South Midlands Connect to Work Programme (Milton Keynes Area)

Milton Keynes City Council has been awarded grant funding by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to participate in the Connect to Work initiative, via the accountable body ‘West Northants Council (WNC)’ as part of the South Midlands region. Connect to Work is the initial and significant element of the Get Britain Working Strategy, the aim of which is to support people with disabilities, those with health conditions and people with complex barriers, to find suitable work.

The Connect to Work Programme aims to support individuals furthest from the labour market into sustainable employment. It is a voluntary programme launched by DWP (the Department for Work and Pensions) to help tackle economic inactivity by providing a specific form of supported employment targeted at the right people at the right time, based on their individual circumstances.

It is a national programme, delivered in clusters of local authorities. In the case of this region, the South Midlands cluster – namely Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire, Luton, Milton Keynes City, North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire.

For the purposes of this contract, it relates to the Milton Keynes City element of the programme. The Contractor will be expected to deliver the five stages of the supported employment model: - Engagement: Building relationships with local services to raise aspirations and confidence among potential Participants. - Vocational Profiling: A detailed discovery process to identify Participants' strengths, needs, and employment goals. - Employer Engagement: Building partnerships with employers to understand their needs and support Participants through the recruitment process. - Job Matching: Identifying job vacancies that match Participants' profiles and working with employers to create suitable roles. - On and Off the Job Support: Providing tailored support to Participants and employers to ensure sustained employment and career progression.

The Council proposes to enter into a contract that will be for a term of 3 years and 7 months with the successful tenderer (Service Provider) unless terminated in accordance with the Conditions of Contract. This procurement was undertaken via the Open procedure under the Light Touch Regime.