Employment Coach - HMP Winchester

Are you passionate about helping people and looking for a new challenge?

Do you want to work for an organisation that believes in inspiring learners to progress into rewarding and fulfilling careers?"

HMP Winchester IAG Services (Prison delivery), Full time position – 37 hours, Salary- 23K+ (More for those who are experienced)

We are The Forward Trust (formerly RAPt and Blue Sky), 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.

The Forward Trust is a fast-growing Matrix Standard accredited Employability, Vocational Training, Apprenticeships, and Careers Advice organisation. 

We also deliver Information, Advice and Guidance (Careers Advice) services in prisons. We are looking for additional IAG Advisor to join our friendly team at HMP Winchester.

You will be coaching and preparing learners, clients and job seekers for the world of work and a range of job, agency and apprenticeship roles. The main duties will include:

• Accurately identify the needs of the learners/job seekers, to understand their challenges, career ambitions, strengths & development areas, future job roles and/or training opportunities. 
• Deliver high quality end-to-end information, advice and guidance to customers / learners on our employability programmes. 
• Complete goal focused action plans / ILRs/PLPs for all referred learners/clients and provide support and motivation for clients to implement their action plans. 
• Coach the learners on a one to one and group basis based on the Forward Trust ES Methodology and Theory of Change
• Engage and maintain regular contact and in work support with learners/job seekers at agreed intervals to ensure they sustain their work experience, job or apprenticeship (as indicated by the contracts)
• Ensure learners demonstrate and sustain progression into apprenticeships and employment.

We are looking for an energetic, enthusiastic, go getting and very practical individual who is committed to providing high quality independent and impartial IAG and careers advice.  This must be in accordance with the Matrix and Gatsby standards, as well as the Ofsted Education Inspection Framework.  We would love to hear from people who genuinely care about the people they are supporting and not just going through the motions or ticking a box. 

• Experience of providing high quality coaching support that ensures learners access employment and apprenticeships- aligned to the Ofsted EIF and Matrix Standard.
• Ability to build a prisoner’s self-confidence, self-esteem, motivation, behaviours, skills and knowledge to help them achieve in the world of work and lasting employment/career development.
• Identifying skills and qualities in a learner to match appropriately with vacancies.
• Progressing learners and job seekers into apprenticeships and employment and sustaining them in these
• Experience of providing high quality CV, job search, interview support to learners/job seekers (prisoners, ex-offenders, at risk offending, NEET, unemployed)
• Willingness to undertake a Level 4 IAG qualification as part of their learning and development.

We value the dedication and commitment of our employees by rewarding them with market-leading pay and benefits. We provide comprehensive training, Level 4 IAG qualifications and opportunities to progress in the Employment Services Directorate.

• Training opportunities and career development
• Flexible Working
• Simply Health Cashback 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
• Season Ticket Loan Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• 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

• Employment Coach
• Experience in providing careers advice/IAG services on a one to one and group work setting.
• Experience of working in prisons and working with HMPS and other external providers e.g., JCP.
• Experience of working to targets and quality standards in the skills, education, or employability sector.
• Able to build strong relationships with other departments in the division and make full use of the support offered by the Learning Skills Manager.
• Motivating, inspiring, and enthusing clients/learners to progress in life.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to motivate and inspire others.
• Good working knowledge of the Matrix Standard, Ofsted EIF.
• A tenacious approach and an understanding of how employers recruit and select based on talent.
• Good administration, IT and organisational skills with good experience of using MS office software and management information systems e.g., NOMIS. Virtual Campus, Excel.
• Accurately identify the needs of the individual to understand their challenges, career ambitions, strengths & development areas, future job roles and/or training opportunities.
• Promote and develop the mind-set, emotional intelligence qualities, self-confidence and esteem so that individuals succeed in the world of work.
• Complete goal focused action plans Digital Personal Learning Plans and provide support and motivation for clients to implement their action plans.
• Prepare CVs, disclosure letter and job/apprenticeship application forms with learners.
• Short-list, pre-select and match/submit to vacancies/work experience opportunities.  
• Prepare learners/job seekers to a high standard for interview with employers.
• Support the delivery of any Employment Hub events, job fairs, workshops and seminars that get learners ready for the world of work.
• Ensure contractual compliance is always maintained to the highest standard
• Comply with Safeguarding/Prevent agenda, Health and Safety and other policies and procedures.
• Work with colleagues to achieve effective performance management, number of DPLP’s, reviews and pre-release reviews completed weekly, weekly performance reporting and monthly reviews.
• Meet required KPI’s to corresponding deadlines, as set out by Operations Manager/Learning and Skills Manager.