No One Left Behind: strategic plan - first annual report

4. Strategic Plan Actions

The Employability Strategic Plan 2024-27 set out our strategic priorities and actions with timescales for delivery over the three years of the plan.

The priorities set out in the plan are:

• Priority 1 – Continuing to improve the employability system
• Priority 2 – Increasing awareness and uptake of employability support
• Priority 3 – Tackling child poverty by increasing parental income from employment
• Priority 4 – Supporting disabled people and those with a long term health condition
• Priority 5 – Delivering jointly with wider public services
• Emerging Priority 1 – Working with employers to improve outcomes
• Emerging Priority 2 – Supporting a just transition and net zero

In this first annual update, we have focused on our short-term actions across all priorities which aim to deliver a strengthened partnership approach and share good practice as well as embed new products and services that align with employability services in Scotland.

In addition to the progress on short term actions, we are also making progress on several medium term actions. Relevant cross-sector groups are scoping activity to deliver on long-term actions, which reflects our continued commitment to the strategic priorities and is encouraging at this stage of the Plan.

The progress delivered reflects more than just activity and outputs, it is evolving into meaningful outcomes which will have positive impacts, including:

• improved service delivery through more streamlined processes and clearer guidance for stakeholders
• enhanced engagement with partners and participants, leading to stronger collaboration and shared ownership of goals
• early evidence of improved employability outcomes, with some initiatives showing increased uptake or better alignment with labour market needs
• capacity building across teams, supporting a more resilient and responsive approach to future challenges

These outcomes demonstrate that our strategic direction is not only being implemented but is beginning to deliver tangible benefits aligned with our long-term vision.

4.1 Progress against Short Term Actions

Action - Priority 1

We will work collectively to review the Local Employability Partnership (LEP) Framework to ensure clarity of roles and responsibilities, supporting further capacity building and strengthening of representation across communities and sectors.

Progress to date:

• LEP Maturity Assessment Survey conducted in autumn/winter 2024 supported a stakeholder workshop of key LEP partners to identify area for improvement. Scottish Government, Local Government, Improvement Service, Third Sector, Health, Skills Development Scotland and DWP provided insight and feedback throughout the development of the the refreshed LEP Framework.
• a workshop on collaborative approaches to partnership was hosted at Strathclyde University attended by representatives from across the employability sector, including an international perspective from Denmark
• revised LEP Framework published in December 2025

Next Steps:

• workshops planned to raise awareness of the new LEP Framework with key stakeholders both nationally and locally
• review impact with partners in late 2026

Action - Priority 3

We will work together with partners including the public and third sector to take a targeted approach to engaging parents, exploring peer to peer approaches and utilising existing touch‑points.

Progress to date:

• engagement with key stakeholders including the Parental Employability Support Leads Network, is informing the refinement of SG policy and delivery planning and strengthening the evidence base to support more effective targeting
• thematic sessions have focused on in-work support, childcare, marketing routes and understanding best practice of peer-to-peer support
• an independent implementation evaluation on the role of Employability Child Poverty Co-ordinators is underway with findings expected in March 2026
• in early 2025, a Parent Club social media marketing pilot was launched to increase the awareness of money and work advice (including information about Employability Services) to parents through boosted posts. This campaign was successful in delivering nearly 2.5 million impressions, reaching 1.3 million people across Scotland at a frequency of 1.8 per person

Next Steps:

• work is underway to develop proposals for the third Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan. These will be informed by emerging insights, evidence and lived experience helping to drive continued progress towards meeting the statutory child poverty targets
• plans are in development for a Parental Employability Financial Support marketing campaign running in January 2026. This campaign will see both local targeted provision and wider national marketing, to raise awareness of financial and employability support for parents with clear signposting to relevant services
• further work is underway to strengthen engagement, build networks and explore additional targeted engagement routes to reach parents. This, includes events, community co-location and partnerships with non-employability services

"I am really enjoying my time in the job so far; it has been a great experience, and I am grateful for the opportunity. The team has been truly amazing and made a real difference in helping me find employment. From the beginning, the team provided not just practical assistance but also geuine emotional support, which was incredibly important to me as a mother returning to work."

Case Study

Sadie* – Empowering Lone Parents Through Glasgow’s Family Finances Project

Sadie* is a lone parent with a child under five. Sadie also has a long-term health condition. After fleeing conflict in Ukraine, she was referred to Glasgow Life’s Family Finance Keyworkers service in August 2023. Her Keyworker helped create an initial tailored action plan focussing on gaining employment and managing childcare costs. To progress her action plan, support from a range of services was needed. Her Keyworker had identified she wasn’t claiming Adult Disability Payment and referred her to Money Matters who secured a backdated award to November 2023. With support from Jobs and Business Glasgow, Sadie began working as a Learning Support Assistant to improve her income and her interim childcare costs were covered by the Glasgow Futures Training and Support Fund. Sadie aspired to use her degree in a more advanced role but as her degree wasn’t recognised in the UK, she was referred to Bridges Programmes, who supported her through the conversion process. She received her UK-accredited degree in March 2024, boosting her confidence to apply for higher-level roles.

In June 2024, Sadie secured a role with HMRC, increasing her income. Thirteen weeks later, her wage rose again. Sadie now reports a significantly improved quality of life for her and her child. Sadie’s journey from crisis through to career progression demonstrates the impact of targeted, multiagency support in effectively engaging parents, dealing with barriers like childcare costs but enabling in-work progression. This aligns with the NOLB commitment to work with public and third sector partners to drive better employment outcomes for parents.

*name changed to protect identity

Action - Priority 2

We will raise awareness of No One Left Behind tools and products amongst strategic, funding and delivery partners by developing a handbook to ensure that standards are upheld and a consistent approach to planning, data and reporting.

Progress to date:

• No One Left Behind National Products Handbook published in December 2024

Next Steps:

• update the No One Left Behind National Products Handbook with new and refreshed products and promote via key stakeholders – through a series of workshops

Action - Priority 4

We will work collectively to deliver specialist employability support across all Local Authority areas for disabled people in line with our commitment to halve the Disability Employment Gap by 2038.

Progress to date:

• Specialist Employment Support (SES) additional £5 million funding confirmed in 2025/26 budget
• cross-sectoral short life SES Implementation Group completed its agreed programme of work
• SES Thematic Workshops and Market Place event held in early 2025 to support local commissioning and implementation
• SES is now delivered in all 32 Local Authorities
• SES Service Standard published October 2025

Next Steps:

• review SES implementation and evaluate impact

Case Study

Specialist Employability Support (SES)

In 2024, West Dunbartonshire LEP identified a need for intensive support for young people leaving school and college who have a learning disability or autism spectrum condition. Research identified DFN Project Search as an effective model to support young people into sustainable employment, so working with local Education and College partners, Working4U piloted a pre-Project Search programme with six young people, offering some of the elements of the Project Search model.

With the additional Specialist Employability Support funding awarded through NOLB for 2025/26, and building on the pilot and lessons learned, Working4U launched the DFN Project Search (fidelity model) working with 11 young people this year.

Delivering in partnership with ‘I Was Gonnae’ Music Charity to deliver employability skills and job support, music is being used as an engagement tool, with the aim for the group to write a song at the end of the nine-month programme, which will reflect the group’s employability journey.

The Interns have been busy working on their communication skills, identifying strengths and weaknesses, developing personal skills and interests and discussions on job interests and potential work placements. They have also accessed a mental health talk and had a Q&A meeting with a business representative.

As well as taking part in classroom based learning, the young people will benefit from three 10-week work placements in the local authority and across various local partners.

The group have produced a weekly newsletter to support employer engagement, share highlights from the course, participant spotlights, job opportunities and placements for neurodiverse individuals and relevant training options, and definitely showcases the Project Search programme within West Dunbartonshire.

Having specific funding in place to deliver Specialist Employability Support as outlined above has allowed for specialist support to be delivered across all 32 Local Authority areas. It also contributes to our commitment to support more disabled people and those with long term health conditions into employment and supports our ambition to halve the Disability Employment Gap by 2038.

"The group demonstrates that there is a strong appetite from all parties to help improve commissioning. The guidance is a very positive document which allows for positive change, and I am sure it will make real impact"

"The sessions provided me with much needed guidance, introduced me to peers who share my journey, and helped me build the confidence and connections to develop my work further."

Action - Priority 1

We will continue to explore future multi-year funding options for employability.

Progress to date:

• the processes for issuing the Grant Offer Letter have been improved, with a letter of comfort issued to help LEPs to plan spending prior to formal confirmation

Next Steps:

• Scottish Government officials continue to work to explore options for multi-year funding and understand the learning from the Third Sector Fairer Funding Pilots

Action - Priority 2

We will lead a collective approach including the development of a communication plan to ensure information on employment support is communicated in a clear, consistent and accessible way, so that people are fully aware how to access the range of support and advice available.

Progress to date:

• Cross-sectoral Communications working group established including people who use services
• Good Practice Guidance on Communicating Employability Services created. Published December 2025*
• Developed consistent messaging on employability services for use on partner communications and marketing
• Reviewed the Local Authority pages of the Employability in Scotland website
• LEP Chairs Group established to share good practice and support shared messaging and will play a role in supporting shared messaging across their local areas

Next Steps:

• finalise and publish National Communications Plan to provide clear and consistent messaging on No One Left Behind setting out key national and local activity
• review impact and implementation of Communication tools and Plan
• undertake a comprehensive review of the Employability in Scotland website

Action - Emerging Priority 1

We will work in partnership with employers and representative organisations to influence both the design and delivery of our services, ensuring they align with labour market needs, support flexible and inclusive working practices, supporting sustainable employment progression and Fair Work principles.

Progress to date:

• launched the Fair Work Resource Hub which contains resources to support business to implement fair and inclusive workplace practices
• developed the Fair Work Employer Support Tool for partners engaging with employers
• launched three Fair Work Economic inactivity grant projects, totalling up to £229,000 in grant funding, to help reduce economic inactivity and enable people with diverse needs to enter, stay in or progress in the workplace through expanding flexible working in the manufacturing sector. This helped private and third sector employers to better support disabled employees and public sector organisations were supported by workshops on inclusive hiring, progression and line management
• Two thematic Workshops were held, one on employer engagement for partners on local approaches and support for employers available from partners including Working Health Services Programme for SMEs. Another workshop for partners raised awareness of resources to support employability providers, employers and individuals with lived or living experience of substance misuse on their journey towards, and whilst in employment
• Flexibility Works delivered 8 sessions to support better employer engagement on flexible working to some Local Authority Employability Teams and employability providers. Best practice in providing in-work support has been shared across the Network
• a workshop on effective approaches to employer engagement hosted at Strathclyde University attended by representatives from employability partners

Next Steps:

• review the Employer Recruitment Incentive Framework
• SG to continue to explore opportunities at national level to promote employability services with employers
• building on links to the Fair Work Stakeholder Network to bring an employability focus

4.2 Beyond the short term: progress on Medium term actions

Whilst the focus has primarily been on delivering short term actions in this first year, this section sets out progress made in relation to medium term actions. In the second year, we will focus on further delivery and impact of activity to date.

Action - Priority 1

Scottish Government, Local Government and COSLA will work together with partners to ensure that local commissioning frameworks and funding models are open and inclusive supporting a mixed economy of provision.

Progress to date:

• collaborative cross-sectoral working group established to design and develop guidance on commissioning. Reviewed existing research and guidance on commissioning, hosted a national survey and held workshops with key partners
• Good Practice Guidance for Commissioning Employability Services in Scotland published in October 2025

Next Steps:

• Thematic Workshops planned to raise awareness of Good Practice Guidance in Commissioning
• further capacity building needs to be identified through engagement with key stakeholders
• review impact with partners in late 2026

Action - Priority 1 & 5

We will work collectively to further refine the Shared Measurement Framework (SMF) to improve ease of use and ensure a clearer focus on the wider impact of our support.

We will work with partners to improve reporting on progress and the wider support provided to individuals on their journey towards positive outcomes, particularly for those further from the labour market.

Progress to date:

• established a Shared Measurement Framework Working Group to enhance data collection and reporting to drive improvements in understanding impact, for example inclusion of additional progression data and new Specialist Employability Support data

Next Steps:

• undertake wider engagement with national and local users of the Shared Measurement Framework to identify further opportunities for improvement
• develop SMF improvement plan

Action - Priority 1

We will work together to develop a national evaluation plan and effective ways to ensure the voice of lived experience informs continuous improvement at national and local levels.

Progress to date:

• Cross-sectoral Research Advisory Groups established
• Independent research and evaluation activity commissioned for Child Poverty Coordinators and on User Experience research

Next Steps:

• Lived Experience voice to feature in the User Experience Research Advisory Group
• research and evaluation findings to be shared with partners in 2026

Action - Priority 2

We will work with partners to ensure that services are co-designed with people with lived experience to maximise impact and uptake.

Progress to date:

• Cross-sectoral Service Design in Employability Working Group and Community of Practice established
• quarterly programme of Community of Practice sessions established with four to date
• Thematic Workshop on Introduction to Service Design in Employability Workshop held and bespoke sessions delivered in specific areas

Next Steps:

• Exploration of further support needs for local authorities, providers and people using services to grow service design
• Further Introductory workshops and growing the Community of Practice

Action - Priority 5

Scottish Government, Local Government, COSLA, Public Health Scotland and sponsored bodies will work together to align public policy priorities.

Progress to date:

• Employability and Economic Inactivity Leadership Group established with representatives from Scottish and Local Government, COSLA, Skills Development Scotland, DWP, third sector and academia
• we are working closely with other policy areas including Social Security Scotland, Skills, Justice, Housing, Carers and Health at both a national and local level to raise awareness of our services and to deliver a no-wrong-door approach
• Recently established LEP Chairs Group have responsibility to strengthen local relationships with partners

Next Steps:

• Local Employability Partnership (LEP) Stakeholders Conference to be held in late 2025

Action - Priority 5

We will explore training, development and qualification requirements for key workers and other frontline employability staff to ensure core standards of knowledge and skills for those supporting individuals.

Progress to date:

• cross-sector working group on Skills & Qualifications established and action planning underway

Next Steps:

• framework of core and desirable skills and qualifications to be developed alongside guidance on potential training sources – this will include consideration of the qualifications and skills required for delivery of SES, as agreed with the SES implementation group

Action - Priority 5

We will work in partnership to support and influence the role of Community Wealth Building Anchor Institutions in providing greater access to employment opportunities for those who are out of work.

Progress to date:

• workshops on Community Wealth Building and Employability held at SLAED Conference and with wider stakeholders

Next Steps:

• continue to promote role of employability services in supporting Community Wealth Building ambitions for Scotland

Other medium actions still requiring further work to be undertaken are set out below. Further progress will be included in the next Annual Report.

Medium term actions:

We will work across national, regional and local structures to identify levers which can be used to encourage employers to recruit people accessing employability support services into fair work.

We will work with partners across our communities to ensure provision is diverse, inclusive and responsive to community need and to raise awareness of employability services and improve access for those who are currently not engaged, including those who are economically inactive.

We will work in partnership to review, improve and if necessary, develop communication tools and platforms to ensure a consistent and effective approach to sharing information and good practice.

We will work with partners and employer engagement colleagues to enhance the offer to parents who are in-work, to effectively support them to increase income from employment.

Recognising the role of green skills in future job roles, we will ensure employability training is aligned where relevant/possible.

"The Commissioning Working Group is a very good example of joint working between the third sector and the public sector. Moving at pace with openness and sincerity, the work produced is a testament to the commitment and buy in of the members."

"The training I have completed I feel has opened more pathways for me and helped me get into college courses I wouldn't have been able to get into."