Huge funding boost set to tackle unemployment and help businesses across Derbyshire

A major investment aimed at reducing ‘hidden’ unemployment is coming to Derbyshire, after Derbyshire County Council secured more than £3.7 million to help residents facing complex barriers to work, including disabilities or chronic illness.

The county council has been allocated £3.732 million from the Government’s Connect to Work fund – part of a wider £14.64 million Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) investment – delivered through the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA).

This funding will allow the council to launch a new Connect to Work programme designed to help residents with disabilities, long term health conditions, or other challenges, move towards meaningful, long-term employment or remain in roles.

Across the UK, around 2.8 million people aged 16 – 64 are currently economically inactive due to long term sickness or disability. In Derbyshire, that figure stands at 16 – 18% of working age residents – a challenge the council is determined to address.

Running until March 2030, the Connect to Work Programme will be made up of two parts:

• Individual Placement and Support (IPS) – delivered by REED in Partnership and have strong links with health and clinical teams to give individuals tailored support.
• Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF) – provided in-house by Derbyshire County Council focusing on enhancing community-based support

Each resident that joins the Connect to Work Programme will receive one-to-one support from a dedicated employment specialist who will:

• Get to know them and the job that would best suit, help with building confidence and understanding strengths using a Vocational Profile.
• Provide job coaching, including CV and application tips and interview practice
• Support them with finding jobs quickly, matching roles that fit their goals and abilities
• Speak to local employers on their behalf to arrange interviews or work trials
• Provide ongoing support, helping set up travel plans, request reasonable adjustments or settling in.

Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Communities, Councillor Dawn Taylor, said: “We are proud to have secured this funding to help both residents and local businesses create more opportunities for disadvantaged individuals, ensuring employers get the right person for the job.

“We are sensitive to the fact that there’s lots of people in Derbyshire that would be perfect for a variety of jobs in the county, but are experiencing high barriers to employment. This programme will help break those down whilst working with local employers to support them, in making these positive changes.”

“Reducing economic inactivity in Derbyshire is key to improving employment outcomes, reducing financial inequality and improving mental health and wellbeing across the county.

“We already have several successful supported employment programmes running, and this funding will enhance and strengthen that work.”

The county council’s new support will complement its existing, well established employment services, which include:

• Disability Employment Service (DES) provides dedicated one to one support for adults with disabilities or long term health conditions, helping them find pathways to employment with the goal of finding and sustaining meaningful jobs.
• Disability Employer Engagement Derbyshire (DEED) work with local employers to increase job opportunities for residents who face additional barriers to work. This includes holding job fairs, helping employers access funding like Access to Work and offer work placements, trials and interviews, and run employer forums to connect residents with providers and businesses.

You can find out more about Derbyshire County Council’s supported employment services by emailing supported.employment @ derbyshire.gov.uk

On 26th November 2024, the Government published the Get Britain Working White Paper which forms part of the wider government strategy to spread opportunity and fix the foundations of our economy. Get Britain Working includes a programme of funding titled Connect to Work to tackle ‘hidden unemployment’.

The Connect to Work funding aims to provide a coherent, systematic and joined-up approach to maximise opportunity and reduce economic inactivity.
Connect to Work is a two-strand programme consisting of:

(i) Individual Placement & Support programme (IPS)
(ii) Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF)

EMCCA has awarded delivery of the IPS work to REED in Partnership Limited via a competitive tender process on 1 December 2025.

EMCCA have approached Derbyshire County Council as a constituent council to deliver the SEQF strand of the programme and will grant fund the county council up to maximum of £3.732m.

In 2024, UK employees recorded an average of 4.4 sick days, with the highest rates among those with long-term health conditions – who face a greater risk of economic inactivity.

Tackling this issue is a priority for Derbyshire to reduce NHS pressure and improve workforce participation.

One in four people aged 16 to 64 have a limiting long-term health condition, classifying them as disabled.

Disabled individuals are nearly three times more likely to be economically inactive, which negatively affects individuals, the economy, and the county’s finances.