This report provides practical guidance on the implementation and delivery of the Connect to Work Supported Employment Programme.
Connect to Work (CtW) is a new programme running from April 2025 to March 2030, funded by the Department for Work and Pensions. It has been designed in line with the Get Britain Working White Paper, published in 2024 by the UK Government to tackle economic inactivity and support employment.
Central London Forward (CLF) are the accountable body to deliver CtW in Central London. They commissioned Learning and Work Institute in partnership with Inclusion London and Inclusion Barnet to conduct research to inform the roll out of CtW in their boroughs.
The research included qualitative research with employers, service users, employment support providers and employer umbrella organisations, a survey of employers, and a labour market analysis of the CLF boroughs. It was supported by an advisory group of Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations as well as by Business London.
Key recommendations from the research include:
- CtW programme should be designed, commissioned and managed based on a genuine rather than tokenistic social model of disability approach.
- Service providers should ensure an active and genuine involvement of Disabled people and people living with Long Term Health Conditions (LTHCs) in the design, delivery, and evaluation of the CtW programme.
- Service user outreach should focus on rebuilding relationships of trust with Disabled people and people living with LTHCs.
- Messaging for employers should highlight benefits for employers and the value added by recruiting Disabled people and people living with LTHCs.
- Employer engagement should focus on building trust and creating a non-judgmental space. The programme must include a focus on training and upskilling employers.
