What is Restart?
The Restart Scheme is part of the Government’s Plan for Jobs which aims to help one million people in England and Wales back into employment. People who have been claiming Universal Credit for 12- 18 months will have access to enhanced support to find work. Jobs 22 has been chosen to run Restart Scheme across East Central England, which includes Lincolnshire, Bedfordshire, Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Staffordshire and Northamptonshire. Working with local employers, local government and support services based in the area, Jobs 22 has created a service that gives Restart Scheme participants extra help and tailored support by removing barriers to sustainable employment.
How to access the support
Individuals, who want to access the support under the Restart Scheme need to be referred by Jobcentre Plus (JCP). In the first instance, only those UC claimants in the Intensive Work Search Regime (IWSR) are expected to be referred to the programme. There will be an opportunity for discretionary referrals to Restart at the right time in an individual’s journey, but this will be discussed between claimants and their JCP work coach to decide if someone would benefit from the scheme and that this would be the most appropriate route into work for them.
What will we do?
Steadfast is working with an organisation called Jobs 22, who have been chosen by the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) to manage the Restart Scheme across East Central England, which includes Lincolnshire, Bedfordshire, Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Staffordshire and Northamptonshire. Steadfast Jobs & Employment Support, will be delivering Restart for Jobs22 in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire, working with local employers, local government and support services to provide tailored support and extra help to jobseekers by removing barriers and offering opportunities to sustainable employment.
What will support look like?
Support will be delivered via a blended mix of face-to-face and remote support, using MS Teams, Zoom and/or telephone. The customer support journey starts with a warm handover call, followed by an initial in-depth assessment in our newly refurbished Restart HUB at Welland House, Spalding.
Customers will then be supported by employment coaches, recruitment consultants and skills trainers to help them grow their confidence, build up their skills and open the door to work opportunities with local employers. When people need to come into our Hub for an appointment with us, we will pay their public transport, as well as any professional childcare they had to arrange.
Participants can be supported for up to 12 months, but our aim is to help people progress into work much sooner! Our support will also continue into work to ensure people are settling into their new roles and be successful.