Opportunity Sheffield, the employment and skills service in Sheffield City Council, has commissioned seven community based individual placement and support (IPS) projects as part of the Connect to Work programme.
The new activity is targeted at ‘disadvantaged groups’ identified by the Department for Work and Pensions as being eligible for Connect to Work.
The new employment support projects will complement the Health-based IPS service already being delivered in Sheffield by The Shaw Trust, and the supported employment projects for residents with Autism, Learning Difficulties & Disabilities and/or neurodiversity being delivered by Opportunity Sheffield and Autism Plus.
Projects went live on 1 March 2026 and are scheduled to run until 30 March 2030.
New activity commissioned through Connect to Work
- IPS for Carers and Ex-Carers – Sheffield Occupational Health Advisory Service
- IPS for Homeless People – South Yorkshire Housing Association
- IPS for Offenders and Ex-Offenders – Novus
- IPS for Refugees, Afghan Resettlers and People on the Ukraine Scheme – The Growth Company
- IPS for Refugees – Infinite Skills
- IPS for Survivors of Domestic Abuse – Skills UK
- IPS for Young People at risk of Serious Violence – Sharrow Community Forum
Make a referral
The referral window for each of the targeted projects listed above opens on 1 April 2026. Participants must meet eligibility and suitability criteria.
If you’d like to make a referral for Connect to Work, you can contact Opportunity Sheffield’s Pathways to Work triage officers by telephone, email or our contact form.
Email: opportunity@sheffield.gov.uk
Telephone: 0114 229 6188
We are always happy to have an informal conversation regarding referral options and the various types of provision available in the city.
About Connect to Work
Connect to Work is a key element of the Government’s Get Britain Working strategy.
It aims to increase labour‑market participation and tackle inequalities by helping disadvantaged residents secure sustainable employment.
The programme replaces multiple national schemes—including the Work and Health Programme, IPS in Primary Care, and Local Supported Employment—to create a single, streamlined offer for residents with complex barriers to employment, including disabilities, neurodiversity, health conditions, and other disadvantages.
The programme provides two main models: the Supported Employment Quality Framework for individuals needing intensive, prolonged support, and IPS for those ready to move more quickly into work.
For out-of-work residents, the programme offers up to 12 months of tailored, voluntary support, job‑coaching, vocational profiling, employer engagement and support to transition into the workplace.
Support can also be offered (for up to four months) to eligible residents who are in employment but at risk of losing their job.
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