Annex A: employment support evidence review

Q: Context

1. Following the Work and Pensions Select Committee ( WPSC ) report, ‘Get Britain Working: Reforming Jobcentres’, DWP committed to a review, bringing together all the available evidence for both work coach support and third party employment support, which will be published by the end of 2026. 2. As the first stage, we have conducted a rapid literature review of evidence on effective employment support. Sources were selected on the basis of relevance to the topic of effective employment support and prioritised by the type and level of evidence, robustness of methodology and year of publication. Given these criteria, much of the evidence draws on evaluations of existing employment programmes, the majority of which are DWP -funded or commissioned. We also considered evidence of other countries’ experiences of providing employment support. 3. Given the breadth of this topic and the available literature, this review is not exhaustive. We will conduct further research in the coming months, talking to external providers of employment support to further our understanding of best practice. In line with our commitment to the WPSC , we will publish the full review later this year.

Question 1

Context

Accepted Answer

1. Following the Work and Pensions Select Committee (WPSC) report, ‘Get Britain Working: Reforming Jobcentres’, DWP committed to a review, bringing together all the available evidence for both work coach support and third party employment support, which will be published by the end of 2026.

2. As the first stage, we have conducted a rapid literature review of evidence on effective employment support. Sources were selected on the basis of relevance to the topic of effective employment support and prioritised by the type and level of evidence, robustness of methodology and year of publication. Given these criteria, much of the evidence draws on evaluations of existing employment programmes, the majority of which are DWP-funded or commissioned. We also considered evidence of other countries’ experiences of providing employment support.

3. Given the breadth of this topic and the available literature, this review is not exhaustive. We will conduct further research in the coming months, talking to external providers of employment support to further our understanding of best practice. In line with our commitment to the WPSC, we will publish the full review later this year.

Question 2

Summary

Accepted Answer

4. The review identified key features of support which are effective at improving employment outcomes:

the content of effective employment support meetings include:
- strong action planning
- delivery of practical support such as identifying and addressing skills needs, and supporting with CV or application writing
- embedding empathy and respect to support productive relationships
- enabling timely and appropriate referrals to specialist support
the structure of effective employment support includes:
- continuity of adviser
- appropriate meeting length
- preparation time for advisers to make best use of meetings

Question 3

Part 1: What is high-quality employment support?

Accepted Answer

What types of employment support are effective?

5. Evidence shows that personalised, adviser-led support is linked to improved outcomes. The evaluations covered in this section demonstrate significant and sustained positive employment impacts. The mechanisms through which these impacts are achieved are explored in later sections.

6. Published evaluations of contracted or grant funded employment programmes, including the Work Programme, Job Entry Targeted Support, European Social Fund funded programmes and Restart have demonstrated significant and sustained positive employment impacts.^{[footnote 1]},^{[footnote 2]},^{[footnote 3]},^{[footnote 4]} Qualitative evidence also finds these programmes had a tangible impact on people’s lives. ‘Transforming Britain’s labour market: Ten years of the New Deal’, a paper looking back at the New Deal programmes in the 1990s/00s, also highlighted that tailored employment support was a key contributor to achieving lower unemployment and better economic prospects.^{[footnote 5]}

7. Evaluation of the Restart Scheme showed that the programme enabled participants to achieve a range of intermediate outcomes, including confidence, motivation, job-search efficacy and skills, and these were found to enable some participants to “achieve employment outcomes”.^{[footnote 6]} The evaluation also found that employer referrals supported job entry. The role of adviser interactions, holistic support and partnerships in achieving these outcomes is discussed throughout this review.

8. The DWP report on ‘What makes work search reviews effective’ notes that ‘many customers viewed their successful outcomes were thanks to the support they received from their work coaches’. There were three main components that the research found promoted a positive and effective experience for the customer and work coach: job-search assistance, the relationship between the customer and the work coach, and positive customer engagement.^{[footnote 7]}These findings are explored further in the next section.

What are the characteristics of an effective employment support conversation?

9. Personalised employment support is most effective when it combines a strong human relationship with an effective offer of support and appropriate constructive challenge tailored to customers’ challenges and barriers through coaching. In practice, this means conversations that are empathetic and consistent. This includes having constructive and, where necessary, challenging conversations, which help customers to reflect and stay engaged in their search to find a job. ^{[footnote 8]},^{[footnote 9]} Aspects which participants have reported value in include: being treated as an adult, including through honest, sometimes challenging conversations, continuity with the same adviser who has enough time to listen and have a meaningful conversation around their challenges, barriers and support.^{[footnote 10]},^{[footnote 11]}

10. The research suggests that adviser discretion can be used to tailor commitments and pace the customer journey to the individual’s circumstances. This includes tailoring work-related requirements for people with health conditions or caring responsibilities, setting goals that are realistic while still encouraging progress, and stretching expectations where appropriate.^{[footnote 12]} One government report notes that when customers felt that their desired outcomes and personal circumstances had been taken into account by their work coach, they reported a much higher degree of satisfaction with their service and their subsequent outcomes.^{[footnote 13]}

11. The ‘What makes work search reviews effective’ report found that good rapport, a tailored approach from the work coach and the consideration of all of the customer’s challenges and barriers, skills, motivation and aspiration, are important for an effective meeting. This creates the trust needed to have open, honest conversations and challenge customers’ beliefs on what they can achieve.^{[footnote 14]} The report found that the relationship between the customer and work coach was influenced by whether the meetings were personalised and tailored to the customer, whether work coach and customer work goals were aligned, whether the customer received additional or wider support if required, and work coach occupational knowledge.

12. Regular 1-1 meetings with an employment specialist were also used in the Individual Placement and Support: Alcohol and Drug programme, which had a positive impact on employment outcomes. As part of this programme, participants’ skills, experience and employment preferences were reviewed and job search strategy was implemented.^{[footnote 15]}

13. Findings from the ‘Additional Jobcentre Support: qualitative research’ also showed that ‘customers typically felt that having different work coaches negatively impacted rapport and led to repetition.’^{[footnote 16]} ‘The Evaluation of the Restart Scheme’ found that the quality of adviser interactions was the key driver of participants to achieve intermediate outcomes such as increased confidence, motivation, job-search self-efficacy, increased skills, and reduced job selectivity which in turn laid the foundation for some participants to achieve employment outcomes.^{[footnote 17]}

14. Similar findings were identified in the ‘Work and Health Programme evaluation’. A key worker (who provided participants with support on skills and job-related tasks, health issues, and financial support for training or practical items) outlined the key features of their relationship with customers being to “listen to them…not to be judgemental. There may be valid challenges and barriers and reasons for not working. Being patient. Gaining trust.”^{[footnote 18]}

15. Citizens Advice found from interviews with Universal Credit customers that some work coaches went ‘above and beyond’ to support customers, while others were ‘condescending and belittling’. To address this, Citizens Advice proposed improving training for work coaches on communication skills, including active listening and relationship building.^{[footnote 19]}

16. A study of over 200 work-focused interviews in jobcentres found that personalised employment support depends on both ‘what’ help is offered to individuals and ‘how’ advisers work with individuals; for example, using open ended questions and tailoring next steps based on individuals’ responses.^{[footnote 20]}

17. At the heart of effective personalised employment support is action planning. The evidence identifies that action plans were most effective where individuals were supported to take ownership of their plan, co-creating to help set their own actions and goals, with advisers iterating content and intensity in line with customer progress.^{[footnote 21]},^{[footnote 22]} Individuals were more likely to follow through where goals were written down, discussed and revisited, and where they were accountable for self-set goals. For example, the ’Peer Mentoring Evaluation report summary’ included action plans with SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Based) objectives and ‘mentees appreciated the process of revisiting and being accountable for their SMART actions and made progress in areas they needed support’.^{[footnote 23]} The ‘Work and Health Programme evaluation’ also highlights that the programme sustains the relationship with the customer beyond job entry through structured in-work support, so the action plan extends into job retention and early progression rather than stopping at the point of hire.^{[footnote 24]}

18. Evidence also highlights the importance of effective referrals, handovers and joined-up delivery across organisations. This is discussed in detail in the section on wider support.

What challenges and barriers does employment support need to help people overcome?

19. The evidence indicates that challenges are layered and interdependent, with health frequently the most common challenge identified.^{[footnote 25]},^{[footnote 26]},^{[footnote 27]} The ‘What makes work search reviews effective’ report emphasises that there are a range of challenges and barriers spanning skills/qualifications (including ESOL - English for Speakers of Other Languages), a lack of work experience, motivation and confidence, as well as digital access and skills, transport, childcare (access and caring responsibilities), and housing.^{[footnote 28]}

20. Employers’ behaviour (e.g. bias or inflexible practices) can also be an issue.^{[footnote 29]},^{[footnote 30]} In a DWP survey, employers said they would be less likely to hire from disadvantaged groups such as those with addiction, a criminal record, no fixed address, or low skills.^{[footnote 31]}

21. Key challenges and barriers to in-work progression (and therefore higher earnings) identified in the evidence include confidence, motivation, skills gaps, childcare and health, alongside limited progression routes.^{[footnote 32]},^{[footnote 33]} Another challenge specific to disadvantaged groups is that they more often lead ‘chaotic lives’ meaning they need more support to ensure they attend appointments or progress activities as agreed.^{[footnote 34]}

22. The following sections set out the types of support identified in the evidence to help individuals overcome these challenges and barriers.

What support have employment programmes provided to tackle these challenges?

23. Key mechanisms for tackling challenges and barriers include tailoring support, for example through including tailored planning, relational depth, and targeted referrals.^{[footnote 35]},^{[footnote 36]} Offering multicomponent practical support to cover customers’ multi-layered challenges and barriers is shown throughout the evidence to be key to delivering tailored employment support.^{[footnote 37]},^{[footnote 38]},^{[footnote 39]},^{[footnote 40]} This can be a combination of:

support with job-search skills
practical help with referrals and material support (e.g. funding for travel/training)
aligned skills training
careers advice
referrals to health support
employer engagement and job-carving
in-work support so that help continues beyond job entry

24. Participants of Restart identified tailored, holistic support as key to moving into, or feeling closer to, the labour market. This support involved using diagnostic tools and individualised action plans to enable Employment Advisers to address the specific barriers participants faced, including help with budgeting, wellbeing and housing.^{[footnote 41]}

25. To tackle clients’ barriers to work, the Job Entry Targeted Support (JETS) included a combination of diagnostic skills screening, support to consider transferable skills, and signposting clients and supporting access to reskilling offers. Those receiving support from the scheme spent more time in payrolled employment and were less dependent on out-of-work or low-income benefits, and less likely to leave the labour market.^{[footnote 42]}

26. The ’Work and Health Programme Evaluation’ highlights the value of hiring dedicated staff with recruitment backgrounds to complement the employer engagement of key workers. Referencing larger employers’ corporate social responsibility agendas and the national Disability Confident scheme was reportedly an effective lever for getting buy-in from employers.^{[footnote 43]}

27. Evidence shows the importance of providing support to customers that reflects the current stage of their journey to employment or increased earnings, so customers receive the right help at the right time. For example, in the Work and Health Programme, key workers used their initial meetings with participants to establish the individual’s circumstances and support needs. This then formed the basis of co-created action plans, which were reviewed as circumstances changed, with support adjusted accordingly. Identifying and planning the particular support needed for that specific key.^{[footnote 44]}

28. Other evidence from DWP programmes shows that, to keep the customer journey coherent across organisations, referrals and handovers need to be joined-up: co-location/close working with partners and information-rich warm handovers (whereby a work coach actively introduces and connects a customer to another support service) helped to reduce participant drop-off and duplication of conversations.^{[footnote 45]},^{[footnote 46]} Referrals and handovers to further support are discussed in the section below.

How do employment programmes tailor support for complex needs?

29. For people with disadvantages or complex needs, good personalised support combines a ‘anchor + specialist’ approach: the adviser provides continuity and tailored planning, alongside timely access to specialist services (e.g., health, homelessness, substance misuse, ESOL support, debt/housing), with longer engagements where appropriate.^{[footnote 47]},^{[footnote 48]} Doing this well requires adjusting how conversations are conducted and what support is offered, for example, flexing work search requirements and commitments, pacing conversations and tailoring practical support to circumstances.^{[footnote 49]} It also depends on having enough time within appointments to deliver quality support, especially for customers with multiple challenges and barriers.^{[footnote 50]}

30. The ‘What works to support disadvantaged groups towards employment?’ review highlighted that for disadvantaged groups (care-leavers, ex-offenders, people with substance misuse issues, and people experiencing homelessness), the “pathway” to work requires receiving the right help before job-finding activities.^{[footnote 51]} This pathway begins with “life stability” (e.g. housing, addiction support) as the priority, followed by “health and wellbeing”, then “education and skills” and finally “employment”.^{[footnote 52]}

31. Evidence from the European Social Fund Programme found that organising provision through strategic local partners helped to maintain a strong focus on local needs, leading to more effective delivery and bringing about positive employment impacts.^{[footnote 53]} Other evidence notes the role of support for specific needs and included support around mental health treatment, homelessness, pre-employment ESOL support or acute debt/housing crisis in supporting complex needs.^{[footnote 54]},^{[footnote 55]},^{[footnote 56]} This is covered in more detail in the section on wider support.

Question 4

Part 2: How are effective services organised to facilitate high quality support?

Accepted Answer

What is the optimal frequency, duration and channel for appointments?

32. The existing DWP evidence that the Universal Credit (UC) system is based on suggests that more frequent, longer and face-to-face meetings lead to more positive employment outcomes. However, this evidence is dated, as it was conducted before the Universal Credit system was introduced.

33. Appointment frequency: DWP-led trials with JSA (Jobseeker’s Allowance) customers in 2005 and 2012 demonstrated the importance of frequent, face-to-face contact between DWP and customers for ensuring positive work outcomes.^{[footnote 57]},^{[footnote 58]} A trial conducted by DWP in 2015 found weekly work search reviews were more effective than fortnightly contact in terms of reducing the time spent on benefits and increasing the number of days spent in employment, especially in the first 13 weeks of a claim.^{[footnote 59]} A UC in-work progression randomised controlled trial conducted in 2015-2018 found that customers with earnings who received 8-weekly support achieved similar wage progression to those receiving fortnightly support, suggesting that less frequent interventions for working customers can be more cost effective.^{[footnote 60]}

34. Appointment duration: In the ’What makes work search reviews effective’ report, work coaches and customers both reported a preference for more time, and more preparation space, and this is reflected in evidence which highlight the value of longer appointments for quality conversations.^{[footnote 61]},^{[footnote 62]} The report also notes that a lack of time for preparation or lack of work coach diary space and set targets could lead to unproductive work search reviews or limit their effectiveness.^{[footnote 63]}

35. Appointment channel: The current evidence suggests a link between having conversations face-to-face and reducing the length of time taken for customers to move into employment. Using the telephone is associated with taking longer to move into employment, and international evidence shows that switching from face-to-face to video calls or phone support can add 2-3 weeks to the average time in unemployment.^{[footnote 64]},^{[footnote 65]}

36. The ‘What makes work search reviews effective’ report found that work coaches preferred face-to-face meetings, especially for initial meetings, as they allow better connection, helped build trust and rapport and assess needs.^{[footnote 66]} If work coaches had experience of video, their preference was either face-to-face or video, viewing video as a digital equivalent of face-to-face. Video was viewed as having some advantages over the telephone but there were concerns over misuse and the digital capability of customers. As seen in evidence of online interviews in other contexts, studies show that although video meetings provide many of the visual cues of face‑to‑face sessions, technical problems can disrupt these cues and reduce meeting quality.^{[footnote 67]},^{[footnote 68]} The ‘What makes work search reviews effective’ report recommended maintaining flexibility to match the channel to the customer and their stage in the journey.^{[footnote 69]}

37. The Universal Credit Conditionality Evidence (UCCE) frequency and channel trials are testing reducing the frequency of appointments and the different channels used. This will build a more relevant, up to date evidence base of the impact of the current regime and potential changes to it. The findings for the channels trial are expected to be published in summer 2026 and for the frequency trial in autumn 2026 and will feed into the future employment support model.

How does the evidence say segmenting customers can be done and which characteristics guide prioritisation?

38. DWP contracted employment support programmes prioritise supporting the long-term unemployed, disabled people and disadvantaged groups. For example, the Work and Health Programme (WHP) focused on the long-term unemployed and disabled people, with early access for priority groups including the homeless, care leavers and refugees. These groups were identified as needing more support to move into employment, and the WHP was designed on the basis that targeted provision for those further from the labour market was necessary to achieve positive employment outcomes.^{[footnote 70]} Programmes such as the Work and Health Programme and Restart utilise co-created, tailored, SMART action plans to support participants, along with frameworks such as RAG ratings to adjust the level of support and intensity over time.^{[footnote 71]},^{[footnote 72]}

39. The ‘What makes work search reviews effective’ report found that some customers with high self-motivation, better defined career aspirations and those with specialised skills found work search reviews less useful.^{[footnote 73]} As such, support was perceived as less effective for those with lower needs.

40. A DWP 2026 research report, ‘Universal Credit: In-work Progression support research’, found that customers shared characteristics that transcended the boundaries of Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET) based categorisation. The report suggested a more nuanced approach to segment people based on individual circumstances, motivations and barriers, rather than just by group characteristics such as low earners or ‘earning enough’, and highlights a need for further research into optimal segmentation strategies.^{[footnote 74]}

41. International evidence shows that segmentation and profiling are widely used, but their impact on employment outcomes is unclear. An OECD report exploring job seekers who need more support identified that characteristics that guide prioritisation in different countries can be broken down into hard indicators (age, qualifications, work history, health) and soft indicators (motivation, aspirations, job readiness).^{[footnote 75]} Statistical profiling is used by almost one third of OECD countries and has been increasing in Europe over the last 10 years, with the customer data informing it typically including work history, education, demographics and customer motivations.^{[footnote 76]} While evidence finds that profiling tools help improve cost efficiency of personalised employment support, there is no publicly available evidence that quantifies the positive impact of segmentation on employment outcomes.

42. Overall, whilst the evidence shows that targeted and segmented approaches to employment support are widely used (particularly for those further away from the labour market), there remains limited evidence on how effective different segmentation models are, and for whom they work best.

How could employment support programmes join up with the wider support?

43. The literature highlights the importance of providing holistic tailored support for customers, including access to “wider partnerships” and specialist support. Providers’ access to wider partnerships were key to supporting participants’ intermediate outcomes on their journey to employment.^{[footnote 77]}

44. The literature highlights that customers’ trust of other organisations was a key benefit of joining up with other services. Contracted employment and Youth Hub evaluations show that providers being external to Jobcentre sites meant there were fewer issues connected to participants perceiving them to be part of the benefits system, which helped enable trust.^{[footnote 78]} The importance of working with local partners was also reiterated in the Restart evaluation which highlighted that these organisations were often trusted and known entities for customers.^{[footnote 79]}

45. The Work and Health Programme evaluation found that support works better when organisations join up so referrals and handovers are effective, informative and coherent.^{[footnote 80]} This was done by co-locating services or close working with Local Authorities, voluntary and community partners and skills providers. Organising the service with the co-location of provider staff in Jobcentres to facilitate warm handovers was also drawn out in the evidence to support referrals and the customer experience of the referral.^{[footnote 81]}

46. Another example of integrated support and effective referrals and handovers is demonstrated by the JobsPlus pilot, a local community-led integrated service to help people into work through on-site employment services, community support, and financial incentives.^{[footnote 82]} Other programmes reinforce this principle: in JETS, work coaches would assess suitability (JETS was aimed at those who had been unemployed for three months or more) and interest before making a referral,^{[footnote 83]} and the Work and Health Programme demonstrated the value of colocation and warm handovers at the right time.^{[footnote 84]}

47. The ‘Employment Advisers in Improving Access to Psychological Therapies’ evaluation highlights the importance of collaborative partnership between services (in this study, therapies) and employability providers. The Restart Scheme demonstrated that it also helps when providers work directly with employers, using sector routeways, job matching and tailoring roles to align opportunities to fit individual’s plans.^{[footnote 85]}

Question 5

Conclusion

Accepted Answer

48. The literature shows that effective employment support relies on both the content of meetings and the structure of support. It highlights the importance of personalised, empathetic conversations that build trust and help identify individual needs and barriers. Strong action planning, aligned to customers’ aspirations and supported by appropriate challenge, is key to driving practical and timely progress into work. This is most effective when delivered consistently by a dedicated adviser over time, with joined-up access to wider support to address other barriers.

Annex A: employment support evidence review

Context

Summary

Part 1: What is high-quality employment support?

What types of employment support are effective?

What are the characteristics of an effective employment support conversation?

What challenges and barriers does employment support need to help people overcome?

What support have employment programmes provided to tackle these challenges?

How do employment programmes tailor support for complex needs?

Part 2: How are effective services organised to facilitate high quality support?

What is the optimal frequency, duration and channel for appointments?

How does the evidence say segmenting customers can be done and which characteristics guide prioritisation?

How could employment support programmes join up with the wider support?

Conclusion

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Context

Summary

Part 1: What is high-quality employment support?

What types of employment support are effective?

What are the characteristics of an effective employment support conversation?

What challenges and barriers does employment support need to help people overcome?

What support have employment programmes provided to tackle these challenges?

How do employment programmes tailor support for complex needs?

Part 2: How are effective services organised to facilitate high quality support?

What is the optimal frequency, duration and channel for appointments?

How does the evidence say segmenting customers can be done and which characteristics guide prioritisation?

How could employment support programmes join up with the wider support?

Conclusion

Is this page useful?

Help us improve GOV.UK

Help us improve GOV.UK