Inclusive Employment partnership with the East of England Co-op wins national award

The employment collaboration with the East of England Co-Op was shortlisted for successful partnership working which has helped 16 people secure employment at the retailer to date.

Commissioned by Essex County Council, our Inclusive Employment initiative launched in 2020 to support adults with a learning disability and/or autism to achieve their ambitions of paid employment.

Our Inclusive employment team works closely with the Essex business community to encourage inclusive employment. Matching talented individuals with the needs of businesses to create successful working relationships and providing on-the-job training for as long as needed.

Councillor John Spence, Cabinet Member for Health, Social Care and Integration at Essex County Council, said: “Those with learning disabilities and autism have every right to live independent, fulfilling lives. This can be made possible through their own regular stream of income.

“I’m immensely proud of the work by ECL, as recognised by its success at the MJ Awards, to help people in Essex make the life-changing step into employment while satisfying the needs of local businesses.

“We thank the East of England Co-op for its continued partnership and look forward to working with more organisations across the county on this initiative.”

Emma Young, Inclusive Employment Employer Engagement Lead at ECL, said: “This award celebrates innovation and proves partnerships are pivotal in creating employment opportunities for all.

“Adults with a learning disability and/or autism want to be in paid employment. The East of England Co-op has evidenced this by employing 16 people since our partnership began in July 2022. This is a fantastic achievement for all involved.”

Ashley Symonds, Resourcing Advisor, Talent Acquisition & Development Team at East of England Co-op, said: “We are delighted with the win. We know what we are doing with ECL is making a difference, but it’s great to receive the recognition at such a highly thought of event. It’s a great platform to share what we are doing with other employers and hopefully inspire them to be more inclusive in their recruitment.

“Our partnership with ECL has been a big success from day one. We hired our first candidate within one month of the start of the partnership and now have 16 in employment.

“The fact 70% of candidates put forward achieved permanent paid employment is testament to the quality of talent fostered by ECL and how easy our new simplified recruitment process is to navigate. I look forward to seeing this collaboration develop further in the years ahead.”