Supported Employment Community Activator

Job Introduction The starting salary for this role is £38,090 per annum based on a 36-hour working week. The role is fixed term up until March 2029. We are looking for two Community Activators to join the supported employment function in our Economy and Growth Team in Surrey County Council, helping to connect Surrey residents facing barriers to employment with life-changing support through our Connect to Work and WorkWell programmes. This is a target-driven and community-focused role requiring substantial travel across Surrey. You will be expected to deliver tangible impacts from the local stakeholder relationships that you will establish. You will need to invest time building relationships with local organisations, voluntary and faith groups, health services and other referral partners with the primary aim of facilitating residents’ access to employment. You will also be expected to attend the office one day a week in Woodhatch Place, Reigate (usually Tuesday). The post reports directly into the Supported Employment Operations Manager and you will be expected to be fully integrated and work collaboratively across the Economy & Growth team of over 80 people. Our Offer to You 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave A generous local government salary related pension Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year Paternity, adoption and dependants leave An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel and shopping A chance to make a real difference to the lives of Surrey residents About Economy and Growth The Economy and Growth team focuses on growing Surrey's economy, working as 'One Council' to create a sustainable economy and ensure no one is left behind. We provide strategic leadership and direct delivery of services in business support, innovation, skills and places for the benefit of Surrey's 110,000 businesses and 1.2 million residents. We collaborate with partners and major employers including Amazon, Asahi, WWF-UK, Samsung and McLaren to champion and futureproof Surrey's leading regional economy, home to key strategic businesses contributing £50 billion annually to the UK economy. We have a highly skilled workforce, respected educational and research institutions, and an enviable location. We are home to world-leading sectors including creative industries, cybersecurity, gaming and health, which we are proud to champion and support. Supporting residents into good, sustainable work is a key priority for the Economy and Growth team and supports our wider objectives of driving sustainable economic growth across Surrey. Connect to Work and WorkWell are key programmes within our Get Surrey Working approach, helping residents overcome employment, health and wellbeing barriers whilst meeting the workforce needs of local employers. We are committed to cross-team consolidation of activity across our area of work, and the integration of programmes both with each other and across the wider team is a fundamental principle of how we operate. By working collaboratively across services and with external partners, we deliver seamless employment and skills support through a single, coherent front door for residents, businesses and employers. About the Role This is an exciting opportunity to join Surrey's supported employment team as a Community Activator, playing a vital role in ensuring residents who could benefit from employment support are identified early and connected with the right services. You will be responsible for generating high-quality referrals into Surrey's employment support programmes, particularly Connect to Work and WorkWell. Working in communities across Surrey, you will build strong and sustainable relationships with stakeholder organisations, referral partners and local networks to create referral pathways and engagement opportunities that support programme growth and participant outcomes. Using programme intelligence, local insight and engagement plans, you will target communities and groups that are currently underrepresented within employment support services. You will develop and maintain trusted relationships with community organisations, faith groups, voluntary sector partners, health services and frontline professionals, increasing their confidence and capability to identify and refer suitable residents. Acting as both a community engagement specialist and relationship manager, you will support organisations to embed referral pathways into their everyday practice, creating sustainable systems that generate a consistent flow of appropriate referrals. You will also plan and deliver outreach activities, workshops, presentations and community events to raise awareness of available support and encourage engagement. A significant proportion of your time will be spent working within communities across Surrey, building local intelligence, identifying opportunities for engagement and developing partnerships that help residents access support. Through targeted outreach and partnership development activity, you will evidence how you contribute directly to programme delivery targets, contract requirements and improved economic outcomes for Surrey residents. Please note that, as a community-based position, this role is not suitable for home working. Your Application In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours: Direct experience of engaging directly with individuals who face barriers to employment Experience of generating employment related referrals, participants, leads or service uptake through community outreach, engagement or partnership activity. Experience of building and maintaining productive relationships with a range of stakeholders, including community groups, voluntary organisations, faith groups, public sector partners and service providers. Experience of working in a target driven environment where you can evidence how your role made positive impacts. Experience of planning and delivering events, workshops, presentations, information sessions or community engagement activities that achieve measurable outcomes. Experience of using data, intelligence or performance information to target activity and improve engagement and referral outcomes. Experience of supporting organisations to adopt new referral pathways, processes or ways of working. Strong organisational skills, including the ability to manage competing priorities, monitor performance and maintain accurate records. To apply, please send a copy of your CV and outline your experience and suitability for the role by responding to the following three questions: Please provide an example of how you have successfully generated referrals related to employment outcomes through community outreach or partnership working. Describe a time when you built and maintained effective relationships with community organisations, public services or other stakeholders to achieve a shared objective. What was your approach and what outcomes were achieved? Please explain how you can evidence impacts from your work using local intelligence, data or community insight to target hard to reach communities. Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description and Our Life at Surrey handbook to gain an insight into working at Surrey. An enhanced DBS ‘Disclosure and Barring Service’ check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children’s and Adults’ Barred List checks will be required for this role. The job advert closes at 23:59 on 1st November 2026. Interviews will be held in person at our Reigate office and are expected to take place shortly after the closing date. We look forward to receiving your application. Please click on the apply online button below to submit. Contact Us Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. For an informal discussion please contact us by e-mail at jude.day@surreycc.gov.uk Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed in this role on 1 April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to West Surrey Council. Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents. Our Commitment We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum shortlisting criteria as displayed on the advert, we guarantee you an interview. Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we're committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need. We value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.