Connect to Work – East Sussex
Connect to Work is a key part of the Government’s ‘Get Britain Working’ plan which aims to take a place-led approach to supporting people back to work. The Government has set a target of 80% of people to be in work by 2050.
East Sussex County Council (ESCC) overseas the programme for East Sussex.
Find out more about Connect to Work in East Sussex on the Connect to Work website.
Connect to Work Grant Allocations
The Grant Application Process for Connect to Work closed to applicants in May 2025.
Following completion of a competitive grant application process, we are pleased to confirm the following organisations have been awarded grants:
| Organisation | Service provided | Maximum allocation |
| Sussex Community Development Association Ltd | Adults (25+) | 1,623,691 |
| Reed in Partnership | Adults (25+) | 1,125,069 |
| CXK Ltd | Young persons (16-24) | 1,281,846 |
| People Matter | Adults 50+ and carers | 797,595 |
| The Education People | Learning disability and neurodiversity | 620,670 |
| Little Gate Supported Employment | Learning disability and neurodiversity | 620,670 |
| Paladium International | Refugees | 484,203 |
| Southdown Housing Association | Mental Health | 854,570 |
| Genius Within | Offenders/Ex-offenders | 427,244 |
Find out more or apply for Connect to Work - Supported Employment Programme
Or email for more enquiries ConnectToWork@eastsussex.gov.uk .
What is Connect to Work?
Currently, it is estimated that there are about 3million economically inactive people in the UK, of whom 1.9m people would like to work, but are not engaged in the labour market, sometimes due to health issues or disability.
Connect to Work will support up to 300,000 individuals with disabilities, long term health conditions or complex barriers across England & Wales to secure work. It will help connect local work, health and skills support and help eligible participants to secure sustainable work through a voluntary supported employment model, adhering to Individual Placement & Support (IPS) and Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF) frameworks.
How will it be managed and delivered?
East Sussex County Council’s Employability and Skills team is the Accountable Body for Connect to Work, which means that we have been given a contract to coordinate Connect to Work across East Sussex.
We intend to deliver this programme in partnership with a network of high-quality providers, able to meet set targets for supporting economically inactive adults in East Sussex into work.
In East Sussex, we have approximately 57,000 economically inactive adults and will be supporting up to 1000 adults (18yrs+) per annum, each of whom will receive support from an Employment Specialist via a contracted provider.
Providers deliver the Connect to work programme using IPS/SEQF delivery frameworks. All partners are monitored for their ‘fidelity’ in delivering the IPS/SEQF models, with audits conducted by DWP commissioned external experts.
Further information about the programme and monitoring arrangements which will be required of partners can be found in the:
Further information regarding IPS and SEQF delivery models is available below:
IPS Grow provides more information about the IPS model, its approach and impact: About IPS - IPS Grow
An ‘Introduction to IPS’ E-learning course is also available. This is provided free with open access to eligible organisations. Leaners can also register for free ‘limited access’ with modules released weekly. Further options are available at cost.
Course and registration details available here - Introduction to IPS | E-Learning - IPS Grow
British Association for Supported Employment (BASE) provide an overview of Supported Employment here - What is Supported Employment?