Health and Employment Lead

You will be based at the Civic Offices, Portsmouth, however there will be significant outreach across various areas of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB for the delivery of the role. The post will regularly host at the ICB offices stressing the importance of a high profile in both organisations.

Secondments from ICB or PCC staff from their substantive posts will be considered subject to line management approval.

DBS Disclosure at basic level will be required prior to any offer of employment and this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

The Service

Portsmouth City Council's Employment, Learning and Skills delivers a wide range of DWP, ESFA and ESF funded programmes. The programmes we work on provide support to residents within local communities; many of whom are either long term unemployed, have a disability or health condition, including mental health issues, or have other barriers as to why gaining sustained employment is proving to be a challenge. Services include relevant interventions for young people and other excluded or vulnerable groups to provide local communities with an inclusive workforce.

This unique role works in partnership with the ICB (Integrated Care Board) for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, helping health care professionals to integrate referrals for employment programmes into demanding roles. The role is focused on identifying barriers to engagement and helping provide innovative solutions and new communication pathways to benefit individual residents across the wider ICB area.

Your New Role

Working with ICB and PCC unemployment support this unique role will help both teams identify clear ways of working to support residents onto employment. Initial pilot work will be in Portsmouth, engaging with ICB and alternative referral sources to ensure that individuals have the best support into work as part of their health journey but will soon extend to additional pilot areas across the ICB so travel across the area will be routine.

Working closely with different sections within the ICB, building effective relationships will be key to the success of the project. Connecting with GPs, social prescribers and other health care professionals to support their emerging responsibilities for helping economically inactive adults into work.

Attached to the Employment and Skills team of the council, the role will work alongside Employment Advisors who are funded to support individuals into work, to help create pathways for referrals and identify partnership opportunities between the unemployment services and ICB to support individual success into sustainable employment.

Audit of confidential paperwork, potential codesign and follow up with residents may become required within the role., Driving Licence and use of a car for business is not essential, however travel will be involved across the Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB region - this is because you will be regularly visiting ICB sites (including GP surgeries, outreach centres and staff offices)

Due to the diversity of our customer base, the need for regular one to one meetings and the flexibility required in delivering our contracts a basic DBS Check will be required.

What you'll get in return

We are a disability confident employer - committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection process is inclusive and accessible and welcome applications from all areas of society.

You will have strong relationship management skills, focused on building effective partnerships and understanding the challenges of the professionals you are working with. You may come to this role from a health or unemployment support background, but you will be experienced mapping ways of working and providing guidance for development of new approaches. Identifying and overcoming barriers to new ways of working and providing regular formal and informal reporting will be a key part of the role. You will also have the proven ability to build rapport with people and especially understanding issues for people with disabilities and barriers to work who will be the key beneficiaries of this work.

You will always maintain an equality & diversity approach. You will have the ability to work on your own initiative and within a team, flexibility to cope with the varying demands of the role and be driven to succeed and set high personal standards so that targets are met.

We really appreciate our employees and fully realise they are essential to our success and look to offer an inclusive, supportive working environment where employees can reach their potential with a healthy work life balance, offering the following rewards:

• A generous pension scheme which allows you the opportunity to pay in more for that greater return.


• 27 days annual leave rising to 31 days after 5 years service plus bank holidays, pro rata for part time with the potential to purchase additional leave.


• A wide range of discounts via our reward portal including offering discounts at popular high street retailers


• Discounted parking at the Civic Offices via a Park It card.


• Free Access to Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and wellbeing support


• Access to a wide range of training and development opportunities including apprenticeships


• Business travel support and initiatives, including bike loans


• Hybrid working with a minimum of 2 days in the office per week pro rata (depending on business needs) to be discussed at interview and flexible working options for a better work/life balance.