work for us: Journey Enterprises - A North East Charity supporting people with learning disability.

What do we offer?

We welcome Staff from a wide range of backgrounds.

Whether you are experienced, starting your career, want to change careers or are returning to working life, Journey might just be for you.

We offer:

A competitive salary
Recent pay awards: 10%, 8%, 8%
36 days' annual leave
Holiday buy-back scheme
'Gifted' additional holiday days over the Christmas period
Disability Leave and Carers' Leave
Benenden Healthcare (private diagnostic and therapies healthcare including counselling)
Discounted meals and free refreshments at our sites
Cycle2Work Scheme
Salary Sacrifice new car Hire Purchase Scheme
Contributory pension scheme
Enhanced Training & Development Programme
Journey 'swag bag' goodies pack

Bank Staff - work when you want to

We have a register of Bank Staff who are offered occasional work covering when we have planned or unplanned employee absences.

Bank Staff are paid at the same Spinal Points as our employees, accrue their pro rata paid allocation of Journey's leave entitlement, and also enjoy the benefits of discounted lunches and free refreshments on our sites.

Bank Staff choose if they want to work when work is offered.

If you would like to join our Bank Staff register please contact us.

Current Vacancies

F/T Learning Disability Support Worker - Bishop Auckland

Salary: SP2 £22,369 per annum (£11.63p/h)

Outline of the Role

Journey’s team of Learning Disability Support Workers plans and delivers activities sessions for groups of 8-10 adults with learning disabilities. Activities enable Clients to develop life and work skills, supporting Clients to lead active, inclusive and fulfilling lives in their home community. Sessions take place both at our Day Centres and off-site, making the most of our landscape, local facilities and services.

Benefits Package

We offer an attractive benefits package including 36 days leave/annum pro rata, a contributory pension scheme, a healthcare package, holiday buy-back scheme, Cycle2Work Scheme and a Journey promotional items welcome pack. Staff are also offered discounted lunches and free refreshments.

Location and Operating Hours

The post is based at Coundon, DL14 8JZ.

The Charity operates between 08.30 and 16.30 from Mondays to Thursdays and from 08.30 – 16.00 on Fridays.

Closing date for this role is noon on the 2nd December.

More info and Request application pack

F/T Work Coach - Company wide

Salary: £25,081 – £27,453

Outline of the Role

Generously funded by the Henry Smith Charity, Journey Enterprise’s Work Coaches support adults with learning disability in to employment or self-employment. Through skills development, training and work experience placements we support Clients to achieve real work outcomes. The role will involve frequent travel across our area of operations and to each of our four Hubs, working in collaboration with our Learning Disability Support Workers and Seniors.

Benefits Package

We offer an attractive benefits package including 36 days leave/annum pro rata, a contributory pension scheme, a healthcare package, holiday buy-back scheme, Cycle2Work Scheme and a Journey promotional items welcome pack. Staff are also offered discounted lunches and free refreshments.

Location and Operating Hours

The post requires regular attendance at each of our operating sites and work in the community, with a focus in Durham and South Northumberland. Access to your own transport (or Access to Work travel support if an applicant with disabilities) is essential.

The Charity operates between 08.30 and 16.30 from Mondays to Thursdays and from 08.30 – 16.00 on Fridays.

Applications are being reviewed on a rolling basis.

More info and Request application pack

Your professional development

Find out how Journey can help achieve your goals

Journey Enterprises provides services which support adults with a learning disability to develop life and work skills and to manage their health & wellbeing.

We do not provide any personal care services.

All Clients must be able to manage continence and medication to attend Day Service.

Clients are on site from 09 .30 to 15.30, giving front-line Staff an hour pre and post Clients for preparation, reporting and clearing/cleaning.

Training and Development

Journey's Training and Development programme enables all Staff to develop their skills and practice and progress in their career. The Charity has training agreements in place and can advise on additional funding and scholarships for wider course fees.

Supporting our staff

Journey holds Disability Confident Employer, Investors in People, Mindful Employer and Better Health at Work and Leaders Council of Great Britain quality marks.

Our Staff are managed in small teams led by a Manager. New members of Staff are assigned a buddy who will provide information, advice and informal support.

Every Staff member receives 3-4 support & supervision sessions and an annual appraisal each year from their Manager.

The Charity has a commissioned private healthcare programme including counselling. This service is available to its employees 24/7 and their immediate family members. Our Line Managers are trained in supporting mental health and the workplace, to identifying and supporting employee carers and colleagues with disabilities.

We provide Carers and Disability Leave.

Connecting with Colleagues

Journey works across four sites and in the community. Making sure Staff meet regularly and keep in touch is a priority.

Our Teams meet every month and Hub teams have daily handovers. Whole Company, Managers and Leadership Team meetings are held bi-monthly.

Two Away Days are held annually giving everyone a chance to meet together, undertake some professional development in a fun and informal setting and meet our Trustees.

Special events and productions give Colleagues and Clients the opportunity to meet and enjoy time with others. During 2022 we celebrated our 40th year and had a wonderful Gala evening and summer fete for all Staff/ and Clients.

365 - Outlook, Yammer and Teams are used daily to communicate across the Charity, share news and best practice, and to link Staff to additional resources. All Staff are asked to login at the start of each day both to Microsoft and to our CRM, Charitylog.

Working patterns

The Charity’s normal operations are 08.30 – 16.30 (Monday – Thursday) and 08.30 -16.00 on Fridays.

Some Staff have site-based roles, some combine community-based roles with site-based delivery and some undertake flexible working from home.

The Charity has a ratio of Staff working part-time and we can offer job share.

Occasionally staff are asked to undertake unsocial hours at weekends, early starts or evenings, for which Time Off in Lieu (TOIL) is given. For part-time staff agreed overtime may be paid in place of TOIL.

Pay and benefits

In 2020 the Charity adopted the National Joint Council Scale in place of its current pay scale. Progression through our pay scale is based on role scope and responsibilities: we do not offer PRP.

Our benefits package: competitive rates of pay, generous leave allowance, employer pension, sickness pay, private healthcare, Cycle2Work, Salary Sacrifice Car HP Scheme, annual leave buy-back, discounted meals and refreshments and a Journey swag-bag.

“There is a genuine feeling of dedication and commitment around fun and a ‘can-do’ attitude.” (feedback from Staff during IIP inspection)