Progress2work-LinkUP programme

The new Progress2work-LinkUP programme will provide a tailored package of support for:

• Stabilised / recovered drug misusers
• Stabilised / recovered alcohol misusers
• Ex-offenders / offenders
• Homeless people

The aim of this programme is to support customers from these highly disadvantaged backgrounds to secure and sustain employment. This will require the availability of a wide variety of different types of support such as personal adviser support, confidence building, training, work experience and jobsearch as well as advice on issues such as housing, debt, health and addiction. Whilst customers participate voluntarily in Progress2work-LinkUp they may also be involved in mandatory Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) programmes such as Flexible New Deal and Pathways to Work.

NIACE is looking to develop partnerships and form links with stakeholders, potential sub-contractors and other organisations in order to offer a local service and support network for our Progress2work-LinkUp customers. We would welcome expressions of interest from organisations that can provide high quality, flexible support to our customers. We would need organisations to be able to work closely with partners providing other forms of support, which are of benefit to our customers. Organisations would need to be willing to adopt innovative approaches and to work closely with NIACE to continuously improve the design and delivery of the programme.

If you are interested in working with NIACE either as a sub-contractor or as an agency from who we receive, or to whom we make, referrals, please complete the expression of interest form below and send to robert.gray@niace.org.uk by 4pm on Friday 19th March 2010.

If you have any enquiries relating to the completion of the expression of interest form, please call Robert Gray on 0116 2042780 or Joyce Black on 0116 2859658.