Working Well Norfolk

Free Employment Support in Norfolk

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We offer free support for people in Norfolk who have challenges with finding or staying in work. This includes those with disabilities, health conditions. Our team provides practical one-to-one support, tailored to your needs.

What Support You’ll Receive

We offer one-to-one employment support to help you start and stay in work. This includes personalised guidance for job searching, support during periods of long-term leave, and advice on workplace adjustments if your health or personal circumstances are affecting your work. Our aim is to make sure you have the right level of support to move forward confidently. We can support you if you’re:

Looking for a job and need the confidence to start applying, or would benefit from support with job searching, applications, interviews or understanding what roles might be right for you.

In work, but currently on long-term leave, and need tailored support to plan a return to work, or explore adjustments that can help you stay in work safely.

Needing any workplace adjustments for any health, or other reasons, including help talking to your employer, understanding reasonable adjustments, or identifying support that could make work more manageable.

Our Employment Specialists work with Norfolk businesses to find jobs that suit you. They’ll help you to:

  • Understand your strengths and skills, including what kind of work might be a good match for your experience, interests, and health needs.
  • Identify any extra support you might need, such as training, confidence building or workplace adjustments.
  • Create a clearer plan to reach your job goals, breaking things down into manageable steps so you know what to do next.
  • Search for jobs and get ready for interviews, including help with writing applications, creating a CV and practising interview questions.
  • Get personal, work and health coaching, so you can manage your wellbeing alongside job searching or returning to work.
  • Get ongoing support to find and stay in work, with someone you can talk to if things change, or you need extra help to keep your job.
Man in hi-viz in warehouse

Who can take part in Working Well Norfolk

Working Well Norfolk is voluntary programme. You can take part if you want to find or return to work, and you meet the criteria below. The support is tailored to your individual circumstances and is designed to help you feel more confident in approaching or remaining in employment. 

Eligibility:

  • Live in Norfolk
  • Be aged 18 or over (16 or over, in some circumstances)
  • Have the right to live and work in the UK

Be in one of these employment situations:

  • You’re not currently doing any paid work, haven’t worked for around 6 months, and would be available to start a new job, or
  • You’ve been in work for at least 3 months, but are at risk of losing your job.

How to get support

You can either refer yourself to Working Well Norfolk, or someone else can refer you (with your consent). This could be your employer, GP, local council or housing association. We’ll then contact you to talk through your situation and the type of support that might help.

Refer yourself to Working Well
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Frequently Asked Questions

  • After completing our online form, our team will be in touch to check the programme’s right for you. This typically takes around 3 days, but can be longer during busy periods.
  • If it is, you’ll be matched with an employment specialist. In your first meeting, you’ll complete a short questionnaire, and we’ll check your ID and eligibility. Then, once your documents are approved, we can book you an appointment to go over your goals, experience and circumstances, so we can start planning your support and create your own action plan.
  • In the first 30 days of joining, you’ll talk with your employment specialist about things like sharing personal information with employers, understanding how work might affect your benefits and next steps.
  • You’ll meet your employment specialist regularly (usually once a week) to work towards your goals and get any support you need. You’ll also get help with job searching, applications and interviews, plus support once you start work.

Usually once a week. They’ll work with you to agree how often you meet and where. Most meetings are face-to-face in a place that’s local, comfortable and easy to get to, like a café, library or community space. We’ll consider any accessibility needs you might have, and can book phone or video meetings if you prefer.

Connect to Work Norfolk is voluntary, but you’ll get the most from the programme if you attend your weekly meetings and take small steps between sessions, like job searching or updating your CV. If you can’t attend one of your meetings, just let us know.

Plan for about an hour each week for meetings, plus some extra time for any agreed activities. How long these take depends on what you’ve agreed with your employment specialist, but we’ll keep this realistic for you, around any needs and commitments you have.

You’ll get one-to-one support from your employment specialist. This could include:

  • helping with your CV, job applications, interview preparation, confidence or keeping you in work
  • being connected towards other health or wellbeing services, if you need them
  • speaking to local employers to find roles that suit you, and help you feel confident as you move into work
  • linking with health teams to give you the best support.

If you’re out of work, support can last up to 12 months. If you’re already in work, or find a job through the programme, it’s usually around 4 months. Everything is personalised to you, so that timeframe might depend on what you need to reach your goals.

If you’re out of work, then yes, you’ll need to be open to looking. If you’re already in a role, we can help you to keep your job.

We’ll still support you while you settle in, so you feel confident about your new role. We can also talk to your employer about any workplace adjustments you might need. We can help you find full-time, part-time, flexible, hybrid and remote work, with options that fit your skills, health and lifestyle. Roles are based locally, with opportunities in sectors like retail, hospitality, social care, administration and customer services.

The service is for people living in Norfolk who are either:

  • Not in paid work or haven’t worked for around 6 months, but are available to start
  • In paid work for at least 3 months, but are at risk of losing your job

You need to be aged 18+ to join (sometimes 16–17) and have the right to live and work in the UK. You don’t need to have a medical diagnosis.

No, taking part won’t affect your benefits. We can also help you understand how work might change your income.

We can adapt support to your needs. This includes translation, accessible meeting options, and working at a pace that suits you. You can also bring someone with you to meetings if that helps. If you need help with accessing the internet, we can provide printed resources and support with online tasks during your appointments.

When you’ve just signed up:

  • The triage team at Norfolk County Council will aim to contact you within three working days. If you haven’t heard back by then, or you have any questions, contact Norfolk County Council: connecttowork@norfolk.gov.uk
  • If you’ve already started the programme: Talk to your employment specialist directly.

If you have feedback or a complaint: Call 0300 30 33 117 or email customercare@shaw-trust.org.uk

We’re an independent charity and not part of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), however Connect to Work Norfolk is funded by the government (and commissioned by Norfolk County Council). Lots of people come to our programmes through the Jobcentre and we often work alongside their staff, but we aren’t part of the Jobcentre and don’t make decisions about benefits or sanctions.

Connect to Work

Delivered in partnership with

Shaw trust, Norfolk county council, future projects, standguide, seetec, mind