How are JobsPlus pilots working with partners to support residents?
JobsPlus is a voluntary, community-led, hyperlocal employment support programme designed to help people in social housing communities find work. Since July 2024, JobsPlus has been piloted by nine housing associations across 10 neighbourhoods in England.
The 10 JobsPlus pilot sites are located in communities with high levels of unemployment and economic disadvantage. Residents in these areas often face multiple, interconnected barriers to employment, many of which cannot be addressed through employment support alone. Across two waves of interviews and visits to all sites, we heard many examples of partners helping residents access wider support and strengthening JobsPlus delivery, including:
• Identifying residents who may benefit from JobsPlus support, including those already supported by community groups or Jobcentre Plus (JCP). Partner organisations can promote JobsPlus to their customers and may have formal referral pathways, for example through JobsPlus staff visiting JCP sites to speak to people who are interested. In Borehamwood, the JobsPlus team attends the local JCP every Tuesday to engage work coaches and secure referrals, while another staff member visits a local food bank to speak with service users, sitting at reception to share leaflets and explain JobsPlus.
• Connecting participants with additional, wraparound support. While JobsPlus provides a broad range of employment support, some residents have wider needs that may benefit from specialist services. Partners can play an important role in connecting residents to support relating to wellbeing, health, financial pressures, and other barriers that may affect progression towards work. In some cases, JobsPlus staff may accompany participants to other support locations, helping them overcome the initial hurdle of attending a session and build confidence. In Bromley, JobsPlus has recently established links with a group offering a range of wellbeing support services, while in Birkenhead, JobsPlus brought in an environmental charity to provide advice and services to help participants reduce their energy bills.
• Distributing food and essential goods to residents using the hubs. In Sittingbourne, Kent, JobsPlus liaises with the local food bank, which brings boxes of food to the JobsPlus community hub every Wednesday. Food parcels are left outside for residents to collect without needing a formal referral. Residents can also speak to staff about JobsPlus and the support available at the hub if they wish.
• Brokering high-quality voluntary and part-time roles that can provide valuable experience for participants. We spoke to one participant who had secured a role staffing the front desk at a local community centre. This gave them structure and routine, helped them build confidence, and prepared them for employment. It also helped them develop transferable skills such as communication, meaning they felt better able to move into full-time employment.
• Creating training pathways to support residents into good jobs. Partnerships can help residents access training and develop skills that may not otherwise be available through JobsPlus, creating clearer pathways into employment. In Barnet, JobsPlus worked with a local CIC offering barista training and hospitality skills to help participants prepare for roles in the sector. In Stockton, a local training provider visited the hub to inform participants about the range of training options available.
• Sharing insight into residents’ needs and the local community. In Sheffield, a local health organisation provides JobsPlus with insights into residents’ health-related challenges and barriers to accessing services. This helped the JobsPlus team better understand local needs and tailor support accordingly. In Liverpool, JobsPlus participates in a formal local forum that brings together the City Council and various stakeholders to discuss challenges in the area and potential solutions.
• Co-locating with other services, supporting greater coordination across local provision. Co-location can also encourage collaboration and informal sharing of ideas, such as potential events or funding opportunities. It also gives JobsPlus appropriate places to operate. In Sheffield, for example, JobsPlus uses space at a local library, providing a trusted, neutral community setting while both organisations benefit from increased footfall.
• Drawing in partner expertise. For example, JobsPlus in Leyton has partnered with the local authority, which has provided the team with a caseworker offering employment support to residents on a flexible secondment basis. The caseworker brought particular expertise in apprenticeships, adding specialist knowledge that was not otherwise available within the team. Other areas have recruited staff who previously worked for partner organisations, helping to strengthen existing relationships.
• Providing strategic oversight by inviting members of partner organisations to sit on the JobsPlus steering board or similar groups. In Rotherham, a prominent local councillor has been invited to sit on the board; individuals in these roles can act as important ‘critical friends’ and share ideas about what JobsPlus could do.
Strong partnerships with a variety of local organisations are helping JobsPlus engage communities, provide wraparound and complementary support, and align provision across local areas. Looking across these examples, partnerships appear to play two important roles: they help residents access a wider range of support, opportunities, and services, while also strengthening local delivery through shared expertise, resources, and local insight. Across the 10 sites, we heard examples of collaboration between organisations producing outcomes greater than the sum of their individual parts.
For more information about JobsPlus, including its approach to partnership building, please see the full report.
Any views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Institute as a whole.