Connect to work programme in Greater Essex: evaluation framework and study protocol

Employment is not merely a means of financial security. It is a key social determinant of health. The Connect to Work (CtW) programme aims to support people with disabilities, long-term health conditions, and other barriers to find, secure, and sustain meaningful employment. The CtW was launched in November 2024 as the commitment and investment in England and Wales to support the Get Britain Working Again white paper. The CtW programme in Greater Essex commenced in August 2025 and has since engaged several hundred individuals across the region. The primary aim of this study is to assess the employment-related changes, including progression into work, sustaining employment, and preventing job loss, during the programme's first year. The findings will inform subsequent years of the programme delivery and development, while contributing to the evidence base on supporting people with barriers to employment.

This project will use a pre-post single arm study design and utilize a mixed-methods approach. Eligible participants are aged 18 or over and willing to engage in the CtW programme activities. The CtW programme in Greater Essex is delivered by Essex County Council in partnership with three expert providers: Essex Cares Ltd, Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, and Shaw Trust. The evaluation design includes an online survey, qualitative interviews, participant workshops, and economic evaluation. The survey is administered at baseline, with follow-up points at 3 and 12 months, and explores participants' current housing and financial situations, general health, motivation to seek employment, readiness to enter the workforce, and barriers to employment. Exit interviews with participants, programme facilitators, and wider stakeholders will capture their experiences of the programme, including barriers and facilitators encountered during implementation. Workshops with participants will map their journeys and generate better understanding of their experiences of the programme. Additionally, the economic evaluation will calculate the value of the CtW programme to the Greater Essex economy.

The results of this study will be disseminated through peer- review publications, scientific presentations, and local dissemination activities. Ethical approval was obtained through the Anglia Ruskin University Research Ethics Committee (Reference number: ETH2526-0259).