Connect to Work: Top tips

What are the LMI data available? What are the opportunities for job growth in your areas? Do local employers struggle to fill some vacancies? What are the challenges in your areas? For example, particular sectors or smaller or rural employers that may need a different approach. 

Who are the main employers and what are the key sectors in your areas? Do you have existing relationships with employers that could be built on? Do other local authority services or partner organisations like housing associations, have existing employer relationships that could be useful? Do you know which employers have already engaged with other supported employment programmes (for example supported internships or Individual Placement Support Primary Care)? 

Are there existing forums to engage employers? Can you create a strategic network of anchor organisations that can use their collective leadership and leverage for change? Could you host events to bring employers in, such as Business Breakfasts? 

Have you got a compelling business case that will bring employers into a conversation with you? Are you able to tailor the business case to different employers based on the information gathered in your initial engagement with them?   

Do you know how learning and training organisations and other services are engaged with employers? How do you provide employers with the broader picture of how CtW fits with other training and placement programmes?  

Are there opportunities to establish networks to facilitate learning among employers about what works for them and for participants? 

How can you ensure Employment Specialists have the capacity and ability to successfully engage with employers? How are you supporting your Employment Specialists to convert receptive employers into specific placements with support? How will you support Employment Specialists to maintain an on-going interaction with employers that engages them at all stages of the participants’ employment journey? 

How will you ensure that you recruit and on-board the right people to be Employment Specialists? What training and support will be in place to ensure Employment Specialists have the right skillset at every stage of the employment journey to main credibility and engagement with employers? 

How will you ensure Employment Specialists have the time to engage with employers effectively?  

To identify wider partners, a range of initiatives can be introduced including: 

Once partners have been identified, engaging them with the programme is the next step, including considering some of the following actions: 

Are you aware of the supporting organisations in your area? Is there already a map of supporting organisations in the area? Does it need updating? Do you have a Voluntary and Community supporting organisation in your area that might help with this? 

Have you considered how healthcare staff, education providers, employers, and housing associations may be able to support the programme either through referrals on to programme or to give additional support while participants are on programme? 

How are these supporting organisations reaching or connecting with economically inactive people? Could this work help establish appropriate routes to reach economically inactive people? How might you involve people with lived experience in the process of identifying supporting organisations? 

How could CtW help these other organisations achieve their goals? 

Is there a clear narrative around CtW that supporting organisations understand and are fully engaged with? 

Do you have established partnerships with these supporting organisations? If yes, do these need to be developed further as part of this programme? If no, who can help you to establish and develop them? 

Do you need to set up service level agreements or similar with these organisations? 

Do you have a flow chart or diagram of how participants could be referred in of the programme? Which organisations in your area could help support with training and access needs for individuals with specific needs? 

What health and wellbeing services do you have locally that could help support participants further if required? 

Can resource be given for collaborative working and networking? 

How regularly will partners meet to discuss and review the programme? 

Could regular briefings or success stories be shared with partners to highlight the ongoing achievements or changes to the programme? 

How will you ensure that briefings and communications are understood? How often will you send these out? 

What information are you providing to referral organisations to promote the health, wellbeing and wider benefits of employment, so that they understand why they should refer people to the programme? 

Other programmes have demonstrated that some attributes, skills and experience are particularly valuable for Employment Specialists and/or associated roles. These could include:  

What induction and on-boarding support will you provide for new Employment Specialists? 

How do you ensure the recruitment of people who adhere to the ambition of supported employment programmes? Could your selection process include an activity to demonstrate their listening skills? Will you look for specific qualifications such as in coaching and mentoring? 

How could you recruit more people with lived experience of disabilities, limiting health conditions and other needs? 

How can you involve programme participants in the recruitment and the ongoing training of staff to ensure staff can respond to the participants needs?   

Where will you advertise vacancies to broaden the selection pool and ensure a diversity of applicants? 

If you recruit people with lived experience of disability or health conditions, how will you support them in post if needed, so you can demonstrate and role model good practice to your employer and wider partners? 

What strategies will you put in place to protect the caseloads and flexibility of support provided of Employment Specialists? 

How will you ensure that Employment Specialists are provided with training, professional development, and networking opportunities to build their knowledge? 

How will you support the wellbeing of Employment Specialists?