Life Coach jobs in Wokingham

Job Overview: Young People's Work Coach, Ockley, Surrey.

About Amber

The Amber Foundation provides supported accommodation and a structured programme for homeless, unemployed and disadvantaged young people aged 18 to 30. Residents may experience multiple disadvantage, including homelessness, unemployment, substance misuse, mental health difficulties and offending histories.

Our residential centres provide 24-hour support alongside a full-time programme covering employability, independent living, health and wellbeing, and personal development. We help young people build the skills, confidence and resilience needed to move into paid employment and safe, sustainable accommodation

Responsible to - Senior Team Leader and Service Manager

Hours of Work - Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.30pm + one overnight shift per month + on-call responsibility (1/5 weeks) (included in the salary)

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Salary: £30,283.47 per annum .

Purpose of the role

The Young People’s Work Coach leads a team of residents through Amber’s programme, taking responsibility for purposeful support and measurable progress towards paid employment and independent living.

A central responsibility is to proactively engage employers and create paid employment opportunities for young people who may struggle to access standard recruitment processes. The Work Coach builds relationships with recruitment decision makers, understands employers’ needs, promotes residents’ potential and agrees practical routes into interviews, job offers and employment.

The role requires initiative, persistence and confident employer engagement alongside compassionate support, positive challenge and clear professional boundaries. Education, training, work experience and volunteering should address identified barriers and provide purposeful steps towards paid work. Success is assessed through opportunities created and young people securing and sustaining suitable employment alongside stable accommodation.

Key responsibilitiesCreating employment opportunities with employers

· Proactively identify, approach and visit local and regional employers, developing relationships with owners, managers and recruitment decision makers who can offer paid work.

· Understand employers’ staffing needs, skills requirements and recruitment barriers, and identify how residents’ strengths, interests and potential can meet those needs.

· Confidently promote Amber and its young people, challenge stereotypes constructively and persuade employers to consider residents who may otherwise be overlooked.

· Work with employers to create routes into entry-level jobs, apprenticeships and other suitable paid roles, including supported interviews and adjustments to recruitment processes where appropriate.

· Seek concrete commitments from employer engagement, including interviews, suitable vacancies and recruitment opportunities, and follow these through to job offers and starts.

· Develop safe, structured work experience with employers, agreeing its purpose, supervision, feedback and potential route towards paid employment.

· Agree practical preparation, workplace support and reasonable adjustments with employers and residents, sharing personal information only as appropriate and in line with Amber’s procedures.

· Maintain an organised record of employer contacts, recruitment needs, opportunities, agreed actions and follow-up, coordinating with colleagues to make opportunities available to suitable residents.

· Respond promptly to employer concerns and maintain contact after a resident starts work to support successful and sustained employment.

· Review which employer relationships are producing opportunities and jobs, adapt unsuccessful approaches and continue developing new partnerships.

Securing and sustaining paid employment

· Make paid employment a central intended outcome of each resident’s stay, establishing aspirations, strengths, experience, qualifications and barriers from induction.

· Agree an ambitious, realistic employment pathway with each resident, with clear actions, responsibilities and review dates in their support and action plan.

· Actively identify suitable vacancies and opportunities, match residents to employers and help secure interviews and paid work.

· Provide practical support with job searches, applications, CVs, cover letters, interview preparation, workplace expectations, travel and starting work.

· Motivate and positively challenge residents to complete agreed actions, address disengagement promptly and adapt support to individual needs.

· Arrange relevant education, vocational training, work experience and volunteering where these build skills, confidence, routine and references needed for paid work.

· Build links with colleges, training providers, Jobcentre Plus, DWP partnership teams, local authorities and employment services to maximise access to appropriate support and schemes.

· Support attendance at employer meetings, interviews, careers events, training and placements, providing practical assistance where appropriate.

· Consider employment, income, benefits, travel and accommodation together, seeking specialist advice where required so plans are realistic and sustainable.

· Celebrate progress, help residents manage early workplace difficulties and coordinate follow-up support to sustain employment.

Resident progression and case management

· Take responsibility for the development and progression of the residents allocated to the team, ensuring support is purposeful, coordinated and outcome-focused.

· Complete and review individual needs assessments, risk assessments, risk management plans, support and action plans and move-on plans to the required standard and within agreed timescales.

· Plan and manage the caseload effectively, prioritising residents according to their needs, risks, opportunities and agreed actions.

· Deliver relevant one-to-one sessions, interventions and group work and ensure agreed actions are completed and followed up.

· Make timely referrals to external services and agencies, support residents to engage and record outcomes appropriately.

· Work collaboratively with relevant professionals and adopt a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach where this improves resident outcomes.

· Support residents to develop independent living skills, including budgeting, cooking, self-care, managing appointments, maintaining accommodation and understanding tenancy responsibilities.

· Support residents to plan for sustainable move-on accommodation alongside their employment and financial goals.

· Ensure residents understand and meet their rent and service-charge responsibilities and follow up concerns in line with Amber's procedures.

· Arrange or provide reasonable transport support for external appointments and opportunities using Amber vehicles where authorised and appropriate.

Programme leadership and delivery

· Plan, organise and lead a consistent, high-quality weekly programme that reflects Amber's four programme areas and supports residents to progress towards employment and independent living.

· Ensure employability is embedded across the programme rather than treated as a standalone activity, with projects and sessions developing behaviours and skills valued in the workplace.

· Facilitate and co-facilitate engaging activities, group sessions, career-planning work, community projects and practical tasks to the required standard.

· Ensure the programme offers an appropriate balance of structured learning, practical projects, individual work, community involvement and enjoyable activities that maintain motivation.

· Allocate responsibilities clearly and ensure planned sessions, activities and projects are adequately prepared, resourced, risk assessed and delivered.

· Adapt programme delivery to residents' different needs, abilities, learning styles and stages of progression while maintaining appropriate expectations.

· Monitor attendance, participation, achievement and barriers to engagement and take timely action where progress is limited.

· Encourage residents to contribute to one another's progress and create a positive culture of aspiration, responsibility and mutual support.

· Evaluate activities and programme delivery, act on feedback and contribute ideas and resources that improve quality and outcomes.

In Form recording and outcome monitoring

· Use Amber's In-Form CRM as the primary system for recording resident support, risks, actions, referrals, sessions, interventions, activities, testing, progress and outcomes.

· Ensure records are accurate, objective, relevant and completed within the required timescales, providing a clear audit trail of actions, decisions, communications and follow-up.

· Record and monitor employment, education, training, work experience and volunteering goals, activity and outcomes, including applications, interviews, offers, starts and sustained participation.

· Ensure all required resident actions, sessions and outcome measures are completed and recorded at the specified intervals.

· Ensure the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale are completed at the required intervals and used alongside other evidence to monitor progression.

· Record CCIAs, including complaints, compliments, incidents and accidents, in accordance with policy and ensure associated actions are completed.

· Review the quality and completeness of records for residents within the team, addressing gaps, overdue actions or poor recording promptly.

· Produce accurate information for handovers, reviews, internal monitoring, external reports and service-performance requirements.

· Maintain confidentiality and comply with data protection requirements and Amber's information-sharing and recording standards.

Safeguarding risk and wellbeing

· Maintain a clear understanding of each resident's needs, risks, strengths and protective factors and ensure relevant plans are followed and reviewed.

· Recognise, respond to, record and escalate safeguarding concerns, disclosures, welfare issues and changes in risk without delay.

· Promote residents' physical health, mental wellbeing, resilience and positive relationships and facilitate access to specialist support where required.

· Respond calmly and proportionately to incidents, challenging behaviour, conflict and emergencies in line with Amber's policies and procedures.

· Undertake supervised drug and alcohol testing where required, following the correct procedure and recording all requests, completion, refusal, non-compliance and results on In-Form.

· Complete risk assessments for activities, projects, travel, work experience and other opportunities and ensure appropriate control measures are implemented.

· Ensure health and safety requirements are followed so that residents, staff, visitors and members of the public are not placed at avoidable risk.

Admissions induction and move on

· Support the assessment and admission of new residents as required, contributing relevant information to suitability, needs and risk decisions.

· Prepare for new arrivals and deliver a thorough, welcoming induction, ensuring required checks, records and initial plans are completed.

· Establish employment aspirations and previous experience early in the resident's stay so employability planning begins from induction.

· Review progress towards employment and move-on throughout the placement and take action when goals or timescales are not being met.

· Coordinate effective move-on planning with residents, colleagues, employers, landlords, local authorities and other professionals as appropriate.

· Ensure employment, income, travel and accommodation arrangements are considered together so that move-on plans are realistic and sustainable.

Leadership teamwork and professional practice

· Provide visible, positive and consistent leadership to residents and colleagues and contribute to the smooth running of the centre.

· Model and embed Amber's values of Compassion, Inclusive, Accountable and Aspirational in decisions, relationships and everyday practice.

· Communicate clear expectations, allocate tasks appropriately and support colleagues to deliver high-quality, consistent work.

· Build strong working relationships with centre colleagues, managers, Head Office functions and external partners.

· Contribute actively to handovers, team meetings, supervision, reflective practice, training and service-development activity.

· Share relevant information promptly and professionally, particularly where it affects resident safety, progress, employment opportunities or service delivery.

· Manage delegated expenditure responsibly and remain within agreed team budgets.

· Use IT systems confidently and complete all administrative requirements associated with the role.

· Take an active role in achieving organisational, centre and team objectives and contribute to a proactive, solution-focused culture.

· Work flexibly according to service needs and undertake any other reasonable duties required for the safe and effective operation of the centre.

Person specificationEssential experience and knowledge

· Experience of supporting disadvantaged or vulnerable young people or adults with complex needs.

· Experience of proactively approaching employers or recruitment decision makers and developing opportunities, supported by evidence of results or directly transferable experience in recruitment, partnership development or business engagement.

· Ability to demonstrate practical action to help people secure paid employment, including matching people to opportunities and overcoming recruitment barriers.

· Experience of motivating people to set goals, overcome barriers and achieve measurable progress.

· Experience of delivering one-to-one support, group sessions, practical activities or structured programmes.

· Understanding of the barriers that homelessness, poor mental health, substance misuse, offending histories, low confidence and limited qualifications can create in accessing employment.

· Knowledge of safeguarding, risk management and professional boundaries.

· Experience of maintaining accurate electronic case records and completing agreed actions within timescales.

· Confidence using Microsoft Office and digital systems, with the ability to learn In-Form.

· Ability to prioritise a varied caseload, programme delivery and employer outreach.

· Strong written and verbal communication, with confidence representing Amber and advocating for young people.

Desirable experience and qualifications

· Experience of creating paid employment opportunities for people facing disadvantage and supporting them to sustain work.

· Experience of developing work experience, volunteering, training, college or apprenticeship opportunities.

· Knowledge of local labour markets, Jobcentre Plus, benefits, employability programmes and vocational education.

· Existing relationships with employers, colleges, training providers and employment services.

· Experience of In-Form or another Salesforce-based case management system.

· A relevant qualification in youth work, support work, employability, information advice and guidance, health and social care or a related field.

· Health and safety, food hygiene, first aid or fire-safety training.

Skills and personal qualities

· Aspirational for young people, with a clear commitment to securing paid employment and independent living.

· Proactive and confident in approaching employers, creating opportunities and asking for concrete recruitment commitments.

· Persuasive, resourceful and persistent, with the ability to respond constructively to rejection and change approach.

· Compassionate, patient and approachable, while setting clear expectations and providing positive challenge.

· Inclusive, able to adapt support and challenge discriminatory assumptions.

· Accountable, organised and reliable, with ownership of follow-through, accurate recording and employment outcomes.

· Able to lead and motivate residents, work collaboratively and make sound decisions in a busy residential setting.

· Committed to resident participation, empowerment, equality and anti-discriminatory practice.

· Reflective, flexible and open to feedback, learning and continuous improvement.

Safeguarding and safer recruitmentAmber is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people within its services. Applicants must evidence their suitability to work with young people and will be subject to safer recruitment checks.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: £30,283.47 per year

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Company pension
• Discounted or free food
• Free parking
• Health & wellbeing programme
• On-site parking
• Private dental insurance
• Private medical insurance
• Sick pay

Application question(s):

• Tell us about a time when you proactively approached an employer and helped create an opportunity for someone to move into paid work. How did you engage the employer, and what was the outcome?
• Give an example of how you challenged assumptions or adapted an approach so that someone facing disadvantage could access an employment or development opportunity. What did you do, and what difference did it make?
• Describe a time when you supported someone who had lost confidence or disengaged following setbacks. How did you show understanding while encouraging them to take responsibility and move towards their goals?
• Tell us about a time when your initial approach to securing an opportunity or achieving an agreed outcome was unsuccessful. What responsibility did you take, what did you change, and what was the result?
• Are you aware that this role is at our Ockley , Surrey Centre? Essential to drive and have own transport due to the rural setting.

Work Location: In person