Employment Specialist - Folkestone/Hythe /Dover

Location: Folkestone

Salary: Up to £28,000 depending on experience

Vacancy Type: Permanent, Full Time

Looking for a role where you can genuinely change lives?

At The Forward Trust, we’re looking for compassionate, motivated Employment Specialists to join our Connect to Work team across Folkestone / Hythe and Dover. This is a full-time role working 35 hours per week, although part-time or reduced hours will also be considered depending on business needs and service requirements.

If you enjoy helping people build confidence, overcome barriers and move towards a better future, this could be the perfect opportunity to make a real difference every day.

You’ll support people facing barriers to employment, including mental health challenges, long-term health conditions, disabilities and other life circumstances, helping them find meaningful work, sustain employment and progress towards greater independence.

What you’ll be doing

You’ll manage your own caseload and provide personalised support throughout each participant’s employment journey, including:

CV writing, job applications and interview preparation
Career coaching, confidence building and job searching
Delivering one-to-one and group support sessions
Building relationships with local employers and identifying opportunities
Supporting inclusive workplaces and reasonable adjustments
Providing in-work support to help people sustain and progress in employment
Working closely with community organisations, health services and training providers to remove barriers and create joined-up support

Full IPS / Connect to Work training will be provided, along with ongoing development and support.

What we’re looking for

Experience in the areas listed below is desirable but not essential, as comprehensive training will be provided to successful candidates.

Employability or recruitment
Health, wellbeing or support services
Adult learning or skills programmes
Coaching, mentoring or support work

You’ll also bring:

Strong communication, relationship-building and transferable skills
Confidence working with people from diverse backgrounds
A positive, supportive and person-centred approach
A genuine belief that everyone deserves access to employment opportunities

A full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle is essential for this role.

For more than 25 years, The Forward Trust has helped people overcome challenges including addiction, offending and unemployment to build healthier, more stable futures.

We value your time and commitment, which is why all business-related travel mileage and site parking costs can be fully claimed back. Whether you're travelling between locations or attending meetings in the local community, you'll be reimbursed for eligible expenses, helping to keep your out-of-pocket costs to a minimum while you focus on delivering great work.

We’re committed to creating a supportive, flexible and inclusive working environment where our people can thrive while making a genuine impact in the communities we serve.

About Us

We are The Forward Trust, the social enterprise with charitable status that empowers people to break the often interlinked cycles of crime and addiction to move forward with their lives. For more than 25 years we have been working with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past. We believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. Our services have supported thousands of people to make positive changes and build productive lives with a job, family, friends and a sense of community.

We are committed to our cause and the work we carry out as a charity. Equally the wellbeing and the employees who work for us are also important. Joining us an employee, we will offer you the following benefits -

Flexible working
Training and development opportunities
Simply Health Cashback Scheme (optional)
Season Ticket Loan Scheme
Cycle to work scheme
Crisis Loan Scheme
Electric Car Scheme
3 x Wellbeing Days (pro rata'd for part time employees)
Access to Blue Light Card
25 days (rising to 30 with length of service) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays
Contributory Pension Scheme – Employer matched contributions of up to 6% in the first two years’ service and up to 9% thereafter
Death in Service Payment (2x annual salary)
Critical Illness Insurance (subject to qualifying criteria)

Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Diversity at Forward Trust

The Forward Trust commits to providing opportunities to everyone. We want to ensure we have a diverse team with a range of lived and professional experiences. This includes those with ‘Lived Experience’ of addiction, offending, or homelessness.

To Apply

If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for Forward Trust, please click apply to be redirected to our website to complete your application.

The Forward Trust

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Employment Specialist - Folkestone/Hythe /Dover