including, those the client may not have originally considered and engage in discussion of potential employment areas.
⦁    Co-create an Individual Employability & Skills Action Plan with all referred participants to identify; personal and work barriers, job readiness, existing skills and experience, soft/key skills deficiencies, qualifications/training history and work goals.  This will include a focus on numeracy skills for the workplace.  The Employability and Skills Action Plan should be a ‘living document’ and is reviewed and updated regularly.
⦁    Co-create an individual CV with each referred client.
⦁    To regularly input and maintain all client data via Belfast Works Connect Client Management System (CMS).
⦁    To achieve contractual Key Performance Indicator (KPI), targets including supporting a minimum of 100 clients per year.
⦁    Ensure ongoing communication with the BW Connect Skills Navigator and Connect Employment Navigators to ensure a successful outcome for clients.
⦁    Liaise and form an introduction with the Connect Employment Navigator and remain engaged throughout the remaining client journey for example:
⦁    Offer to meet the client throughout their connect journey either face to face or offer telephone/video conference support at a time and location that suits the client.
⦁    If the client is at a crisis stage and at risk of leaving their job, intervene immediately to agree measures that could prevent the drop-out.  The client may be struggling to maintain their job due to the recurrence of the issues that led to their becoming economically inactive or a new crisis point that is affecting their confidence, self-esteem and or motivation including areas such as addictions home family and relationship issues or health condition/illness, bereavement etc.
⦁    If the client leaves the or loses their job, address the issues and support the client to undertake further training or avail of specialist support.
⦁    Explore with the client their requirements for back to work support this can be sources of financial support for clothes, public transport, and areas such as lunches.  Childcare may also have to be arranged including any adjustments the client can request when they have a child or children under a certain age.
⦁    Explore areas such as hybrid working arrangements will also need to be discussed including the resources the client may require working from home.
⦁    Review with line manager outcomes against performance targets and reflect on practice, working to the highest professional standards.
⦁    Fully participate in self-evaluation reviews and quality improvement planning.
⦁    Participate in team meetings, supervision and other team activities.
⦁    Carry out all duties in accordance with the values and policies of Impact Training (NI) Ltd .
⦁    Perform such other relevant tasks deemed necessary by the management team of the project to ensure the effective and efficient implementation of the project action plan.
⦁    Carry out all administrative functions of the role to a high standard.

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES

⦁    Undertake any other related responsibilities commensurate with the evolving objectives of the post and the evolution of the Impact Training (NI) Ltd, as may reasonably be requested.
⦁    Work flexibly on evenings, weekends and during school holidays to ensure full delivery of the programme. 
⦁    Undertake training in order to develop work related skills and knowledge.
⦁    Work with due regard for Impact Training (NI) Ltd’s core values and objectives
⦁    Ensure the effective implementation of and adherence to Impact Training (NI) Ltd policies and procedures.
⦁    Participate in Impact Training (NI) Ltd’s performance management and appraisal process, and agree short, medium- and long-term goals with line manager, and direct line staff.
⦁    Identify learning and development needs with your line manager and evaluate T&D to demonstrate needs have been met.
⦁    Share best practice and achievements and contribute to opportunities to present outcomes and case studies.
⦁    Always adhere to all Impact Training (NI) Ltd’s safeguarding & GDPR policies and procedures.

Status of the Job Description

This job description is not incorporated into the employee’s employment contract. It is intended as a guide and should not be viewed as an inflexible specification, and it may be varied from time to time in the light of strategic developments following discussion with the post holder. The post holder will be expected to work to objectives agreed with the line manager.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

⦁    NVQ Level 3 or above in Advice and Guidance or equivalent.  We also welcome candidates who can demonstrate aspects of advice and guidance within their qualifications. Areas considered are careers guidance, recruitment, counselling, youth work, coaching, teaching, customer service, social work and training. At least one year’s proven competence in providing career/employability guidance in both a one-to-one and/or group setting.  

(Number of years’ experience may be increased should there be a need to facilitate manageable shortlists)

⦁    Ability to create and sustain effective working relationships and build consensus.
⦁    Experience of working independently and unsupervised, to prioritise and monitor work to meet agreed objectives. 

Skills/Abilities 

⦁    Ability to work within a target driven environment responding to needs of Economically Inactive in which people are progressed to employment and/or further education/training.
⦁    Excellent written and oral communication skills.
⦁    Sound knowledge of ICT including all Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, internet etc.)
⦁    Motivating others and excellent interpersonal skills.
⦁    Using own initiative and working positively within a team and building good working relationships.
⦁    Being non-judgmental in approach.
⦁    Excellent organisational skills.
⦁    Using own initiative and working positively within a team and building good working relationships.
⦁    Commitment to the development of people in the community.
⦁    Mentoring skills and facilitation/group-work skills.

              
 Circumstances Essential:

⦁    Ability to work flexible hours (including evening work and weekend work)
⦁    Willingness to undertake training required for the post.
⦁    Subject to Access NI enhanced clearance.

Original proof of qualifications will be requested at interview.