September was a busy month for Communities that Work, with JobsPlus continuing to draw interest from government, local leaders and national commentators. We are delighted that, last week, the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods called for JobsPlus to become a permanent model of neighbourhood employment support in England.

This edition covers the JobsPlus showcase at the Stockton event, visits to our Borehamwood and Toxteth sites, and our panel with the Minister for Employment at the Labour Party Conference.

Alongside this, we are delighted to shine the Spotlight on Karbon this month, with an example of excellent work experience provision, and we have updates from our Board meeting in Sheffield and our Autumn Budget submission, as well as the latest reports, upcoming events and parliamentary news.

JobsPlus Stockton showcase

In September, we supported a JobsPlus showcase event at the Stockton site with Thirteen Group. We were joined by Cllr Lisa Evans, Leader of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, and Neil Young, Freeport Skills and Workforce Development Manager at the Tees Valley Combined Authority. Both spoke about the role of place-based employment support in the area.

The event brought together community champions, local residents, delivery partners, housing associations, councils and colleagues from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to see the model working on the ground. Thirteen tells us that JobsPlus Stockton has now helped more than 100 people into work and over 250 people with skills and training.

DWP Norfolk and Suffolk visit JobsPlus Borehamwood

We also welcomed DWP colleagues from Norfolk and Suffolk to JobsPlus in Borehamwood, hosted by Clarion. Julia Nix OBE DL, DWP Service Leader for Norfolk and Suffolk, attended with Christie Waddington and George Wall, Senior Employer and Partnership Managers. They were joined by Louise Hillier of the Norfolk and Suffolk Housing Partnership and Nadine Tapp of Flagship.

Guests met the Borehamwood team, JobsPlus champions and local partners, and Victoria Whittle from Clarion took everyone through the site’s work. Thank you to the Clarion team in Borehamwood for such a warm welcome.

Peter Dowd MP visits JobsPlus Toxteth

Continuing with the site visits, Peter Dowd MP visited JobsPlus Toxteth, which is run by Transform Lives Company with Plus Dane. He was joined by colleagues from DWP, Transform Lives and Plus Dane, and met the team and residents supported by the programme.

The day of the visit was also the day JobsPlus Toxteth reached 50 jobs across its 24 streets, a fantastic milestone for the team. We have since written to Peter to thank him and to follow up on the visit.

CtW at Labour Party Conference

Communities that Work Managing Director, Lynsey Sweeney, attended Labour Party Conference in Liverpool. On Tuesday 29 September, Lynsey co-hosted a panel with JTL and The Adecco Group at the PLMR Policy Hub: “Britain’s Got Employment Talent: How Can Labour Get More People into Work?” The panel included Andrew Western MP, Minister for Employment, and David Pinto-Duschinsky MP, PPS at DWP.

The conference was a valuable chance to make the case for JobsPlus to ministers and stakeholders. Key themes were the importance of strong links with employers and Jobcentre Plus, supporting vulnerable people and the employers who hire them, and the Minister’s interest in the most local route for funding, including through Mayors.

Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods calls for JobsPlus rollout

We were delighted that the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods (ICON) report Power to Communities: realising the potential of devolution to serve the most disadvantaged places in England, published on 25 September, recommends making JobsPlus a permanent model of neighbourhood employment support.

ICON’s Head of Research and Analysis, Ross Mudie, visited JobsPlus Barnet as part of the Commission’s work. This is a strong independent endorsement of what our sites are achieving. We will be working with ICON, Mayors and Pride in Place boards over the coming months to help turn this recommendation into reality.

Support for JobsPlus in Autumn Budget submissions

Communities that Work has made its own submission to the Autumn Budget, calling for multi-year funding for JobsPlus beyond March 2027, a national scale-up, JobsPlus principles built into Jobcentre Plus reform and ring-fenced funding for housing-led employment support. We were pleased to see the National Housing Federation and the G15 also back JobsPlus in their submissions.

The Spotlight

This month's spotlight is on Karbon Homes, which is doing fantastic work on work experience across the communities it serves in the Northeast year-round, and which finished its Step into Karbon special week of programmes just today.

With the much-anticipated Milburn Review out soon, which will call for more work experience places for young people, we are sure this work will only grow in demand and recognition.

Step into Karbon: work experience that opens doors to careers in housing

A new work experience programme from Karbon Foundation is helping people discover the wide range of career opportunities available in the housing sector while developing valuable skills for the future.

Karbon Foundation, the charitable arm of housing association Karbon Homes, has launched Step into Karbon, a week-long programme designed to give participants a meaningful insight into housing and the diverse roles that help communities thrive.

As well as introducing participants to the sector, the programme focuses on building practical and employability skills, helping people gain confidence and take positive steps towards their future career goals.

"Before I started working for a housing association, I had no idea just how many different jobs, career opportunities and specialist teams existed within the sector," said Jennifer Wilson, Employment and Skills Team Manager at Karbon Homes.

"The idea behind Step into Karbon was to create an opportunity for people to learn more about housing and explore a sector that they may not have previously considered as a potential career path."

Throughout the week, participants will meet colleagues from a range of teams across Karbon, including Sales and Marketing, Planned Investment, Health and Safety, and more. They will have the chance to learn about different roles and choose the departments that interest them most, before spending time job-shadowing colleagues and gaining hands-on experience.

"Often with traditional work experience, you're placed wherever an opportunity is available," Jennifer added. "Step into Karbon gives people the freedom to explore the areas that align with their interests and career ambitions or even discover a role they hadn't considered before."

To ensure participants get the most from the experience, the programme has been designed to be welcoming, supportive and practical. Karbon's Employment and Skills Team will provide guidance throughout the week, including support with CV writing, application forms and interview preparation. Recruitment specialists Sellick Partnership will also contribute their expertise to help participants develop the skills employers are looking for.

"We want people to leave with a clear pathway to build upon, whether that's developing employability skills, improving their confidence or gaining practical experience," said Jennifer.

"By the end of the week, we hope participants will leave with a greater understanding of the housing sector, increased confidence and higher aspirations for their future careers."

The pilot Step into Karbon programme will take place from 28 September to 3 October 2026. The Karbon Foundation hopes to make it an annual opportunity, helping even more people explore rewarding careers in housing.

To find out more, visit www.karbonfoundation.co.uk/step-into-karbon.

Thanks to Karbon!

New guidance puts local jobs and green skills at the heart of retrofit procurement

Efficiency North & Ashden (August 2026)

The Greener Homes and Good Local Jobs Guidance is the result of a research project exploring how better procurement practices can maximise social value, particularly employment and skills, through social housing retrofit. Its launch comes as an estimated 140,000 construction vacancies were reported in 2025, with shortages across roles including retrofit coordinators and assessors, heat pump installers, insulation specialists and multi-trade workers.

New plan for Britain’s first Workplace Health System, 23 September

The Government is developing Britain’s first Workplace Health System to stop people with health conditions falling out of work. Around 300,000 people with a health condition leave work each year, and since 2019 economic inactivity due to ill health has risen by 800,000, costing the economy £212 billion a year. Evidence shows 96 per cent of people off work for four to six weeks return, falling below 50 per cent after a year. Eleven regional Vanguards and over 200 organisations are testing the approach, bringing together employers, the NHS, local authorities and support services. Pilots include return-to-work plans in the Liverpool City Region, affordable occupational health for small businesses in Hull and case workers based in businesses in South Yorkshire.

Government’s digital employment tools help thousands take the next step into work, 25 September

The Department for Work and Pensions has set out early results from Work Hub, its free online employment support platform. Since it launched in June, around 20,000 people have used its CV builder and 16,000 have used the AI-powered Work Assistant for help with job searches and interview preparation. The platform also gives employers a place to advertise vacancies and get recruitment advice. The Government says Work Hub adds to, rather than replaces, face-to-face support from Jobcentre work coaches.

New first-time buyer scheme to be confirmed at Budget, 26 September

The Government has announced Your First Home, a new equity loan scheme for first-time buyers in England, to be confirmed at next month’s Budget. Buyers with a 2.5 per cent deposit will be able to get a 20 per cent government-backed equity loan on new-build homes from participating developers, with an initial interest-free period that the Government says could save hundreds of pounds a month compared with a 95 per cent mortgage. The scheme will have a household income cap and local property price caps, and developers who sign up will contribute towards its costs. It aims to tackle the deposit barrier for first-time buyers and support the new-build market as construction costs rise. The Chancellor will set out full details, including costs and timings, at the Budget.

Resolution Foundation, 8 October

The long crunch

The Resolution Foundation is hosting an in-person and interactive webinar to debate and answer these questions. Following a presentation of the highlights from its deep dive into Britain’s cost of living crunch, supported by the Nuffield Foundation, we will hear from leading experts on where cost of living pressures are being felt most, and how the Chancellor should respond in his Budget next month.