Connect to Work

The Get Britain Working White Paper - GOV.UK, released in November 2024, introduced the key supported employment programme Connect to Work, which aims to help eligible individuals secure sustainable, long-term employment. Currently, it is estimated that there are about 3 million economically inactive people in the UK, of whom 1.9million people would like to work, but require support to do so. Norfolk County Council is expected to support 1200 individuals (annually in peak years) at an anticipated and average cost of £3.6million per year, delivered over an initial three-year period, with the opportunity to extend to 4.5 years. Connect to Work will help connect local work, health and skills support and help eligible participants to secure sustainable work through a voluntary supported employment model, adhering to Individual Placement & Support (IPS) and Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF) frameworks. Through this, Connect to Work will expand the use of the proven five stage Supported Employment model of 'place, train and maintain' Since the issue of the Tender, NCC has secured additional funds from DWP to support a higher number of participants. NCC will contact the Delivery partners as part of the contracting process to discuss and agree any increase in funding and participant volumes.