Connect to Work to support more than 4,000 people facing barriers to employment
People in Norfolk with disabilities and long-term health issues that are keeping them out of employment are to receive support from the newly launched Connect to Work programme.
The scheme aims to build on the achievements of the previous Working Well Norfolk and Local Supported Employment projects and reduce the county's higher than average economically inactive population.
In Norfolk, 109,100 (20.6%) of individuals aged 16-65 were classed as economically inactive in 2024 - 1.5% higher than post-covid - and 30,100 (27.7%) were classed as having long-term sickness, compared with 23.7% in 2019. This is higher than the East of England figure of 25.9% and the UK average of 27.2%.
Connect to Work is aimed at people aged 18 and over from Norfolk (and 16-17 in some cases) from a wide range of cohorts including people with mental and physical health challenges, learning disabilities, neurodiversity, care leavers, carers, military veterans, ex-offenders, the homeless, refugees and victims of domestic abuse.
People who are in work but at risk of having to give up due to their health condition or other complex challenges will also be assisted. The programme is funded by the UK Government.
Norfolk County Council has been commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions to run the scheme, and it will be rolled out in partnership with five delivery partners (Future Projects, Norfolk and Waveney MIND, Seetec, Shaw Trust and Standguide) to more than 4,000 people.
Cllr Fabian Eagle, Cabinet Member for Economic Growth said: "Although the number of people in Norfolk who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness is higher than the national average, we have far more in that group who want to work than in other parts of the country.
"We want to give them that extra help they need to get back into employment or to continue in the job they may be struggling to hold on to due to health difficulties. Working Well Norfolk has already delivered some great outcomes and proved a success so I'm delighted we are now going to be supporting even more people."
Working Well Norfolk Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care pilot scheme has received 2,879 referrals up to the end of September 2025. Of those, more than 2,200 have received support with nearly 900 people so far having either started new jobs or been helped to retain their job. The pilot programme is now closed for referrals, but it will continue to support existing participants and their employers to September 2026.
Connect to Work is a central part of the Government's Get Britain Working strategy, designed to link up health and employment services and deliver the mutually reinforcing outcomes of employment and improved health.
A triage service will operate as the gateway to the programme, with capacity to receive and direct up to 1,200 resident referrals in each of the main project delivery years. It is anticipated that over 4,000 Norfolk residents will be supported from October 2025 to March 2030. More than 260 referrals have already been made to the programme.
To find out how to access support via Connect to Work, please visit www.norfolk.gov.uk/workingwell or email us on [email protected]
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