Title of Job: Guidance Caseworker
Hours of Work: 35 hours per week
Salary: The salary for this position is on a 10 point scale. The successful candidate will start at the first point on the scale or commensurate with experience.
Summary: To provide clients who are furthest from the labour market with a confidential, individualised career path planning, guidance counselling service, on a case-load basis. To manage and operate the case system as required. To work as an integrated member of the Blanchardstown Finglas LAES team in either Finglas, Blanchardstown or a combination of both.
Responsible to: LAES Services Manager
Main Duties:
- Manage a caseload of clients who are long-term unemployed and identified as a target group of the Employment Service.
- Deliver an intensive programme of support to clients with a review meeting every 20 working days.
- Facilitate each unemployed person on the caseload, to develop an individualised personal progression plan (PPP) with the ultimate aim of the client achieving sustainable employment.
- Carry out regular review of the PPP with the client and at set intervals.
- Ensure the highest standards of integrity and confidentiality are maintained in the Guidance Caseworker-client relationship including compliance with data protection legislation.
- Ensure client expectations are grounded in reality and to confront unrealistic expectations.
- Maintain caseload records and to build general statistical information on the relevant IT systems.
- Manage and maintain a data base of job ready clients for forwarding to job vacancies.
- Assist clients to prepare CVs and for job interviews and align past experiences to job requirements.
- Engage with local training providers to source suitable training for clients if it cannot be delivered in house.
- Work with client to assist progression through positive motivation and personal demeanor.
- Have a working knowledge of opportunities available to unemployed people in training and education and to develop training education and development goals and actions.
- Network with local employers and get to know their recruitment needs.
- Keep up to date on Employer Support Schemes.
- Report on a regular and ongoing basis to the LAES Services Manager.
- Actively participate with the Empower and/or DNP Teams and commit to a model of full integration of services.
- Facilitate an end of programme review meeting with each client during which the client will be provided with a final revised version of their PPP.
- Deliver on defined KPIs (objectives) as set by the LEAS Service Manager.
- Meet with Service Manager to attend regular performance review meetings.
- The role may involve working in any of the LAES offices based in Blanchardstown or Finglas.
General:
- To undertake any other duties as may be required from time to time by the LAES Manager in pursuance of the specific aims and objectives of the organisations.
- To seek to ensure that all services are provided in an effective and appropriate manner, which takes account of the needs of the target groups identified.
- Attend relevant training as required.
Person Specification:
The successful candidate should possess strong sensitivity and empathy towards unemployed people. They should be person centred and have strong listening skills as well as an ability to develop a professional and objective relationship with clients. They should have the ability to manage a caseload and be able to meet targets.
Experience of:
- Working on a one-to-one basis with unemployed people in a trustful, emphatic courteous and respectful manner, while recognising the differing needs and circumstances of each client.
- Advocating on behalf of the unemployed with organisations relevant to the individual client’s progression.
- Working in a developmental capacity with unemployed job seekers.
Personal Skills in:
- The ideal candidate should have excellent interpersonal communication and organisational skills.
- Experience of advocating on behalf of unemployed people with employers.
- They should have a clear understanding of the role, ethos and principles of the Employment Services Programme.
- They will require a well-grounded understanding and empathy of the needs of the long term unemployed as well as an awareness of current labour market trends and activities.
- They must exercise a high level of personal integrity in their work with unemployed clients, and any other services and/or agencies.
Essential:
- Level 7 qualification in Adult Guidance, or its equivalent.
- Experience in working on 1-2-1 capacity with long term unemployed.
- Experience of working with unemployed clients in identifying and developing strategies to help them deal with barriers to employment.
Desirable:
- Experience of working with an active caseload and servicing that caseload through a relevant case management system.