Ways to Work, Essex

The Ways to Work (formerly ‘Welfare to Work’) for disabled people (W2W) initiative encourages and enables disabled people to find jobs rather than rely on Incapacity Benefit.

Removing barriers to employment for disabled people

There is a massive potential workforce in Essex currently facing barriers to employment. W2W is about removing barriers, promoting equality and recognising potential for people in the Essex County Council area. The programme embraces the social model of disability.

The W2W Partnership believes that disabled people have a crucial role to play as employed people within society. The Partnership exists to ensure that disabled people in Essex reach their full potential in employment and has started to identify barriers and strategies to overcome them.

Funding and governance

The W2W Partnership management is funded by Essex County Council and managed by Shaw Trust, the largest voluntary sector provider of employment services to DWP.

The programme has also been part funded by the Essex Economic Participation Programme (formerly Investing in Communities) funded by the East of England Development Agency.

The W2W Steering Group/Board includes Shaw Trust, Jobcentre Plus, Business Link, LSC, Essex Coalition of Disabled People, Connexions and Essex County Council.

Partnership members

You are welcome to become a member of Ways to Work if you feel you can contribute to our agenda. Existing members of the partnership are all organisations making significant contributions to the employment agenda in Essex:

• Disability Essex
• Theatre Resource
• SENCAN
• NHS
• Thames Gateway
• Haven Gateway
• Mencap
• SAFE
• MCCH
• ECC - Linked Employment
• Tendering MH Support
• South Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
• TBG
• Interact
• Millrace IT
• North Essex Partnership foundation trust
• Rethink
• Involving Essex
• Employability

If you would like to join the partnership please contact Julia Galaway at W2W, Shaw Trust, Tel: 01206 548965 or Mark Neville at Community Inclusion at Essex County Council, Tel: 07834 255185

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