Job Coach - Lighthouse Futures Trust

LIGHTHOUSE FUTURES TRUST www.lighthousefuturestrust.org.uk

Many thanks for downloading further information about one of our current vacancies.  We hope that the information provided below will help you decide if you would like to join our growing team of dedicated, professional staff. 

In 2012 a special school opened in Cookridge for children aged 11-19 with an autistic spectrum condition (ASC) or learning disability.  Lighthouse School was the country's first special Free School and has developed, since opening, to a position whereby we will have 72 students from September 2019.

We soon recognised that, on leaving our own school and other specialist learning establishments in Leeds, students faced a “cliff-edge” with regards moving into employment.  National statistics show that just 4% of young adults with a learning disability and 14% of those with autism actually move into employment but many more want to work but lack the specific support they need to take the first steps.  Accordingly, we set up a charity – Lighthouse Futures Trust – which focuses on helping young adults, aged 18-25, gain the social and employability skills they need to find and secure paid employment. We do this in a number of ways with our principle programmes being: 

- Providing work experience in Keepers Coffee or Branching Out, our two social enterprises.

- Offering supported internships - 12-month programmes providing a real job in high quality locally-based companies, with on-site support being provided by a dedicated Job Coach.

- Hidden Talent Recruitment – a bespoke programme of support including employability modules, mock interviews and company visits, designed to help young adults into work.

- An extensive employer engagement programme which provides support to employers from the public, private and third sectors to encourage them to open up opportunities within their own work-place.  

Our aim is to provide young adults with the experiences, skills, confidence and self-esteem that will prepare them for the world of work.   We support students at Lighthouse School, some of the city’s SILC’s (Specialist Inclusive Learning Centres) and local colleges such as Leeds City College and Shipley College.  Although based in Leeds, we work with employers and young adults in both Leeds and Bradford. 

We employ approximately 20 full and part-time members of staff in our team.  This includes:

- Staff managing/working in our two social enterprises

- Job Coaches, based on an employer’s site, supporting interns 

- A head office team which provides support in finance, administration, employer engagement and education liaison 

Working for Lighthouse Futures Trust is often fast-paced but is always incredibly rewarding, helping create a positive future for young adults with a learning disability or autism.  We look forward to receiving your application. 

This is an exciting opportunity to join a progressive Leeds-based charity to develop and deliver an innovative internship programme for young people with autism or learning disabilities.  We have been operating for 3 years and have established a solid base and are now looking to expand our work.  To do this we have identified a need to recruit some more Job Coaches to work alongside our interns.  You must be passionate, committed, and creative with a focus on running programmes that support young adults with learning difficulties or autism into paid employment. 

If you would like to be considered for this position please visit our website to download our application pack: https://www.lighthousefuturestrust.org.uk/news/  or contact HR on 0113 457 0605 or HR@lighthouseschool.co.uk for further information about the post.

Advert Launch: 4th July 2019 

Closing date: 18th July 2019 at 9am 

Assessment Centre dates: w/c 22th July 2019

Lighthouse Futures Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of its students and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We are an equal opportunities organisation and welcome applications from all qualified and experienced individuals. An enhanced DBS check and disclosure is required for successful applicants. 

This job description is not exhaustive and it is expected that the post holder will undertake additional duties on occasion, within their capabilities. This document will be regularly reviewed and changes will be made in consultation with the post holder.