CASE-WORKERS

FOR THE WATERFORD AND SOUTH TIPPERARY LOCAL AREA EMPLOYMENT SERVICE (WSTLAES)

Full-time Position – 37.5 hrs / week (Fixed Term Contract)

The WSTLAES is responsible for the provision of employment assistance and advice services to jobseekers in the Waterford and South Tipperary area, to help them to enter or return to employment. The jobseekers in the service are primarily those who are long-term unemployed and farthest from the labour market.

 

Purpose of the Job

Each Caseworker will work as a member of the WSTLAES Team to provide services to the long-term unemployed and under-employed in South Tipperary.

 

Each Caseworker will be required to provide one-to-one support and guidance to

the long-term unemployed and those furthest from the labour market to help them

in their progression from unemployment to employment.

Location

South Tipperary Development Company ‘s head office is in Cahir, but the service is operated from various locations throughout South Tipperary, including Clonmel and Tipperary town. Caseworks will be expected to travel to various locations to carry out their duties. It is intended to form a panel of successful candidates as a result of the interviews.  Candidates who obtain a place on the panel may be appointed to various office across the catchment area of South Tipperary Development CLG.

Principal Duties

  • Provide a practical but empathetic approach to engaging all referred clients.
  • Ensure the effective completion of referral appointments made by Department of Social Protection (DSP) through the WSTLAES Manager.
  • Engage with referred clients using a three-tier approach encompassing: –
  • Initial assessment.
  • Assessment of readiness to work and change.
  • Interview and engagement.
  • Identify client goals, aspirations, and barriers to employment, providing good

customer service, including meeting and professionally greeting clients.

  • Explain WTSLAES service offering, ensuring the client understands their rights

and responsibilities (including the complaints and feedback process) whilst

registering the client under contractual obligations and eligibility criteria.

  • Ensure all initial assessments focus on getting to know the participant, their motivation and exploring their aspirations and needs.
  • Identify, clarify, and manage the client’s expectations of the process, including

data protection, confidentiality, and ground rules of the LAES intervention and the relationships required to achieve buy-in.

  • Manage a caseload efficiently and effectively in line with company and funders procedures and guidelines and against defined KPIs.
  • Maintain a Personal Progression Plan (PPP) and curriculum vitae preparation for clients.
  • Prepare a PPP with each client and identify the individual supports required.
  • Work with the Employer Liaison Manager to identify employment opportunities and notify clients of these potential employment opportunities.
  • Maintain a database of clients and groups in the catchment area using the DSP’s IT database.
  • Responsibility for arranging and managing client appointments.
  • Assist clients with job preparation, including curriculum vitae preparation, job

seeking and interview skills.

  • Liaise with employers to provide a job-matching service.
  • Assess and ensure clients are signposted both internally and externally, with the specific objective of ensuring labour market engagement.
  • As necessary, liaise directly with the respective ETBs, Solas, Turas Nua, Seetec, DSP, and other public and private training providers and agencies.
  • Complete Coretime daily so that the WSTLAES Manager has an accurate KPI

dashboard.

  • Present oral and written reports to the WSTLAES Manager and others as

required.

  • Ensure the delivery of a service adhering in line with the Q Mark.
  • Provide delivery flexibility, as necessary, in line with the SLA requirements.
  • Demonstrate a willingness to take on additional duties as and when required.

 

Knowledge

  • Have detailed knowledge of employment, enterprise, and career guidance tools.
  • Have a clear understanding of the role of the Local Area Employment Service.
  • Have a realistic picture of labour-market employment and skills requirements.
  • Possess a well-grounded understanding of basic labour-market counselling and guidance concepts.
  • Have a clear understanding of the effects of unemployment on the individual’s self-image, behaviour patterns and general well-being, particularly the effect on long-term unemployed people.
  • Possess an understanding of the barriers facing unemployed people in accessing progression options.

 

Experience and Qualifications

  • Three years’ experience of working in employment, enterprise and career

guidance counselling, vocational guidance or social work environment.

  • Experience working to address the common barriers to employment.
  • Job coaching experience.
  • A good standard of general education.
  • Good IT skills, with experience of content management systems being an advantage.
  • A formal qualification or study experience in guidance or counselling or another relevant field (qualified to L7 or be willing to work towards L7 accreditation).

 

Skills/Abilities

  • Demonstrate developed, effective, and efficient liaison skills across multiple

stakeholders.

  • Capacity to be a strong influencer and motivator and inspire trust with all involved.
  • Experience in managing caseloads, delivering to KPIs and reporting on same,

using advanced MS Office and IT skills.

  • Demonstrate the capacity to be positive, empathetic, flexible, motivated, and a self-starter who can communicate effectively and have sound financial, listening and administration skills.
  • Demonstrate a practical approach to working with WSTLAES clients.
  • Experience in forming good working relationships with individuals, colleagues, combined with excellent communication and listening skills.
  • Confidential by nature, with excellent verbal and written abilities.

 

Terms and Conditions:

Duration of contract

The standard contract will be of a fixed term, concluding on 30th June 2026. The position may be extended beyond that date depending on business requirements.

It will be subject to a probation period of 6 months.

 

Working week

The normal working week is 37.5 hours with one-hour lunch break (unpaid). You will be expected to attend night meetings and occasionally meetings held at weekends.  Time in lieu can be taken for attendance at such meetings but must be taken in accordance with the Company’s “Time in Lieu” policy.

Annual Leave

Annual leave will be 25 days on a calendar year basis (pro rata for employees commencing after January 1st). Employees are required to hold part of their annual leave for Company shut down periods e.g., during Christmas.

Salary In line with the Pobal Community Worker scale (€41,531).

 

 

Car Ownership

Successful candidate is expected to have their own car and have a full driver’s license.

 

Garda Vetting

Garda vetting may apply to the post.

 

TO APPLY

Candidates should send a completed Application Form to recruitment@stdc.ie.

Applications should be submitted by email only. Application forms should be marked Private and Confidential WSTLAES Case-worker and for the attention of Noirin O’Dwyer. Full job description and Application form can be downloaded from www.stdc.ie, alternatively, phone 052 7442652 and a copy of the job description and application form can be emailed to you.

Closing date for receipt of Applications is Monday, 15th May 2023 at 3p.m.

It is intended to hold interviews for this post on Tuesday, 23rd May 2022.

LAES Caseworker - Job Description LAES Caseworker Application Form