Useful Contacts

We encourage suppliers to team up with local organisation in Essex when delivering their Social Value commitments. With that in mind, we have put together a useful contact list for your convenience, click on the taps below and contact them directly.

The Targeted Employment team, at Essex County Council, is passionate for SEND jobseekers to be supported on their journey into employment, ensuring their vocational aspirations are heard. They can give you more information about supported internships and accessible apprenticeships. targetedemployment@essex.gov.uk or jonathan.smith@essex.gov.uk

Apprenticeship Hub provide you free and impartial advice on apprenticeships, work experience and internship.

Email: essex.opportunities@essex.gov.uk

Adult Community Learning: offering ACL Apprenticeship programs and NVQ courses in a variety of subjects form Level 2 to Level 5. ACL also offers Math and English and many more courses for your staff members. ACL can also provides guidance with Levy Transfer processes. Email: acl.apprenticeships@essex.gov.uk

Levy Transfer Service: Support for small and medium size businesses in Essex. Known as apprenticeship levy, is when big companies can share some of their funds, with smaller businesses, enabling smaller and medium size businesses to receive financial support to cover the cost of training their apprentices. Email: info@essexalts.co.uk

These are some statutory and ECC partner organisations who can support suppliers, to employ an specific Essex residents' cohort:

Employment opportunities for Essex Residents who are long-term unemployed	Website: How JobCentre Plus can support employers \| NHS Employers DWP - Job Centre offers support to hire Essex residents facing barriers and challenges. Contact Kathy Askew, Employer Adviser at Kathleen.askew@dwp.gov.uk
	Signpost has three centres across Essex, Colchester (Greenstead), Jaywick (Tendring) and Basildon. Signpost offers person-centred services and support individuals to overcome their barriers to long term employment. Website: Our Services (sign-post.info) Contact Sara Kulikowski at sara.kulikowski@sign-post.info
Employment opportunities for Essex residents who are not in employment, education or training	Website: How JobCentre Plus can support employers \| NHS Employers DWP - Job Centre offers support to hire Essex residents facing barriers and challenges. Contact Kathy Askew, Employer Adviser at Kathleen.askew@dwp.gov.uk
Employment opportunities for Essex residents who are rehabilitating young offenders.	HM Prison & Probation Services, Regional Employment Brokers create employment opportunities for prisoners in custody, and on release from custody. This will be achieved by building strong relationships between Prison Governors and Commercial employers within their designated regions. The Employment Brokers will provide support, information, advice and guidance, in every step of the way, to employers in order to create best and most suitable employment opportunities. Contact Alison Renville the Regional Employment broker for Essex at alison.renville@justice.gov.uk
Employment opportunities for Essex residents with disabilities; physical disabilities, learning disabilities and or mental health issues	The ECL team place talented individuals in roles to enable them to improve their skill set and achieve their goals of becoming more independent. ecl.contactcentre@essexcares.org
	The Targeted Employment team, at Essex County Council, is passionate for SEND jobseekers to be supported on their journey into employment, ensuring their vocational aspirations and studies goals are heard. targetedemployment@essex.gov.uk

These are some statutory and ECC partner organisations who can support suppliers, to employ an specific Essex residents' cohort:

Employment opportunities for Essex Residents who are long-term unemployed	Website: How JobCentre Plus can support employers \| NHS Employers DWP - Job Centre offers support to hire Essex residents facing barriers and challenges. Contact Kathy Askew, Employer Adviser at Kathleen.askew@dwp.gov.uk
	Signpost has three centres across Essex, Colchester (Greenstead), Jaywick (Tendring) and Basildon. Signpost offers person-centred services and support individuals to overcome their barriers to long term employment. Website: Our Services (sign-post.info) Contact Sara Kulikowski at sara.kulikowski@sign-post.info
Employment opportunities for Essex residents who are not in employment, education or training	Website: How JobCentre Plus can support employers \| NHS Employers DWP - Job Centre offers support to hire Essex residents facing barriers and challenges. Contact Kathy Askew, Employer Adviser at Kathleen.askew@dwp.gov.uk
Employment opportunities for Essex residents who are rehabilitating young offenders.	HM Prison & Probation Services, Regional Employment Brokers create employment opportunities for prisoners in custody, and on release from custody. This will be achieved by building strong relationships between Prison Governors and Commercial employers within their designated regions. The Employment Brokers will provide support, information, advice and guidance, in every step of the way, to employers in order to create best and most suitable employment opportunities. Contact Alison Renville the Regional Employment broker for Essex at alison.renville@justice.gov.uk
Employment opportunities for Essex residents with disabilities; physical disabilities, learning disabilities and or mental health issues	The ECL team place talented individuals in roles to enable them to improve their skill set and achieve their goals of becoming more independent. ecl.contactcentre@essexcares.org
	The Targeted Employment team, at Essex County Council, is passionate for SEND jobseekers to be supported on their journey into employment, ensuring their vocational aspirations and studies goals are heard. targetedemployment@essex.gov.uk

What is to be an inclusive employer

Inclusive organisations support employees, regardless of their background or circumstance, to thrive at work. To do this, they would need to have practices and processes in place to break down barriers to inclusion, and, importantly, they need to value difference. These are partner organisations that support this important work across Essex.

ECL has a specialist Inclusive Employment team who strive to open-up paid employment opportunities for candidates with learning disabilities and autism. Our team place talented individuals in roles to enable them to improve their skill set and achieve their goals of becoming more independent. ecl.contactcentre@essexcares.org

Free support service is available for businesses looking to create a more inclusive workplace and support employees with learning disabilities and/or neurodiverse needs. Start your journey today and find out more. Website www.getsetuk.co.uk/getsetforwork

Contact Amy McManus at amy.mcmanus@getsetuk.co.uk

Factsheets and further guidance

Guide 'Pathways to Employment' for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) (PDF, 135KB)
Inclusive Traineeships (ECC 17)
Supported Internships (PDF, 142KB) (ECC 18)
Inclusive Apprenticeships (PDF, 126KB) (ECC 6)

Inclusive Apprenticeships Employer guide (PDF, 121KB)
Inclusive Apprenticeships Guide for Practitioners (PDF, 45KB)
Guide to Inclusive Apprenticeships, Incentives & Costs (PDF, 498KB)

The Essex Opportunities can help supplier to get involved in career fairs across Essex. These events are free for both attendees and employers/exhibitors. To register your interest please contact the Essex Opportunities Portal team at essex.opportunities@essex.gov.uk .

Greater Essex Careers Hub

Greater Essex Careers Hub can connect you with local schools and colleges across Essex. Organisations should never underestimate the positive influence they can have on young people; allowing them to understand employment opportunities, roles and workplaces. Website: How to get involved - Greater Essex Careers Hub

If you would like to deliver a career talks in an Essex school or college contact Stephanie Warren at stephaniewarren@southend.gov.uk or at careershub@southend.gov.uk

Ambitious Essex

Providing businesses the support they need from Essex County Council. Sign up to our Ambitious Essex Newsletter for the latest information on support, innovation opportunities, grant funding and much more. Follow Ambitious Essex on LinkedIn.

Essex Construction Alliance

by Ambitious Essex - Construction plays an essential role in the local economy. It employs over 65,000 people in Essex and is set grow by more than 30% by 2040. The newly formed Essex Construction Alliance will help businesses to take advantage of these new growth opportunities and overcome future barriers. It is open to all construction professionals in Essex. Join for free by emailing constructionalliance@essex.gov.uk or contact kirstie.forrester@essex.gov.uk

North Essex Economic Board

A partnership of councils across Mid and North Essex, we are working together to make the area more prosperous for all. Maldon District Council, Chelmsford City Council Braintree District Council, Colchester City Council, Epping Forest District Council, Tendring District Council, Uttlesford District Council and Essex County Council, working together to support and promote the initiatives run in the different districts. North Essex Economic Board. Follow us on LinkedIn

The Federation of Small Business - Essex

Our mission is to help smaller businesses achieve their ambitions. The Federation of Small Businesses Contact us at customerservices@fsb.org.uk Follow us on LinkedIn

The Travel Plan Team

provide support to prepare and implement effective travel plans to promote and encourage active and sustainable travel. Safer, Greener, Healthier - Essex County Council (essexhighways.org) Contact trevelplanteam@essex.gov.uk Facebook: Safer Greener Healthier | Chelmsford | Facebook LinkedIn