Connect to Work
Connect to Work is a new DWP-funded supported employment programme that launched in September 2025 and will run for five years, helping thousands of people.
32,000+
residents helped by Local London employment programmes
£60m
part of £60million investment in 2025 to help people find work
What will Connect to Work do?
Connect to Work is expected to help thousands of people across the country to find work.
It will provide personal support, individually tailored to the specific needs of people on the programme with an emphasis on getting people into suitable work quickly. The programme will provide support to help people stay in work.
How will Connect to Work be delivered in London?
Connect to Work has been devolved to London’s four sub-regional partnerships, and will be delivered by our member boroughs.
The programme is based on the fidelity models of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) and Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF) provision.
Who is Connect To Work for?
Connect to Work is voluntary and is for anyone who is disabled, has a health condition or is experiencing non-health related barriers to work. It is for people who:
- Are aged 18 or over.*
- Live in one of the following boroughs: Barking & Dagenham, Bexley, Bromley, Enfield, Greenwich, Havering, Newham, Redbridge, or Waltham Forest.
- Have a health condition, disability, or face other barriers to work.**
- Are not currently working, or are at risk of losing their job.
- Are motivated to work (including self-employment) and want to find a job that’s right for them.
*Young people aged 16–17 may be eligible in exceptional circumstances.
**Eligibility includes people who are:
- Offenders or ex-offenders.
- Carers or former carers.
- Homeless.
- Armed Forces veterans, reservists, or their partners.
- People with a history of drug or alcohol dependency.
- Care-experienced young people or care leavers.
- Refugees, resettled Afghans, or people on the Ukrainian scheme.
Survivors of domestic abuse or modern slavery. - Young people at risk of serious violence.
The programme is now live and taking referals. Residents in our boroughs (Barking and Dagenham, Bexley, Bromley*, Enfield, Greenwich, Havering, Newham, Redbridge or Waltham Forest) can find out more from their local council's employment support team or complete this online form to express interest.
*delivery is planned to begin in 2026.
How to be part of Connect To Work
Staff recruitment
We expect many of our boroughs will recruit staff to support the programme and these will be posted on each borough’s jobs page in due course. We recommend looking at the jobs pages on our boroughs’ websites:
- Barking and Dagenham
- Bromley - two roles live (closing date 26/09/2025)
- Bexley
- Greenwich
- Enfield
- Havering
- Newham
- Redbridge
- Waltham Forest
(Please note: we do not manage these sites and are unable to answer questions regarding recruitment.)
Employment Support Procurement
Some of our boroughs are looking to procure employment support services with experience of delivering IPS and SEQF models.
These are likely to be published on public procurement portals from January 2025. Businesses interested in bidding for this work can register on:
- Proactis at https://procontract.due-north.com/Login and
- London Tenders https://www.londontenders.org
(Please note: we do not manage these sites and are unable to answer questions regarding procurement. Questions on tenders must be asked via the portal)
Public procurement changed from Monday 24 February 2025. Visit the Government website for information and guidance to make it easier for suppliers bid for work.
We’re looking for support from businesses, NHS and others
Through Connect to Work we will be looking to continue to collaborate with Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), Jobcentre Plus, and training providers to ensure wrap-around support for residents moving into employment and at risk of falling out of work.
We will be engaging with employers keen to hire and support economically inactive individuals into work. Support will continue when the person is employed.
Through the programme employers can get help to support employees at risk of losing their jobs. We will be seeking to work with health services and support services to help people in work overcome issues to help them stay in work, benefiting them and their employer.
What next?
We will regularly update this page and let people on our mailing lists know the latest. To reach the team, please contact: LLConnectToWork@redbridge.gov.uk
In the meantime, businesses can make a difference support other exciting areas of our work. Find out more www.local.london/partnerships We would love to hear from you.
Residents can express interest in joining the programme by completing this online form, or speaking to their local council's employment support team.
You can find out more about Connect to Work on the Government website.
(Page last updated 11 September 2025)
