Connect to Work (Supported Employment) - IPS Provision in North, Mid and East Kent

The Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) has launched a new national supported employment programme called 'Connect to Work' (C2W). Connect to Work is a key part of the Government's new 'Get Britain Working Strategy' and its commitment to supporting the 1.8m people in the UK who would like to work but are not currently participating in the labour market.

The programme aims to support 81,000 individuals per year overall nationally. Connect to work will be delivered by 43 accountable bodies across the UK. Kent County Council (KCC) are one of 43 Accountable bodies and will be delivering the programme on behalf of Kent and Medway.

The "Connect to Work" programme is an initiative aimed at providing employment support to individuals with disabilities or long-term health conditions, or other disadvantaged groups. The programme offers targeted interventions, job coaching, workplace support, and other support to ensure that individuals facing challenges can participate in and retain employment.

The majority of participants on the programme (75%) will be supported using the Individual Placement Support (IPS) fidelity model. This opportunity relates to the IPS intervention only.

For this procurement exercise, KCC are including the following contract areas in the competitive tender process:

Lot 1 - North Kent (IPS) (comprising the Gravesham and Medway districts)

Lot 2 - Mid Kent (IPS) (comprising the Swale, Ashford and Canterbury districts)

Lot 3 - East Kent (IPS) (comprising the Shepway, Dover and Thanet Districts)

A Contract Lotting Map has been provided within the procurement documents, to provide a visual representation of contract lotting and geographical boundaries for the service.