Find a job that works for you.

Expert support to help unemployed people move into work

Our support

Work Routes is a support service that helps unemployed people to move into work. It is free to access for those who meet the eligibility criteria.

We can provide you with an expert Employment Adviser and access to a wide range of training, wellbeing and financial support.

Whatever your circumstances, we can help you find and start the right job for you.

Here’s how it works…

  • Getting to know you

    At your first appointment you will meet with your personal, expert Employment Adviser. They will talk to you about your interests, skills, experience, circumstances and ambitions.

    Together you will create a plan to help you start working. They will coordinate everything for you.

  • Using our range of support

    When you use Work Routes, you open up access to a wide range of different support.

    This means that we can help you, whatever your circumstances.

    • 1 - Skills training

      Developing new skills, or refreshing existing ones, can be an important step in finding work.

      We can offer you courses for developing skills for a chosen sector or role. Many of these come with guaranteed interviews with local employers at the end. You can also take part in work taster sessions with an employer.

      If you need it, we can help you improve your digital skills, or work on characteristics like self-confidence or team working.

    • 2 - Health & wellbeing support

      We know that concerns about your health can often make starting and staying in work more difficult.

      We are a Disability Confident Leader, which means we are committed to making work accessible for everyone.

      Specialist support from our partner Reed Wellbeing can help with a range of physical or mental health needs, including with coping with stress or anxiety, managing pain, improving your diet, being more physically active and managing your health at work.

    • 3 - Financial help

      We have funding available to make sure that the cost of returning to work is not an issue for you.

      We can help with the cost of travel, interview clothes or equipment for work. We can also pay for skills and training courses for you.

      We can also help you plan and budget your money for when you are working – including making sure that any job you apply for will make you financially better off than not working.

    • 4 - Self-employment guidance

      Working for yourself can be a great option for people who value flexibility or have a trade they can promote.

      We provide access to seven Working For Yourself modules, including advice on turning a hobby into a job, making a business plan, invoicing & bookkeeping and promoting your business.

    • 5 - Job searching

      The jobs market is always evolving and the ways we look for work change.

      Your Employment Adviser can help you identify suitable opportunities and show you the best places to job search. You can use our Digital Hubs and Online Careers Centre to help.

      Our team work with lots of valued, local employers and provide access to a range of job vacancies that you might not find anywhere else. There will be Jobs Fairs and careers events happening in our offices too.

    • 6 - Job applications and interviews

      Once you have found the right role for you, your Employment Adviser can help you complete applications and prepare a gold standard CV to make you stand out from the crowd.

      We have experience of helping thousands of people succeed at job interviews.

      We can run mock interviews with you and help you prepare to answer the kind of questions you might be asked, to improve your confidence and help you showcase your ability.

  • Starting work

    Your Employment Adviser will be ready to celebrate with you when you find out you have got your new job! But their support does not end there.

    If you need support planning your life around work, they can offer help. Funding is also available if you need help covering the cost of things before your first pay comes through.

    If you need adjustments to the workplace because of a health condition or disability then we will be able to help arrange this with your new employer.

    We will also keep in touch for up to six months after you start working, just to make sure everything is going okay. If it isn’t – we are here to help.

Eligibility

Eligibility and referral is at the discretion of DWP.

Some of the reasons you might be eligible can include:

  1. You are economically inactive (unemployed and not in the UC IWSR or JSA. Claiming other benefits, or no benefits, means you are eligible); or:
  2. You have a health condition or disability and need more support than can be provided within standard Jobcentre or other available services; or
  3. You fit into one of the following groups:
  • An ex-offender (someone who has completed a custodial
    • sentence or a community sentence), or an offender (someone who is serving a community sentence)
  • A carer or ex-carer
  • A homeless person
  • A former member of HM Armed Forces
  • A member of the the HM Armed Forces reserves
  • A partner of current or former Armed Forces personnel
  • A person for whom a drug/alcohol dependency (including a history of) presents a significant barrier to employment
  • A care leaver
  • A refugee
  • A young person identified as being involved or at risk of being involved in gangs or serious violence
  • A victim of domestic violence
  • An Afghan Resettler
  • A Ukrainian Refugee