Quality & Fidelity Lead | Connect

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.

Deadline: 24th July 2026

• East of England
• Full-time

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.

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.

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…