South London Partnership has officially launched Connect to Work, a programme that supports residents facing barriers to employment to move into and remain in good work across the sub-region.

The opening event, held at London South Bank University’s Croydon Campus, brought together leaders from local government, employment support providers, education and health partners from Croydon, Kingston, Merton, Richmond and Sutton. Backed by investment from the Department for Work and Pensions, the programme is being delivered locally through the South London Partnership, with Croydon Council as the accountable body, and Ingeus alongside the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames providing direct support to their residents.

Connect to Work is a voluntary programme that helps disabled people, those with health conditions, and individuals with complex barriers to employment to find, secure and sustain jobs. It also supports people who are currently in work but at risk of losing their employment. Using the evidence-based Supported Employment “place, train and maintain” model, the programme offers personalised one-to-one coaching, vocational profiling, job matching, employer engagement and ongoing in-work support. Tailored support for self-employment is also available where appropriate.

The event opened with a welcome from Sarah Ireland, Chief Executive of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and Skills and Employment Lead for South London Partnership. She said: “This programme demonstrates the strength of our collaboration across the boroughs. We have opportunities throughout the sub-region to support our residents, but this initiative is different – it focuses on individual outcomes rather than just numbers, aiming for sustained employment. That’s the most important goal we need to achieve.”

The keynote address was delivered by Jason Perry, Mayor of Croydon, who highlighted the importance of partnership working in creating inclusive employment opportunities and supporting economic growth across the borough and the wider sub-region. He commented: “Connect to Work is all about partnership across the boroughs, bringing together both employment and voluntary sector partners. It ensures opportunities are available to everyone, helping to remove barriers to employment, get people into work, and support them to stay in work.”

An overview of the sub-regional approach to delivery was provided by Matthew Hamilton, Director of South London Partnership, who outlined how boroughs and delivery partners will work together to ensure a consistent, high-quality service for residents and employers. He added: “The sub-regional model enables greater integration and learning between individual boroughs and the other employment programmes we deliver to support people back into work. There’s been a lot of learning from initiatives to inform the Connect to Work programme, including the Trailblazer programme, and the integration hub, which has allowed us to learn from partner insights, ensuring we get the best possible outcomes for our residents.”

As the accountable body, Croydon Council will oversee the governance and delivery of the programme across South London, working closely with partners to ensure strong outcomes for residents.

Ingeus has been appointed as the prime delivery partner for the Connect to Work programme and will be responsible for delivery in the London Borough of Croydon. Delivery in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, the London Boroughs of Merton and Sutton will be undertaken by Ingeus’s specialist supply chain partners: Mencap, Twining‑Hestia, and Working Well Trust.

During the event, partners shared how the programme will provide flexible and personalised support for participants and employers. Ameel Beshoori, Regional Director at Ingeus, said: “Our supported employment model is designed and proven to help people with more complex needs. It works by reducing caseloads and allowing our employment specialists to focus on each individual and their specific requirements. They go further than traditional employment programmes – supporting participants to attend interviews, helping them on their first day at work, and even attending probation review meetings to work with both the individual and employer to ensure success.”

Connect to Work will play a key role in helping more residents access sustainable employment, supporting local employers in recruiting and retaining talent, and contributing to inclusive economic growth across South London.

For more information about Connect to Work, visit: https://southlondonpartnership.co.uk/connect-to-work/