Job title:ESF SpringboardProgression Advisor / Directorate: Places
Post number: / Division:
Planning and Regeneration
Grade:6 / Section/team:
Policy and Research
Overall purpose of job:
To provide effective day to day delivery of the Springboard programme working with clients on a one to one and group basis if necessary to assess their needs and support them to gain secure, sustained employment and meet operational and contractual targets.
This role is part financed by the European Union through the European Social Fund (ESF) and is supported by the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) to extend employment opportunities and develop a skilled workforce.
Post holders will be expected to be flexible in undertaking the duties and responsibilities attached to their post and may be asked to perform other duties, which reasonably correspond to the general character of the post and are commensurate with its level of responsibility.
  1. To establish and maintain relationships with young adults and provide careers advice, guidance and support to aid realistic progression.
  2. To assess the learning and support needs of young adult clients to plan their future learning and work plans. To work with hard to reach clients including ex-offenders, individuals leaving care, lone parents, long-term unemployed, people with disabilities.
  3. To develop, implement and review client action plans and case files to identify realistic job goals. To monitor and evidence progress against pre-employment and post-employment actions plans through regular reviews.
  4. To establish and maintain relationships with colleagues to provide a cohesive support network for young adult clients. To develop coping strategies and effective participation for clients with barriers to progression.
  5. To establish and maintain relationships with referral and support agencies to support young adult clients in the career decision making process.
  6. To facilitate and sanction applications to the Personal Advisor Discretionary Access Fund and coordinate customer needs to ensure the best use of funds.
  7. To administer recognised assessment tools, interpreting and feeding back results to adult clients to support their progression in learning and work.
  8. To complete required documentation, data inputting, reports and returns in line with minimum service standards.
  9. To comply with audit and inspection processes to ensure quality standards and continuation of funding.
  10. To keep up to date with local labour market information, training opportunities and funding initiatives.
  11. To maintain and develop own resources, knowledge, skills, competence and professional development.
  12. Undertake any other appropriate duties commensurate with the level of this post.

Knowledge and Skills
  • Extensive knowledge of the local labour market
  • Up to date information on opportunities relating to skills development, training and available funding
  • Able to carry out benefits calculations to demonstrate “ Better off in work” figures
  • Able to develop strategies and styles of working that encourage effective relationships with clients from all levels and abilities
  • Knowledge of how to make contact and maintain constructive relationships with a range of agencies
  • Able to analyse data, summarise findings and write action plans
  • Good knowledge of ICT systems
  • Experience of using evaluation techniques
  • Able to demonstrate the use of assessment tools
  • GCSE or equivalent level 2 qualification in Maths and English
  • Experience of presenting ideas clearly and concisely, with content and style appropriate to the audience
  • Experience of working with clients from a range of ages and abilities where there is also potential for clients to present with major barriers to achieving progression.
  • Experience of motivating individuals to perform well
  • Experience of working with people with mental health issues

Creativity and innovation:
  • Formulating standards in aspect of Advice and Guidance devise and produce guidance and procedures.
  • The post has to be creative by developing ways to embrace all 18-24’s who meet the programme criteria.
  • Providing solutions to problems that occur in the day-to-day analysis of programme required The post holder must be aware of the Data Protection Act. The ability to produce fast and effective solutions has a significant impact on the efficiency and impact of the individual receiving the service.
  • Provides impromptu advice on a range of different subjects without prior notice.
  • Achieving consensus of opinion in meetings where there are conflicting priorities and requirements.
  • Summarising data and reporting in a manner appropriate for the audience. Producing suitable reports for management to use in determining the future work of the programme.
  • Reacting to changes in Government, Partners and Council policies/strategies especially the increase of the number of positive outcomes for those participating in the programme.
Delivery on externally funded contracts that are based on payment by outcome. Targets and Key Performance Indicators form part of the contract and income is generated by generating accepted audited action plans and client session numbers.
  • No specific written guidance
  • Postholder must be able to research information in a range of formats and present findings clearly to clients
  • Internet based resources available
  • Available from project manager, other team members, learndirect centres, connexions and other IAG providers who the project already networks with.

Contacts and relationships:
Members
Members of the public – those unemployed or not in education aged 18-24
Business Community
Support Agencies - daily
Internal Colleagues and Staff – daily
Training Providers
JCP
The post holder represents the support issues and has a sensitive role in seeking to achieve the optimum outcome in relation to the community of North Lincolnshire. Enquiries and contacts will be ongoing all of the time. Some matters are likely to be contentious requiring support, but will be carried out within operational guidelines.
Decision making:
The nature of individuals can be complex. Some clients have mental health problems and these can be more complex cases to deal with. Dealing with clients can throw up any number of issues, which the PA may not be able to deal with directly but needs to have knowledge of specialist organisations that may be able to help. It is estimated that at least 50% of this client group have need of other specialist support not provided by the project.
PA would have to manage client’s expectations which are often unrealistic. Tact and diplomacy would be needed to move client onto a more realistic track.
Some clients have personal hygiene issues which can affect their ability to secure employment. Tact and diplomacy would be needed to deal with the sensitive nature of this issue.
Consequences
PA could mislead clients and provide incorrect information. As a result this could impact on clients ability to secure employment and as a consequence their ability to secure a livelihood.
Individual’s may complain about the level of service provision which would have consequences for the council’s reputation and the impact on future external funding if there was severe damage to service delivery.
Responsibility for resources:
Financial resources:
The PA will have responsibility for a small £100k budget for delivering training.
Physical resources:
None
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Work demands:
  • Work will be subject to changing demands and priorities due to the context of work and emerging labour market intelligence
  • Requests for impromptu advice on a number of areas relating to Labour Market Information.
  • Some routine aspects to the job e.g. decision-making cycle
  • Interruptions from staff on a regular basis, either personal visits or telephone calls, over a range of issues
  • Conflicting priorities between different tasks

Physical demands:
Would be required to travel across North Lincolnshire. Driving licence essential. Minimum amount of lifting when taking laptops and portable printers to outreach facilities.
Working conditions:
The post-holder will be expected to meet clients in their own homes or at other venues different to the Civic Centre.
Work context:
Responsible for own health and safety in and around the workplace within the guidelines set by North Lincolnshire Council.
The job involves medium risk to personal safety.

Position in organisation:
Indicate how many staff the post is directly accountable for:

Are posts in more than one location? Yes No
Is this at the same site? Are the posts managed highly mobile? No
Is the supervision/management shared with another post in the structure? Yes x No
Please indicate which post(s) _Other ESF Progression Advisors______
You must provide an organisation chart that shows where the job sits within the structure. This should be a simple diagram but with enough detail to put the job into context, i.e. the post holder may manage different groups of staff undertaking different tasks. The chart must show the job in question, the job to which it reports, those jobs which report alongside it and any subordinate posts.

The post is subject to:
Disclosure of convictions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders (Exemption) Act 1974 Yes □ No □NO
Political restriction Yes □ No□NO
Employee:
(signed) / (print) / Date:
Manager: (signed) / (print) / Date:

Policy and Resources Cabinet Member – 19th September 2012, Implemented – 8th October 2012 Page 1 of 7