We’re helping even more people in Kent and Medway find good work through job support in Kent and Medway.
As well as a three-year extension to our Individual Placement Support (IPS) contract, we’re supporting the delivery of Connect to Work in the region. This will help thousands more people to set foot on the career ladder or return to work after illness, and stay in their job through workplace adjustments.
The picture in Kent
Kent has a rich and colourful history. It famously resisted the Norman conquest, leading to its motto of ‘invicta’ or ‘undefeated’. And in the second World War, the port of Dover was known as ‘hellfire corner’ for being repeatedly blitzed. Today, Kent is grappling a ‘triple threat’ of a different kind: rising unemployment, mental illness and poverty.
Over a third of Kent children live in poverty, youth unemployment is above-average (6.3%, versus 5.7%) and mental health cases are widespread – over 300,000 adults in Kent were living with depression in 2023 alone. In January of this year, 32,000 residents were reportedly claiming unemployment benefits.
Connect to Work and IPS can help residents reach their potential, despite health conditions or disabilities – improving their quality of life.
Connect to Work
The four-year programme offers employment support in Kent and Medway (focusing on Swale, Canterbury and Ashford ). It’s funded by the Government, commissioned by Kent County Council, and is free for residents to access.
Connect to Work helps local people with health conditions and disabilities to move into, return to, and stay in work. Residents will be supported in finding paid jobs, moving towards independence and managing workplace adjustments – all of which can ease pressure on NHS services.
We’ll be delivering the programme with support from other charities in our supply chain. The Poppy Factory helps members of the Armed Forces community to find work, while Migrant Help UK supports us with engaging with refugees and victims of modern slavery, giving them employment support.
IPS
Our existing IPS programme is being extended for another three years, providing support to stay in work in Kent and Medway, and getting even more residents into work. We’ll be providing one-to-one support, rapid job search, and ongoing in-work adjustments for those with serious mental health needs.
Commissioned by NHS Kent and Medway, the programme is run in collaboration with healthcare providers. This means job support is tailored the individual person’s recovery journey, improving their mental wellbeing. While Connect to Work can support people for up to 12 months, IPS offers unlimited, ongoing support – even when they’ve found work.
Increasing our support in Kent and Medway
We’re deeply embedded in the area through our sister programmes: Live Well Kent and Medway, and Mental Health Together. We’ve built strong relationships, developed a trusted supply chain, and created accessible services for residents, delivering health and work support in Kent and Medway. This means we can:
- Step in and add value quickly through delivering integrated, scalable services that understand local need and mobilise quickly.
- Create layered support that’s plugged into heath systems, so people get the right support at the right time.
- Lead the charge for change across health systems, using evidence-based interventions to continually improve how services are commissioned and delivered.
We’re now focused on building momentum, supported by Connect to Work and IPS in the region.
Making a difference to local people
David Harper, Managing Director for Work, Wellbeing and Health, said:
“There’s huge appetite in Kent and Medway for change. Connect to Work will help tackle local issues, like skills shortages, economic inactivity and inequalities between districts. This will help thousands of local people meet their work and health goals, and improve their quality of life.”
“We’ve seen first-hand what a difference Connect to Work can make – people are building new skills, securing jobs and staying in work for longer, while getting help with their health. This is good for people, good for communities, and even helps the NHS, by reducing pressure on services.”
