Insight: Partnership in action. Supporting the whole person through the Restart Scheme

As we continue to celebrate five years of delivering the Department for Work and Pensions Restart Scheme, Shiren Patel, Senior Integration Manager reflects on the importance of holistic, person-centred support for helping jobseekers overcome their barriers to employment:

As a Senior Integration Manager working on the Restart Scheme, partnership is at the heart of my role. I work with local authorities, charities, community organisations and specialist providers to help participants overcome barriers that employment support alone cannot always address.

A job may be the ultimate goal, but every participant begins their journey from a different place. Their route towards employment must reflect their individual circumstances, needs and aspirations. Partnerships allow us to build support around the individual, extending beyond core employability services such as CV writing and interview preparation.

Helping someone find and sustain work requires an understanding of their wider circumstances. A participant struggling with their mental wellbeing may find interviews challenging. Someone experiencing housing difficulties may be unable to focus on job searching. Or a person facing financial hardship may be forced to prioritise day-to-day survival over long-term career planning.

Because of this, addressing one challenge in isolation rarely creates lasting change. This is where personalised, whole-person support becomes so important.

Building skills, confidence and aspirations

One of the most rewarding aspects of working on the Restart Scheme is seeing participants rediscover confidence in their own abilities.

A prolonged period out of work can lead to self-doubt. Skills may feel outdated and returning to employment can seem increasingly distant. Targeted skills development can help participants rebuild confidence and prepare for sustainable work. Restart Scheme participants can access learning opportunities that help them develop new skills, gain recognised qualifications and build confidence in sectors aligned to local labour market demand. We work with participants to assess their skills gaps based on their employment aspirations and refer them to external training providers, specialist providers or our own in-house Skills Trainers.

For example, digital confidence plays a critical role in accessing jobs, training opportunities and essential services. We provide tailored support to participants who have limited digital skills or experience to help them gain the confidence they need to progress.

Over the years, I have seen how the combination of targeted learning, practical support and encouragement can transform mindsets. Participants who once questioned their ability to return to work begin to see new possibilities for themselves and their future.

Overcoming language barriers

Through our partnership with professional language service Clear Voice, we have supported participants in more than 41 languages, helping them understand the service, build confidence and engage fully with employment support. We also provide access to British Sign Language interpreters and specialist communication support, ensuring participants with hearing impairments can engage confidently with Employment Advisers, external providers and prospective employers.

Managing health and wellbeing for work

Our Restart Scheme delivery offers our participants a triaged pathway to access specialist health support tailored to their employment needs.

This includes organisations such as Working Minds, who support people experiencing mental health challenges, Health 2 Employment, who help participants manage physical and health-related barriers, and Genius Within, who provide specialist neurodiversity support for individuals with conditions such as ADHD, autism and dyslexia.

Working in partnership a range of expert local and national organisations, helps us to make sure that each Restart Scheme participant is able to access expert health & wellbeing services that are tailored to their individual needs.

Addressing financial problems

Financial or housing instability can affect participants’ confidence, wellbeing and ability to focus on moving towards work. Through Shelter, local partners and Reed Financial Inclusion, participants can access support with housing, budgeting, debt management and understanding how employment may affect their household finances.

Data suggests that this support has a tangible impact in supporting participants into work. For the 985 people who have benefited from Reed Financial Inclusion support, we have seen a higher proportion of people entering employment than those who were offered the support but did not take up the opportunity.

Supporting the whole person does not mean losing sight of work as the goal. It means recognising that sustainable employment is more likely when people receive the right support to address the circumstances holding them back.