Connect to Work
Connect to Work
Connect to Work is a UK Government-funded programme. It helps individuals with disabilities, long-term health conditions, or other barriers to employment. The programme offers personalised, hands-on support to find and keep jobs.
The programme will support 100,000 people across the country over a period of 5 years.
What is Connect to Work?
Connect to Work is a free service that helps job candidates find meaningful work. It also supports businesses and employers in attracting and keeping talent.
ECL can help you, whether you’re starting your first job, returning to work, or trying to stay employed. We offer support that’s right for you.
Who is Connect to Work for?
People aged 16 and over in Essex, Southend, or Thurrock with a learning disability, difficulty, or neurodivergence can use ECL’s Connect to Work service.
You do not need to have a formal diagnosis or be eligible for support from social care.
Other providers support those with mental health needs in Essex. To find out who can help, click here.
Do you have a diagnosis of a learning disability or autism? Inclusive Employment is the service for you.
Why ECL?
Essex County Council has selected us to provide supported employment. This service will support people in Greater Essex, including Southend and Thurrock. It supports people who struggle to find or keep jobs due to learning disabilities, learning difficulties, or neurodivergence. The service assists people without a formal diagnosis and those unable to access adult social care support.
ECL’s Inclusive Employment service has already helped hundreds of people with learning disabilities and autism get paid jobs in Essex.
In 2024, we were proud to see our work recognised. Our Inclusive Employment partnership with the East of England Co-op won the Municipal Journal (MJ) Award for Innovation in Building Diversity.
We have a solid history of offering positive, personalised support to job candidates and employers. This support covers the whole employment life cycle. It's often known as the Place, Train, and Maintain model. The British Association of Supported Employment (BASE) accredited ECL as a ‘good’ provider on their Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF) in 2022.
We have a lot of knowledge and experience in providing employment support. This makes us well positioned to help those in the Connect to Work programme.
A collaboration between:
Support for candidates
Finding and keeping a paid job can feel overwhelming when you're neurodivergent or have a learning disability — but you're not alone. ECL’s supported employment teams are here to help you succeed, every step of the way.
Support for employers
Inclusive workplaces aren’t just fair—they’re smarter, stronger, and more innovative. With our expert support, becoming a Disability Confident employer is simple.
