Quality & Fidelity Lead | Connect to Work in Peterborough

• Quality & Fidelity Lead | Connect to Work
• Cambridgeshire/Peterborough | Cambridgeshire County Council
• Fixed term contract

Could you lead the development of high-quality supported employment services that transform lives across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough?

Join Cambridgeshire County Council as the Connect to Work Quality & Fidelity Lead and help shape the successful delivery of IPS and SEQF programmes, ensuring excellent fidelity, quality and employment outcomes for local residents.

• East of England
• Full-time
• Job overview

Connect to Work is a national voluntary, UK Government-funded program designed to support individuals with disabilities, long-term health conditions, or other barriers find andretainemployment.

It is the first major element of the Get Britain Working Strategy and will take a collaborative, locally led approach.

Cambridgeshire County Council hasbeen awarded the Prime Contractor role for Connect to Work by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA).

The contract will run from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2030.

It will

• Connect local work, health, and skills support using a “place, train, maintain” model
• Target “hidden unemployment” and disadvantaged groups
• Deliver IPS (Individual Placement and Support) and SEQF (Supported Employment Quality Framework) interventions with high fidelity to national models
• Ensure equitable access through a zero-exclusions approach
• Support at least 3,738 residents of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough between 2026 and 2030

Cambridgeshire County Council will appoint a consortium of Delivery Partners, who will deliver Individual Placement and Support (IPS) and Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF) models of supported employment to high levels of fidelity.

IPS – Individual Placement and Support, is an intervention which integrates employment support alongside primary and secondary health services and other support services.

SEQF – Supported Employment Quality Framework, is an intensive supported employment model for people with learning disabilities, autism, and complex barriers.

SEQF is a more intensive intervention, where in delivery terms the Participant will receive more contact and support from their Employment Specialist.

Both models follow fidelity scales as evidence shows higher fidelity delivers stronger employment outcomes.

We will also work with a wide range of partners and stakeholders who are operating in local areas, to provide therapeutic and holistic wrap-around support for participants.

Effective local employer engagement will be key to the success of the programme.

Role

The Connect to Work Quality and Fidelity Lead will be our subject matter expert for both models of supported employment, therefore the successful candidate must have previous experience in delivering or managing Individual Placement and Support (IPS) and/or SEQF (Supported Employment Quality Framework).

They will design and implement the fidelity assurance process for the Connect to Work programme across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, supporting Cambridgeshire County Council in its role as Prime Contractor to the CPCA to achieve good fidelity scores across all delivery partners.

This pivotal role involves working closely with colleagues and delivery partners to ensure all aspects of the participant journey and programme delivery aligns with the recognised IPS and SEQF fidelity scales.

This role is a hybrid role.

Responsibilities

To effectively and expertly lead on the development and implementation of the fidelity evidence-based models for IPS (Individual Placement Support) and SEQF (Support Employment Quality Framework) under the Connect to Work programme across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, to ensure adherence and good quality outcomes for participants, which support achievement of the overall contract KPI’s and provide subject matter expertise in all Supported Employment fidelity issues.

The postholder will work closely with the Connect to Work Delivery Partners and VCS partners to ensure excellent service quality and compliance by undertaking internal fidelity reviews, supporting external assurances and driving overall continuous improvement by delivering a range of training and support.

• Responsible for ensuring that Connect to Work is delivered in accordance with the relevant Supported Employment fidelity models (both Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care and Supported Employment Quality Framework), ensuring that the ‘place, train and maintain’ model is delivered with high fidelity to IPS and SEQF standards, to ensure the maximisation of job outcomes for participants.
• Acts as the Subject Matter Expert for all Supported Employment fidelity issues, providing expert advice and guidance for fidelity related enquiries, issues and actions from Delivery Partners, key stakeholders and DWP commissioned Fidelity Assurance services
• Lead a programme of internal quality and fidelity compliance and evaluation assurance reviews and lead on the preparation and planning of the required internal self-assessments and external reviews in line with DWP/ CPCA requirements and timelines.
• Provide technical support, guidance and training to contracted delivery organisations on the IPS and SEQF fidelity scales, to embed and fully implement all points of the fidelity scales and ensure delivery adheres to relevant Supported Employment principles, translating guidance into effective operational practice.
• Devise and deliver a training programme designed to support new organisations develop their own supported employment programmes in Cambridgeshire, in addition to providing additional support by regularly reviewing resources to ensure they are up to date and relevant to the delivery of Connect to Work in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

Includes sourcing or designing additional resources targeted at addressing emergent delivery partner needs as the programme develops.

Includes an element of coproduction with delivery partners, to ensure any resources produced meet their needs.

• Lead on a schedule of moderation and standardisation activities aimed at improving the overall quality of supported employment provision.

This will include reviewing Fidelity Model self-assessments and action plans against requirements and ensuring continuous improvement plans and actions are implemented.

• Working with the Connect to Work Delivery Partner Contract Managers / Partnership Managers and consortium members to manage the implementation and monitoring of any required quality improvement plans as a result of internal or external reviews and provide advice, support and training where required on how assessment outcomes can be improved, producing impactful, concise and accurate fidelity reports within agreed timescales.
• Effectively inform, engage, promote and share fidelity assessment strategies and requirements with relevant stakeholders and partners to ensure achievement of the overall contract through effective workshops, learning networks and mentoring sessions.
• Design a rolling programme of continuous professional development for delivery staff across the partnership, throughout the lifetime of the programme.
• Analyse complex data and produce or contribute to performance reports for internal and external stakeholders highlighting programme level areas for continuous improvement around the quality of services delivered and report through the services management structures, recording and maintaining electronic records of all fidelity related activities.
• Engage and contribute to Connect to Work Programme evaluation(s) and reporting processes as appropriate and support achievement of KPIs and capture learning for future opportunities and developments.
• Work with delivery partners and key stakeholders to identify case studies that showcase impact and support the national promotion of Connect to Work and the fidelity assurance process.
• Contribute to the development of the service planning activities, policy and priorities, ensuring alignment to the councils strategic aims and objectives.
• Demonstrate an awareness and understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Ability to contribute to our organisational commitment to becoming a Net Zero organisation by 2030.
• Safeguarding commitment We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults.

We require you to understand and demonstrate this commitment.

• The person
• Qualifications Required: Relevant degree or demonstrable experience in a similar role.
• Knowledge in Supported Employment – IPS and SEQF models
• In depth, strong understanding of the Supported Employment models: Individual Placement and Support (IPS) and Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF) fidelity scales
• Good understanding of the relevant local support programmes such as Work Well and the Connect to Work programme
• Good understanding of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough labour market challenges and effective approaches to address them
• An excellent understanding of the employment needs and challenges faced by people with health conditions and complex barriers to employment
• Demonstrable interest in regional working and an understanding of the national policy context specifically in relation to work and health
• Design – Proven ability to design and manage compliance and audit frameworks and systems
• Communication – Excellent stakeholder engagement and networking skills to include collaborating and building effective working relationships between public (specifically DWP, Local Authority and the health sector), private, and voluntary organisations
• IT Skills – Strong IT skills including Power BI and Microsoft Office products such as Word, Power Point and Excel
• Organisation – Excellent organisational skills with excellent written, oral and presentation skills
• Professionalism – High level of integrity and professionalism
• Problem Solving – Proactive and results orientated approach
• Problem Solving – Adaptability and willingness to embrace change
• Leadership – Experience of leading and supporting services through internal self-assessments and external fidelity reviews, including planning, preparation, evidence gathering, and implementing improvement plans in line with agreed timescales.
• Delivery – Experience working in a target-driven environment and managing performance improvement
• Development – Experience of developing and managing information systems and processes to capture, analyse and report performance data, highlighting trends and or areas for improvement
• Partnership – Experience of working in partnership with other organisations to achieve results
• Partnership – Experience/understanding of working with people with multiple complex barriers to employment
• Travel – Ability to travel across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to support delivery partners
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (applies to all roles) – Ability to demonstrate awareness and understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion and how this applies to this role
• Net Zero (applies to all roles) – Ability to contribute towards our commitment of becoming a net zero organisation
• Safeguarding (applies to all roles working with children/vulnerable adults) – Demonstrate an understanding of the safe working practices that apply to this role.

Ability to work in a way that promotes the safety and well-being of children and young people/vulnerable adults

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