Connect to Work

Connect to Work is a DWP programme grant funded through DCC as the lead accountable body on behalf of Torbay, Plymouth and Devon.

The Programme requires the delivery to the following persons with social disability or other priority audiences who are:

• Economically inactive or unemployed: Person has not worked for around 6 months due to their disability, long term health condition or disadvantages and feel they need comprehensive tailored employment support to help them to identify the right roles for their needs and to engage in effective job search towards work.

• Employed but risk of dropping out of work: Person is working/Self-employed for at least 3 months and is struggling to sustain employment due to their disability, long term health condition or disadvantages. However, it is acceptable to offer support to individuals who have been employed for shorter periods where the Accountable Body judges that would be appropriate.

• Maintaining work: Person has never been in employment or a track record of struggling to retain jobs/sustain employment due to their disability, long term health condition or disadvantages

The programme is delivered through a Supported Employment model - a place train and maintain model delivered through a five-stage process. There are two approaches, both using recognised international standards (Fidelity Models) and both using the principles that participants are employed in the Open Labour Market, it being Paid Work with Ongoing Support provided.

• IPS integrates employment support alongside primary and secondary health services, and other support services. This integration ideally occurs at a physical level, through co-location and other policies, where applicable. IPS has been successfully utilised within the Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (IPSPC) programme to support individuals with mild to moderate mental health and/or physical health conditions. Universal Support will utilise and expand on the approach taken with IPSPC. Whilst Universal Support will complement IPS Severe Mental Illness and IPS Alcohol and Drugs, these will remain separate IPS services.

• SEQF is (as required) a more in-depth intervention than the form of IPS used for Universal Support. SEQF is oriented most usually around supporting learning disabled and/or autistic adults as well as others with complex support needs where clinical integration is not needed or appropriate.

Devon County Council intends to host a Tender Launch Event after publication of the ITT and the Tender Notice. The event will be hosted via Microsoft Teams, and we currently anticipate the date to be Monday 13th October 2025 at 11:00am-12:30pm. This will be an opportunity to discuss the service, ask questions, and help bidders navigate around the tender documentation and the procurement process. This event will be recorded and will be uploaded to the Procurement Portal alongside the presentation shortly afterwards.

If you would like to attend this event, please complete the following Tender Launch Event form so that we can send you an invite link before the event -

https://forms.office.com/e/yq28axxhfD

If there are any changes to the date and time for the Tender Launch Event, they will be detailed in the ITT documents and Tender Notice upon publication.