All Participants

Summary

No One Left Behind has supported over 111,000 people since 2019, with participation growing substantially over time. Around one‑third of participants move into employment, typically after around five to six months of support, and employment is the most common positive outcome overall. Employment outcomes include modern apprenticeships or self-employment, and are often supported through subsidies. Over one-third of those who enter employment are still employed 52‑weeks later. Alongside this, significant numbers progress through education, training and qualifications, highlighting the broad role in supporting sustained labour market attachment rather than short‑term job entry alone.

Reach

A total of 111,300 people started receiving support from April 2019 to March 2026. The number of people receiving support has increased over time from 2,655 in year 1 (2019/20) to 24,253 in year 7 (2025/26). In the most recent quarter (January - March 2026) 6,022 people started to receive support.

Economic Status at Start Date

Data on the economic status of participants were reported for the first time in October 2023. While most participants joining No One Left Behind are unemployed, some participants are already in employment. Others are classed as economically inactive, where they are not in employment, and have not actively sought work in the last four weeks. This includes students in full-time education, some people who are sick or disabled, or those who have retired. In addition, a small number of No One Left Behind participants are school pupils. See supplementary Background and Methodology Report (opens in new window) for more in-depth definitions of these categories.

Most participants were unemployed at start date (66,583; 60%), while a further 20,766 (19%) were economically inactive and 13,563 (12%) were employed when starting. There have been 7,365 (7%) school pupils receiving No One Left Behind support.

In the most recent quarter, 64% (3,847) of participants were unemployed at start date, 17% (1,002) economically inactive and 12% (735) in employment. The proportion of economically inactive participants was lowest in year 6 (2024/25; 14%) (excluding year 1 where data quality is low).

Further information is available for those in employment at start date. While most No One Left Behind participants are male, the majority of the 13,563 participants in employment at start date are female (8,609; 63%). Participants employed at start date also tend to be older than those overall, with 5,326 (39%) aged 35 to 49 and 3,310 (24%) aged 25 to 34.

Local Authority Breakdowns

The highest proportion of participants (14%) are being supported in Glasgow City, which is also the most populated Local Authority area. North Lanarkshire supports the next highest proportion of participants (7%), followed by Fife and City of Edinburgh (6%). The lowest proportion of participants are often being supported in those Local Authority areas with the smallest populations, such as the Island authorities, however this is not always the case. It is worth noting that while population size can serve as a guide for understanding differences between Local Authorities, local labour market conditions will also be a significant factor, as well as other employability support that may be available.

Progression

There has been at least 86,700 positive outcomes achieved by the 111,300 people supported under the No One Left Behind approach between April 2019 to March 2026. Please note that it is possible for the same participant to achieve more than one positive outcome.

Of the 111,300 people supported under the No One Left Behind approach between April 2019 to March 2026, 35,437 people (32%) entered employment. Of those that entered employment; 7,613 people (21%) were supported by a subsidy to do so, 3,174 people (9%) started modern apprenticeships and 1,349 people (4%) entered self-employment.

Additionally, 15,341 (14%) people were supported entering further or higher education or training, 22,734 people (20%) gained a qualification, 8,169 people (7%) started work experience opportunities, 4,404 people (4%) started volunteering and 615 people (1%) re-engaged with school.

Figure 1: Most participants achieving an outcome enter employment

Outcomes achieved by No One Left Behind participants, April 2019 to March 2026

Further progression analysis is available for the participants who entered employment. On average, for the 35,437 participants that entered employment, there were 166 days between the No One Left Behind start date and achieving this outcome. We expect this number to increase over time, as participants that require longer periods of support are underrepresented in this count.

A total of 33,911 participants have been in employment long enough to reach the 13 week follow-up check. Of these, 20,589 (61%) were confirmed as still in employment. A total of 32,023 participants have been in employment long enough to reach the 26 week follow-up check. Of these, 16,291 (51%) were still in employment. And, a total of 27,627 participants have been in employment long enough to reach the 52 week follow-up check. Of these, 10,109 (37%) were still in employment. For the participants not in employment in the previous metrics, quality of the data collected before October 2025 does not allow us to breakdown their status and differentiate between those that are not in employment and those that could not be reached during the follow-up check. For this reason, the numbers presented above are likely to be an underestimate.

For the first time in this publication, we are providing a full breakdown of follow-up outcomes recorded between October 2025 and March 2026.

Of the 4,143 participants that reached the 13 week follow-up check during this period, 57% remained in employment. Less than 1% had entered a new positive destination (excluding employment), while 5% were economically inactive or unemployed. A further 6% could not be reached, and for 31% a follow-up check had not yet been completed by their key worker.

Of the 4,300 participants who reached the 26-week follow-up check during this period, 47% remained in employment. Around 1% had entered a new positive destination, 6% were economically inactive or unemployed, and 8% could not be reached. For 38% of participants, the follow-up check had not yet been completed.

Finally, among the 3,557 participants who reached the 52-week follow-up check during this period, 35% remained in employment. A further 1% had entered a new positive destination, 6% were economically inactive or unemployed, and 14% could not be reached. For 44% of participants, the follow-up check had not yet been completed.

The figures presented here are reported at a Scotland level. For Local Authority breakdowns, please see accompanying tables.   

Figure 2: Not all follow-up checks that are due have been completed

Breakdown of the employment follow-up checks for those where the full time to achieve outcomes has passed, October 2025 to March 2026

Age

Summary

The profile of No One Left Behind participants has shifted from being predominantly participants aged under 25 to a majority aged 25 and over, reflecting changes in priority group focus over time. Younger participants move into employment quicker and at higher rates, possibly reflecting fewer and less complex barriers. They are more likely to progress into modern apprenticeships or further education. Older participants take longer to enter work and are more likely to move into self‑employment, but both age groups show similar rates of sustained employment at 52 weeks, suggesting that once in work, outcomes are broadly comparable across ages.

Reach

Half of the people supported through No One Left Behind were aged under 25 (50%; 55,992). Of these, 40,851 (73%) were aged 15 to 19 and 15,141 (27%) were aged 20 to 24. For the remaining participants, 54,692 (49%) were aged 25, with 19,149 (35%) aged 25 to 34, 24,627 (45%) were aged 35 to 49 and 10,916 (20%) were aged 50 or over. There were 616 (1%) participants with an unknown age.

The proportional difference between the under 25 and 25 and over age groups has decreased since the start of No One Left Behind, with 42% aged under 25 and 58% aged 25 and over in the most recent full year (Year 7 - 2025/26) compared with 84% aged under 25 and 14% aged 25 and over in the first year (2019/20). Year 5 (2023/24) was the first year where the proportion of participants aged 25 and over was higher than those aged under 25.

A total of 13 Local Authorities have more older than younger aged participants with Aberdeen City (66%), Inverclyde (58%), Aberdeenshire and West Dunbartonshire (57%) having the highest proportions of participants aged 25 and over. Dundee City and East Ayrshire (66%), South Ayrshire (63%) and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (60%) have the highest proportion of participants aged under 25.

In the latest quarter, people aged under 25 represented 41% of participants whereas people aged 25 and over represented 59%.

Progression

A total of 19,308 people aged under 25 entered employment. This is 34% of all under 25 participants. For those aged 25 and over, 16,043 entered employment. This is 29% of all participants aged 25 and over.

Of those people aged under 25 entering employment, 5,560 (29%) were supported by a subsidy to do so, while this was the case for 2,043 (13%) of those aged 25 and over. A higher proportion of people entering employment aged under 25 started a modern apprenticeship (2,989; 15%) than for those aged 25 and over (179; 1%). The proportion of people aged 25 or over that entered self-employment (1,135; 7%) was higher than the proportion of those aged under 25 (210; 1%).

On average, for participants under 25 entering employment, there were 164 days between their No One Left Behind start date and achieving this outcome. This was 168 days for those aged 25 and over.

For participants where the full time to achieve outcomes has passed, 62% of those under 25 were found to be in employment at 13 weeks, 51% at 26 weeks and 36% at 52 weeks. For those aged 25 and over, 59% were found to be in employment at 13 weeks, 51% at 26 weeks and 37% at 52 weeks. Please note for the participants not counted as in employment in the previous metrics, follow-up data collected prior to 1 October 2025  does not allow us to breakdown their status and differentiate between those that are not in employment and those that could not be reached during the follow-up check. For this reason, these numbers are likely to be an underestimate.

There was little difference in the proportion of those under 25 gaining a qualification (11,913; 21%) compared to those 25 and over (10,749; 20%) but those under 25 were more likely to enter full time or higher education or training (10,853; 19%) than those in the older age group (4,425; 8%).

Figure 3: The proportion of people aged 25 and over starting No One Left Behind has been increasing and is now larger than those aged under 25

Participants starting No One Left Behind, by age and quarter, April 2019 to March 2026 (age unknown less than 30 are not labelled)

Sex

Summary

Labour market patterns show a persistent gender divide, with men more likely to be unemployed and women more likely to be economically inactive. While male participants make up a slight majority of participants overall, female participants are more strongly represented in core working‑age groups (participants aged 25 to 49 years old) and show different progression pathways. Female participants take longer and are less likely to enter employment, but once in work they are more likely to sustain employment over time, while also being more likely to enter self‑employment. This may suggest gendered barriers at the point of labour market entry rather than differences in long‑term attachment.

Reach

Scotland’s Labour Market statistics show that from April 2025 to March 2026, for those aged 16 and over, the estimated unemployment rate for men in Scotland was 4.3% and 3.7% for women. A time series (year ending March 2025 to year ending March 2026) shows unemployment rates for men have been consistently higher than for women in Scotland. The estimated inactivity rate (16 - 64 years old) for women from January – December 2025 was higher at 25.1% compared with 19.3% for men. Over a longer period (year ending March 2005 to year ending March 2026) the economic inactivity rate for women has been consistently higher than men in Scotland. However, this gap has narrowed in recent years.

These rates are based on the APS, further information can be found at Scotland’s Labour Market Insights: July 2026 (Opens in new window).

For people receiving support through No One Left Behind, most were male (53%; 58,969), while the remaining 51,347 (46%) were female. Sex was unknown or other for 1% (984) of participants. Overall the difference in sex has remained relatively stable over time. In the most recent quarter, there were more male participants (3,172; 53%) than female (2,798; 46%).

Sex differences by age are more varied. For the middle age groups, 25 to 34 and 35 to 49, female participants account for the highest proportion of participants, 55% and 59%, respectively. The youngest age group, 15 to 19, has the lowest proportion of female participants at 38%.

While most participants supported through No One Left Behind are male, there are more female participants in seven Local Authority areas, with the highest proportion in East Renfrewshire (60%).

Progression

A total of 15,756 (31%) female participants entered employment compared to 19,472 (33%) male participants. Of those female participants entering employment, 2,983 (19%) were supported by a subsidy to do so, while this was the case for 4,596 (24%) of male participants. Furthermore 1,224 (8%) female participants entering employment started a modern apprenticeship compared to 1,938 (10%) male participants. The proportion of female participants that entered self-employment (815; 5%) was higher than the proportion of male participants (523; 3%).

On average, for female participants entering employment, there were 170 days between their No One Left Behind start date and achieving this outcome. This was 162 days for male participants.

For those where the full time to achieve outcomes has passed, 62% of female participants were found to be in employment at 13 weeks, 53% at 26 weeks and 38% at 52 weeks. For male participants, 60% were found to be in employment at 13 weeks, 50% at 26 weeks and 35% at 52 weeks. Please note for the participants not counted as in employment in the previous metrics, follow-up data collected prior to 1 October 2025 does not allow us to breakdown their status and differentiate between those that are not in employment and those that could not be reached during the follow-up check. For this reason, these numbers are likely to be an underestimate.

There was little difference in the proportion of female participants gaining a qualification (10,019; 20%) compared to male participants (12,524; 21%). There was a similar proportion of female participants entering full time or higher education or training (7,147;14%) compared to male participants (8,014; 14%).

Ethnicity

Summary

Patterns in both the wider labour market and No One Left Behind show potential inequality for people from minority ethnic backgrounds, who are less likely to be in employment and experience longer time to enter work. Participation in No One Left Behind from minority ethnic groups has increased over time, particularly among those aged 25 and over, but their outcomes point to potential inequalities, with lower job entry rates, longer durations to employment and lower sustained employment at 52 weeks compared to white participants. Despite this, minority ethnic participants are more likely to gain qualifications, suggesting strong engagement with skills development but potential barriers to translating this into sustained employment.

Reach

Scotland’s Labour Market statistics show that from January – December 2025, for those aged 16 to 64, the employment rate for minority ethnic groups was estimated at 65.5%, lower than the 75.5% for white groups. A longer period (year ending December 2011 to year ending December 2025) shows employment rates for minority ethnic groups have been consistently lower than the employment rates for white groups in Scotland. Please note as minority ethnic groups are a smaller group within the Scottish population, employment rate estimates tend to show greater variability than for white groups.

These rates are based on the APS, further information can be found at Scotland’s Labour Market Insights: April 2026 (Opens in new window).

Overall, people from a minority ethnic background have accounted for 12% (13,586) of No One Left Behind participants since April 2019. The proportion of minority ethnic participants has varied across years with the highest proportion in year 7 (2025/26; 16%). In the most recent quarter (January - March 2026), the proportion was 15%.

There are age differences. Since April 2019, the proportion of people aged 25 and over from a minority ethnic background is 19% compared to 6% of those aged under 25.

Data on ethnicity by sex was first reported in May 2026. Overall, a higher proportion of minority ethnic participants were female (56%) compared with white participants (45%). For those aged under 25, most participants are male whether from a minority ethnic (60%) or white (61%) background. However, for those aged 25 and over, a higher proportion of participants from a minority ethnic background are female (62%) compared to those from a white background (52%). For parents, there is little difference by ethnicity, with female participants making up similar percentages for both minority ethnic (71%) and white (69%) backgrounds.

The City of Edinburgh has the highest proportion (32%) of participants from a minority ethnic background, followed by East Renfrewshire (29%) and Glasgow City (27%).

There has been improvement in data quality as the proportion of “unknown” responses for ethnicity was at its lowest in year 7 (2025/26; 3%).

Progression

A total of 3,474 (26%) participants from a minority ethnic background entered employment compared to 30,568 (33%) white participants. A lower proportion of participants from a minority ethnic background entering employment were supported by a subsidy to do so (262; 8%) compared to white participants (6,849; 22%). A lower proportion of participants from a minority ethnic background entering employment started a modern apprenticeship (122; 4%) compared to white participants (2,890; 9%), while proportions were similar for entering self-employment for minority ethnic background participants (149; 4%) compared to white participants (1,132; 4%).

On average, for participants from a minority ethnic background entering employment, there were 187 days between their No One Left Behind start date and achieving this outcome. This was 165 days for white participants.

For those where the full time to achieve outcomes has passed, 60% of participants from a minority ethnic background were found to be in employment at 13 weeks, 49% at 26 weeks and 35% at 52 weeks. For white participants, 61% were found to be in employment at 13 weeks, 51% at 26 weeks and 37% at 52 weeks. Please note for the participants not counted as in employment in the previous metrics, follow-up data collected prior to 1 October 2025  does not allow us to breakdown their status and differentiate between those that are not in employment and those that could not be reached during the follow-up check. For this reason, these numbers are likely to be an underestimate.

Participants from a minority ethnic background were more likely to gain a qualification (3,314; 24%) compared to white participants (18,792; 20%). The percentage of participants from a minority ethnic background entering full time or higher education or training (1,653, 12%) was lower than the percentage of white participants achieving this outcome (12,754; 14%).

Long-Term Health Condition

Summary

Around half of recent No One Left Behind participants reported at least one long-term health condition, most commonly a mental health condition, and a significant minority of participants are living with multiple long‑term health conditions. Having a long‑term health condition substantially reduces the likelihood of participants entering employment, increases the time required to do so, and lowers the chances of them sustaining work over the longer term, with outcomes worsening as the number of long‑term health conditions increases. Despite this, No One Left Behind participants with long‑term health conditions engage positively with skills development, such as gaining qualifications or progressing into further or higher education and training at similar rates to those without long-term health conditions, indicating that the challenge may lie with the interaction between health, job design and labour market demand. 

Reach

Data on long-term health conditions was reported in this publication for the first time in February 2024. Overall, 39,290 (35%) participants have reported at least one long-term health condition (LTHC). Whilst this data has only been collected since October 2022 with the introduction of the SMF data template, data for earlier years has been retrospectively provided for some participants. 

Since October 2022, the proportion of participants reporting a LTHC has ranged from 39 – 50%. The proportion of participants that reported a LTHC was highest in year 7 quarter 2 (July – September 2025; 50%).

Of the 39,290 participants reporting a LTHC, over half (21,097; 54%) reported one condition, while a further 10,132 (26%) reported two conditions and 8,061 (21%) reported three or more conditions. The most commonly reported LTHCs are a mental health condition (20% of all participants), a long-term illness, disease or condition (9% of all participants), learning difficulty (8% of all participants) and autism spectrum disorder/condition (7% of all participants).

In the most recent quarter (January - March 2026), 2,941 (49%) of participants reported at least one LTHC, with 28% of all participants reporting a mental health condition, 12% reporting a long-term illness, disease or condition, 11% reporting an autism spectrum disorder/condition, and 10% reporting a learning difficulty.

These figures should be used with caution as some percentages are based on very small numbers and the proportion of unknowns can vary across time periods.

Progression

A total of 9,815 (25%) participants with one or more long-term health conditions entered employment compared to 25,622 (36%) of participants without a long-term health condition. The proportion of participants entering employment is lower for those with three or more conditions (20%) than for those with one condition (27%) and those with two conditions (24%). Of those participants with one or more long-term health conditions entering employment, 1,241 (13%) were supported by a subsidy to do so, compared to 6,372 (25%) of participants with no long-term health conditions. A lower proportion of participants with one or more long-term health conditions started a modern apprenticeship (560; 6%) compared to participants with no long-term health conditions (2,614; 10%). The proportion of participants with one or more long-term health conditions that entered self-employment (447; 5%) was higher than the proportion with no health conditions (902; 4%).

On average, for participants with one or more long-term health conditions entering employment, there were 187 days between their No One Left Behind start date and achieving this outcome. This was 158 days for participants with no long-term health conditions.

For those where the full time to achieve outcomes has passed, 59% of participants with one or more long-term health conditions were found to be in employment at 13 weeks, 49% at 26 weeks and 33% at 52 weeks. For participants with no long-term health conditions, 61% were found to be in employment at 13 weeks, 52% at 26 weeks and 38% at 52 weeks. Please note for the participants not counted as in employment in the previous metrics, follow-up data collected prior to 1 October 2025 does not allow us to breakdown their status and differentiate between those that are not in employment and those that could not be reached during the follow-up check. For this reason, these numbers are likely to be an underestimate.

A similar proportion of participants with one or more long-term health conditions gained a qualification (8,264; 21%) compared to participants with no long-term health conditions (14,470; 20%). The proportion of participants with one or more long-term health conditions entering full time or higher education (5,104; 13%) was similar compared to participants with no long-term health conditions (10,237; 14%).

The proportion of participants entering employment varies by different long-term health condition, though comparisons require caution due to low numbers for some conditions.

Disability

Summary

Wider Labour Market statistics show that disabled people remain significantly less likely to be in employment than non‑disabled people, a pattern reflected strongly in No One Left Behind, where the proportion of disabled participants has increased steadily and now represents over one-third of recent starts. Disabled participants face the greatest barriers to employment of any group analysed, with markedly lower job entry rates, the longest time taken to enter employment from when they start receiving support, and lower rates of sustained employment at 52 weeks. While the expansion of Specialist Employability Support reflects the scale and complexity of need, the evidence suggests that disability‑related employment gaps may be driven less by skills engagement, as entering training or education is at a similar level to non‑disabled participants. Disabled people’s entry to and sustainment in the labour market may be more influenced by the availability of appropriate, sustained job opportunities and tailored employer support.

Reach

Scotland’s Labour Market statistics show that from January – December 2025, for those aged 16 to 64, the employment rate for disabled people was estimated at 50.9%. This was significantly lower than the employment rate for non-disabled people (83.4%). A longer time period (year ending December 2014 to year ending December 2025) shows that the employment rate for disabled people has been continually lower than non-disabled people. The disability employment rate gap generally narrowed from 2014 to 2019 and has remained relatively constant since then.

These rates are based on the APS, further information can be found at Scotland’s Labour Market Insights: April 2026 (Opens in new window).

Not all participants with a LTHC are defined as disabled which also considers the impact a LTHC has on day-to-day activity (see supplementary Background and Methodology Report – opens in new window, for full disability definition).

Overall, 27% (30,107) of participants accessing No One Left Behind support were disabled. Dumfries and Galloway has the highest proportion of participants with a disability (40%), followed by Fife (38%), Angus, Moray and North Ayrshire (35%).

The proportion of disabled participants has varied across years and may have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the change in how this data was collected following the introduction of the SMF Data Template. The proportion of participants reporting a disability was highest in year 7 (2025/26), the most recent year, at 37%. In the most recent quarter (January - March 2026), the proportion was 37%.

Specialist Employability Support

Additional funding was provided by the Scottish Government to Local Authorities in 2025/26 to ensure a specialist employability support offer was in place across Scotland by July 2025 for disabled people and those with long-term health conditions. The following data was published for the first time in February 2026.

There were at least 1,254 No One Left Behind participants starting in 2025/26 (up to March 2026) who were reported as receiving Specialist Employability Support (SES). The most common type of SES provided to participants was Supported Employment (SE). A total of 817 (65%) of all SES participants received this support type, of which 265 were reported to have accessed supported employment delivered in line with a fidelity model (see supplementary Background and Methodology Report – opens in new window, for full definitions). A further 199 (16%) participants received Individual Placement and Support (IPS), of which 71 were reported to have accessed support delivered in line with a fidelity model. There were 34 (3%) participants receiving support through Project Search with 200 participants receiving SES through another support type and 4 with unknown support type. 

At least one participant was reported as receiving SES in 31 out of 32 Local Authorities in the reporting period (April 2025 – March 2026), although we are aware of processing issues for the remaining Local Authority (see table 1). We would expect these processing issue to have been resolved in future publications. 

Please note, SES was available in some areas prior to 2025/26. The data reported here is in reference to support provided from the additional funding made available in 2025/26. Therefore, this reflects those receiving SES due to the additional funding and does not represent the totality of SES provision in Scotland. Further breakdowns will be made available in the future as more data becomes available. See supplementary, Background and Methodology Report – opens in new window, for definition of SES support types.

Progression

A total of 7,409 (25%) disabled participants entered employment compared to 24,743 (36%) of non-disabled participants.

Of those disabled participants entering employment, 1,134 (15%) were supported by a subsidy to do so, compared to 5,570 (23%) of non-disabled participants. A lower proportion of disabled participants started a modern apprenticeship (429; 6%) compared to non-disabled participants (2,533; 10%), while proportions were similar for entering self-employment for disabled participants (310; 4%) compared to non-disabled participants (904; 4%).

On average, for disabled participants entering employment, there were 191 days between their No One Left Behind start date and achieving this outcome. This was 158 days for non-disabled participants.

For those where the full time to achieve outcomes has passed, 59% of disabled participants were found to be in employment at 13 weeks, 48% at 26 weeks and 33% at 52 weeks. For non-disabled participants, 63% were found to be in employment at 13 weeks, 53% at 26 weeks and 39% at 52 weeks. Please note for the participants not counted as in employment in the previous metrics, follow-up data collected prior to 1 October 2025  does not allow us to breakdown their status and differentiate between those that are not in employment and those that could not be reached during the follow-up check. For this reason, these numbers are likely to be an underestimate.

A similar proportion of disabled participants gained a qualification (5,887; 20%) compared to non-disabled participants (14,867; 21%) and disabled participants entering full time or higher education or training (3,891; 13%) compared to non-disabled participants (9,727; 14%).

Figure 4: No One Left Behind participants are most likely to be male, white and under 20

Equality Characteristics of People Starting No One Left Behind, April 2019 to March 2026

Other Characteristics and Circumstances

Summary

The introduction of more detailed data has revealed the breadth and complexity of the circumstances faced by No One Left Behind participants. A significant proportion of participants face barriers to employment such as limited work experience, childcare or caring responsibilities, transport, criminal convictions, homelessness, or refugee and asylum status. The overall picture points to overlapping, cumulative barriers rather than single issues in isolation. Improvements in data quality following the introduction of the SMF Data Template have been critical in making these challenges visible, reinforcing the need for employability support that is flexible, tailored and capable of responding to the combined effects of personal circumstances, structural barriers and labour market conditions.

Trans Status

Trans status was reported for the first time in July 2023. This variable was first included in the SMF Data Template and is only available for participants starting on or after the 1st October 2022. This question is voluntary.

Overall, 1% of participants (923 people) have responded yes to the question on trans status. Of these, 37% (345) identified as a trans man, 36% (329) as a non-binary person, 17% (156) as a trans woman, with the remaining 10% (93 participants) choosing the “other” option.

Sexual Orientation

Sexual orientation was reported for the first time in July 2024. Overall, 71% (79,518) of participants identify as straight / heterosexual, 3% (3,022) of participants identify as bisexual, 2% (1,823) as gay / lesbian, and 1% (840) as other sexual orientation. The proportion of unknowns is high at 23% (26,097), but has been reducing over time, from 68% in year 1 (2019/20) to 15% in year 6 (2024/25). In year 7 (2025/26), the proportion of unknowns was 16%.

For participants starting in the most recent quarter, 76% (4,591) identified as straight or heterosexual, 3% (184) as bisexual, 2% (118) as gay or lesbian, and 1% (59) as other sexual orientation. The proportion of unknowns for the most recent quarter was 18%.

All figures should be interpreted with caution as some percentages are based on small numbers and the proportion of unknowns has varied across time periods.

Circumstances

This section describes the circumstances and barriers to employment reported by participants, highlighting the prevalence of factors such as limited work experience, transport, childcare and caring responsibilities for NOLB participants, and shows how improvements in data collection have enhanced understanding of participant needs over time. Prior to the SMF Data Template, information on participant’s circumstances was collected as a single variable with multiple options. While more than one option could be chosen, often only the most significant characteristic or circumstance was selected. This means data prior to October 2022 has a significant number of unknowns. 

The SMF Data Template collects data on characteristics and circumstances as stand-alone mandatory variables. This has significantly improved the proportion of unknowns across these variables.

Unless otherwise stated, the following data was reported for the first time in February 2024.

No or Limited Work Experience

Lack of work experience may be a barrier to gaining employment opportunities. In the most recent quarter, 2,235 people (37%) reported having no or limited work experience, while 3,571 (59%) did not report having no or limited work experience. This information was unknown for 216 people (4%). The proportion of people reporting having no or limited work experience has ranged from 35 – 43% since the introduction of the SMF Data Template.

Transport

Not everyone has access to transport for travelling to a place of work, whether it be due to affordability, access or reliability. In the most recent quarter, 1,250 people (21%) reported transport as a barrier, while 4,446 (74%) did not report transport as a barrier. This information was unknown for 326 people (5%). The proportion of people reporting transport as a barrier has ranged from 17 – 24% since the introduction of the SMF Data Template.

Child Care

Child care responsibilities may limit the availability and times people can work or the distances they can travel for work which may be a barrier to finding employment. In the most recent quarter, 1,006 people (17%) reported childcare responsibilities as a barrier to employment, while 4,625 (77%) did not. This information was unknown for 391 people (6%). The proportion of people reporting childcare responsibilities as a barrier to employment has ranged from 13 – 20% since the introduction of the SMF Data Template.

Caring Responsibilities

Caring responsibilities may limit the availability and times people can work or the distances they can travel for work which may be a barrier to finding employment. In the most recent quarter, 598 people (10%) reported having caring responsibilities, while 5,130 (85%) did not report having caring responsibilities. This information was unknown for 294 people (5%). The proportion of people reporting having caring responsibilities has ranged from 10 – 16% since the introduction of the SMF Data Template.

Criminal Convictions

People with a criminal conviction may find it more difficult to find employment, for example due to restrictions in certain employment sectors or possibly stigma. Data on participants reporting a criminal conviction were reported for the first time in October 2023. 

In the most recent quarter, 473 people (8%) reported a criminal conviction, while 5,279 (88%) did not report a criminal conviction. This information was unknown for 270 people (4%). The proportion of people reporting a criminal conviction ranged between 6 - 8% since the introduction of the SMF Data Template.

Breakdowns showing the proportion of participants reporting a criminal conviction by Local Authority from year 5 (2023/24) to year 7 (2025/26) are reported in the accompanying tables. These tables were published for the first time in July 2024.

Data for year 5 represents the baseline year for the nationally determined outcome: More people with convictions access support to enhance their readiness for employment, as part of the Community Justice Performance Framework (Access Community Justice Performance Framework - opens in new window).

Care Experienced

In the most recent quarter, 383 people (6%) reported being care experienced, while 5,354 (89%) did not report being care experienced. This information was unknown for 285 people (5%). The proportion of people reporting being care experienced has ranged from 6 – 8% since the introduction of the SMF Data Template.

Homelessness

The lack of a fixed address may present a number of barriers to employment. In the most recent quarter, 280 people (5%) reported homelessness, while 5,468 (91%) did not report homelessness. This information was unknown for 274 people (5%). The proportion of people reporting homelessness ranged between 4 - 5% since the introduction of the SMF Data Template.

Refugees

In the most recent quarter, 190 people (3%) reported being a refugee, while 5,550 (92%) did not report being a refugee. This information was unknown for 282 people (5%). The proportion of people reporting being a refugee has ranged from 3 – 6% since the introduction of the SMF Data Template.

Substance Related Conditions

In the most recent quarter, 204 people (3%) reported a substance related condition, while 5,540 (92%) did not report a substance related condition. This information was unknown for 278 people (5%). The proportion of people reporting a substance related condition has consistently been around 3% since the introduction of the SMF Data Template.

Armed Forces Veteran

In the most recent quarter, 81 people (1%) reported being an armed forces veteran, while 5,663 (94%) reported not being an armed forces veteran. This information was unknown for 278 people (5%). The proportion of people reporting being an armed forces veteran has consistently been around 1% since the introduction of the SMF Data Template.

Asylum Seekers

In the most recent quarter, 55 people (1%) reported being an asylum seeker, while 5,685 (94%) did not report being an asylum seeker. This information was unknown for 282 people (5%). The proportion of people reporting being an asylum seeker has consistently been around 0 - 1% since the introduction of the SMF Data Template.

Figure 5: In the latest quarter, participants were most likely to report no or limited work experience, transport and childcare as barriers to employment

Characteristics and Circumstances of People Starting No One Left Behind, January to March 2026

Parents

Summary

Parents represent a substantial and growing share of No One Left Behind participants, with many belonging to the six priority family groups most at risk of child poverty. Parents have a distinct profile compared to all participants: typically older, predominantly female, and more likely to be from a minority ethnic background. Parents are also far more likely to face structural barriers such as childcare, caring responsibilities and transport constraints. While parents are slightly less likely to enter employment overall and take longer to do so, they are likely to already be in work when starting support and show relatively strong rates of sustained employment at 52 weeks. Compared to all participants, the evidence suggests that parents’ longer journeys into work may be driven less by a lack of employability or work experience and more by family‑related constraints that shape when, where and what work is feasible.

Reach

Parents are a subgroup of all participants supported during the period April 2020 to March 2026 (year 2 onwards). Of the 108,645 people who started to receive support from year 2, 34,507 (32%) were parents. The number and proportion of parents has generally increased, reaching a high of 8,861 (37%) parents in year 6 (2024/25), though this may be levelling out from year 5 onwards. 

Figure 6: The number of parents starting to receive support through No One Left Behind has generally been increasing though this may be levelling out

Parents Receiving No One Left Behind Support, by Quarter, April 2020 to March 2026

Age

Most parents are aged 25 and over (90%; 30,997), with the majority in the 35 to 49 years age group (50%; 17,307). The youngest age group accounted for the lowest proportion of all parents (15 to 19 year olds; 2%; 781).

Sex

While female participants account for a lower proportion of all participants (46%), they account for a majority of the parent subgroup (70%; 24,087). Female participants have accounted for a higher proportion of parents across the period. However, the proportion of male parents accessing support has generally increased over time from 18% in Year 2 (2020/21) to 32% in year 6 (2024/25), with 31% of male participants being parents in year 7 (2025/26). In the latest quarter (January - March 2026) it was 32%.

Ethnicity

Of parents accessing No One Left Behind support since 2020, 21% (7,258) were from a minority ethnic background, while this was the case for 23% (461) of parents in the most recent quarter (January - March 2026).

Disability

Overall, 27% (9,378) of parents reported a disability. The proportion of parents reporting a disability has increased over time from 13% in year 2 (2020/21) to 34% in the most recent full year (Year 7 - 2025/26). This was 34% in the most recent quarter (January - March 2026).

Other Circumstances and Characteristics

Parents were less likely to report no or limited work experience as a barrier to employment (20%) compared to all participants (41%). This may reflect the fact parent participants tend to be older and so may have gained work experience earlier in life. In contrast, parents are more likely to report childcare (40% versus 13% overall) and caring responsibilities (28% versus 12% overall) as barriers compared to all participants. Transport was also reported as a barrier for a larger proportion of parents (21%) than for all participants (17%) and parents were more likely to report being refugees (6%) than all participants (4%).

Figure 7: No One Left Behind parents are most likely to be female, white and 25 or over

Equality Characteristics of Parents Starting No One Left Behind, April 2020 to March 2026

Priority Family Groups

There were 1,979 parents in the most recent quarter (January - March 2026). Of these, many were also from priority family groups which are families at highest risk of being affected by child poverty. Please see Tackling Child Poverty Priority Families Overview (opens in new window) for further information on the priority family groups and their definitions.

The following information has been collected based on these family groups. (some participants may appear in one or more of these family groups):

• 1,019 (51%) were lone parents,
• 668 (34%) were disabled,
• 450 (23%) were parents with three or more children,
• 430 (22%) had a disabled child or adult within the family (this refers to any other disabled adult within the family, not adults who are participants)
• 159 (8%) were parents aged under 25, and,
• 159 (8%) had a child aged under 12 months.

Overall, of the 34,507 parents receiving support since year 2:

• 18,875 (55%) were lone parents,
• 9,378 (27%) were disabled,
• 7,962 (23%) were parents with three or more children,
• 6,266 (18%) had a disabled child or adult within the family (this refers to any other disabled adult within the family, not adults who are participants),
• 3,409 (10%) were parents aged under 25, and,
• 2,835 (8%) had a child aged under 12 months.

Progression

The following statistics on parents are from year 2 (April 2020) onwards. There has been at least 22,854 positive outcomes achieved by the 34,507 parents supported under the No One Left Behind approach between April 2020 to March 2026. Please note that it is possible for the same participant to achieve more than one positive outcome.

Of the 34,507 parents supported under the No One Left Behind approach, 10,281 (30%) entered employment. Of those; 1,114 (11%) were supported by a subsidy to do so, 161 (2%) started modern apprenticeships and 908 (9%) entered self-employment.

On average, for the 10,281 parents that entered employment, there were 184 days between their No One Left Behind start date and participants achieving this outcome.

A total of 9,688 parents have been in employment long enough to reach the 13 week follow-up check. Of these, 5,905 (61%) were confirmed as still in employment. A total of 9,041 parents have been in employment long enough to reach the 26 week follow-up check. Of these, 4,748 (53%) were still in employment. And, a total of 7,542 participants have been in employment long enough to reach the 52 week follow-up check. Of these, 2,963 (39%) were still in employment. Please note for the participants not counted as in employment in the previous metrics, follow-up data collected prior to 1 October 2025  does not allow us to breakdown their status and differentiate between those that are not in employment and those that could not be reached during the follow-up check. For this reason, these numbers are likely to be an underestimate.

Additionally, 3,007 (9%) parents were supported entering further or higher education or training, 6,922 (20%) gained a qualification, 1,541 (4%) started work experience and 1,081 (3%) started volunteering.

Figure 8: Most parents achieving an outcome enter employment

Outcomes achieved by No One Left Behind parents, April 2020 to March 2026