Shaw Trust

What Shaw Trust does

Shaw Trust is a UK registered charity founded in 1982 and headquartered at Black Country House, Oldbury, operating across England, Scotland, and Wales. It supports over 250,000 people annually through a diversified portfolio of social services: employment programmes (Restart Scheme, Connect to Work, Work and Health Programme, Individual Placement and Support), residential children's care delivered through its Homes2Inspire subsidiary (53 homes and two semi-independent leaving care facilities serving 150+ children), justice rehabilitation services, community health and wellbeing programmes, education and training (including apprenticeships), employer inclusion services, and a network of charity retail shops. The organisation is recognised as the largest not-for-profit residential children's home provider in the UK and operates additional subsidiaries and brands including Ixion (employment and skills), Living Made Easy (accessibility and daily living aids), Accessibility Services, Forth Sector (community enterprises), Optimus Education, and Prospects (youth services).

The technology stack consists of standard charity management and service delivery systems, with Kallidus used for HR and learning management. No proprietary technology products, patents, or AI-native platforms are disclosed. A School of Coding & AI subsidiary in Wolverhampton delivers digital skills training to learners rather than serving as an internal AI capability. Service delivery is primarily in-person case management supported by digital tools, with programmes operating through established referral and commissioning pathways via Job Centres, schools, NHS trusts, and local authorities.

Shaw Trust is funded predominantly through government contracts with the Department for Work and Pensions, NHS trusts, and local authorities, supplemented by charity retail sales and commercial training and employer services. The go-to-market is bifurcated: a sales-led motion securing commissioned contracts with public sector bodies, and direct-to-consumer engagement through career services, youth programmes, and self-referral pathways. Individual service pricing is not publicly disclosed, consistent with the grant and contract-funded model. The organisation holds charity registrations in England & Wales (No. 287785) and Scotland (SC039856) and operates as a non-profit governed by a board of trustees, without shareholders or external equity backing.

Name

Shaw Trust

Legal name

Shaw Trust

Website

https://shaw-trust.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Shaw Trust is a UK registered charity founded in 1982 that annually supports over 250,000 people through employment services, residential children's care, skills training, justice rehabilitation, and community health programmes, primarily funded by government contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Welfare and Employment Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Community Housing Services (62422), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

Keywords

• Employment support services
• Skills training programs
• Children residential care
• Community health wellbeing
• Social impact charity

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts: Primary revenue from public sector commissioning contracts with central government (DWP), local authorities, NHS trusts, and other public bodies for employment services, skills training, and social care delivery.
2. Charity Retail: Operation of charity shops generating retail revenue, including expansion through acquisition from Trussell.
3. Commercial Services: Fee-for-service training, employment support, and consultancy services to employers and businesses.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Shaw Trust is a UK employment charity delivering services for people at disadvantage, including employment support, skills training, education, community health and wellbeing, children's residential care, justice rehabilitation, and employer disability inclusion services. Operations are funded primarily through government and public sector contracts with the Department for Work and Pensions, local authorities, and NHS trusts, supplemented by charity retail and commercial training income.

Product overview

Shaw Trust is a leading UK employment charity offering a diverse portfolio of social impact services. The organization operates a multi-brand structure centered on its core employment, skills, and wellbeing services, supported by subsidiary operations in children's residential care (Homes2Inspire under the Homes and Horizons partnership), education (Optimus Education), accessibility (Accessibility Services), and community enterprises (Forth Sector). Key programs include Connect to Work, Restart, National Careers Service, Individual Placement Support (IPS), and Justice Services. The charity also runs charity retail operations and manages the Disability Power 100 initiative. Shaw Trust's services are delivered through partnerships with government bodies, NHS trusts, local authorities, and employers across the UK.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Homes2Inspire: Children's residential home provider offering nurturing and caring homes for children
• Ixion
• Living Made Easy
• Forth Sector
• Optimus Education
• Prospects

Products and services

• Employment Support Services Core employment support services helping people find and keep meaningful jobs, delivered through programmes such as Restart, Connect to Work, Work and Health Programme, and Individual Placement Support (IPS) for people with mental health conditions. Commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions and NHS trusts.
• Education and Training Education and training programmes including apprenticeships, skills development, supported internships for young people with SEND, and statutory careers guidance delivered in schools and colleges under the National Careers Service contract.
• Children's Residential Care (Homes2Inspire) Ofsted-registered residential children's homes providing nurturing and therapeutic care for looked after children. Operates 53 homes caring for over 150 children across Bedfordshire, Derbyshire, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Staffordshire, and Worcestershire, delivered through the Homes2Inspire subsidiary under local authority contracts.
• Community Health and Wellbeing Services Integrated community health and wellbeing services that combine employment support with health interventions, including Individual Placement Support (IPS) services operating from GP practices and mental health services across Hampshire, Kent, South West, and Medway regions.
• Justice Services Rehabilitation and resettlement services for offenders including education programmes at Feltham Young Offenders Institute and CFO (Creating Future Opportunities) Activity Hubs in Hampshire, focused on skills development, education, and reintegration pathways.
• Employer Services Fee-for-service training, diversity and inclusion support, recruitment assistance, and consultancy to employers seeking to become more inclusive workplaces, including Disability Confident Leader advisory services and regional recruitment partnerships.
• Charity Retail Shops High street charity shops selling donated goods in local communities, with operations expanded through the 2024 acquisition of retail operations from Trussell. Includes warehouse and distribution operations in Salisbury.
• National Careers Service Government-funded careers advice service providing career guidance, skills assessment, and job search support for individuals across the UK.
• Connect to Work Programme Government employment programme commissioned across Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk, West Midlands, Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to support disadvantaged people into sustained employment.
• WorkWell Programme Government-commissioned WorkWell programme supporting people with health conditions to remain in or return to work, delivered through integrated health and employment services.
• Living Made Easy Advisory service helping disabled and older people find suitable equipment and daily living aids, operated as a subsidiary of Shaw Trust Group.
• Accessibility Services Services helping organisations improve accessibility compliance and support disabled individuals through Shaw Trust Group subsidiary operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Helped over 250,000 people last year achieve their full potential
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Homes2InspirecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubsidiary organization and core part of Shaw Trust Group. Homes2Inspire provides high-quality children's residential homes and leaving care services across Bedfordshire, Derbyshire, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Staffordshire, and Worcestershire. Currently operates 53 homes caring for over 150 children and young people.
• Somerset NHS Foundation TrustflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Homes and Horizons initiative creating trauma-informed, therapeutic children's homes. This pioneering collaboration combines NHS clinical expertise with Shaw Trust's social care experience to provide integrated care for children with complex needs.
• Somerset County CouncilflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partner in the Homes and Horizons partnership, commissioning children's homes and fostering services. The partnership aims to provide comprehensive care pathways from residential homes through to therapeutic education and high-needs foster care.
• OCS GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional recruitment activity partnership with OCS, a facilities management company. Shaw Trust supports OCS's workforce development and inclusive recruitment practices.
• Nottinghamshire County CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing commissioning relationship for children's homes and services. Shaw Trust operates multiple Homes2Inspire homes across Nottinghamshire under local authority contracts.
• Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary government commissioning partner for employment programmes including Restart Scheme, Work and Health Programme, Individual Placement and Support (IPS) contracts, and Connect to Work services.
• NHS TrustscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with NHS trusts across multiple regions (Hampshire, Kent, South West) for Individual Placement Support (IPS) services helping people with severe mental health conditions obtain and retain employment.
• Ixion HoldingsminorOthersGroup site - another organization within the Shaw Trust group ecosystem.
• Living Made EasyminorOthersGroup site - part of the Shaw Trust Group of organizations.
• Accessibility ServicesminorOthersGroup site - part of the Shaw Trust Group focused on accessibility solutions.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Reed in Partnership: UK employment-services contractor delivering Restart, Work and Health Programme and other DWP-commissioned programmes; competes head-to-head with Shaw Trust for prime contracts and uses a similar outcomes-based delivery model.
• Seetec: Not-for-profit employability and skills provider holding multiple DWP prime contracts across the UK, closely comparable in target beneficiaries, contract mix and delivery model to Shaw Trust's employment arm.
• Ingeus UK: Major prime contractor for Restart, Work and Health Programme and IPS employment services across the UK; direct competitor for the same DWP and NHS contracts Shaw Trust delivers.
• Maximus UK: Global employment, health and disability services provider operating in the UK via the Centre for Health and Disability Assessments and employment programmes; overlaps with Shaw Trust's IPS and Connect to Work contracts.
• Barnardo's: UK children's charity operating residential homes, fostering and youth services across the UK; directly comparable to Shaw Trust's Homes2Inspire subsidiary and broader children's services work.
• Action for Children: Major UK charity running children's residential homes, fostering and family support services; competes for the same local-authority commissioning contracts as Homes2Inspire.
• Remploy: UK provider of disability employment services and workplace inclusion advice; comparable to Shaw Trust's employer services, Disability Confident Leader work, and IPS employment support for disabled people.
• Pluss Organisation: Social enterprise delivering disability employment, apprenticeships and workplace inclusion services; directly comparable in target beneficiaries and disability-confident employer support to Shaw Trust.

Broad incumbents

• Serco UK: Large outsourcer that operates welfare-to-work, justice and public-service contracts including employment programmes; broader portfolio than Shaw Trust but competes for the same DWP and MoJ tenders.

Others

• NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations): Umbrella body representing UK charities and voluntary organisations; not a competitor but a sector body whose members include Shaw Trust and which influences the operating environment for large employment charities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/shawtrust
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ShawTrust100
• Facebookfacebook.com/shawtrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shaw-trust
• Instagraminstagram.com/shaw_trust/?hl=en-gb

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shaw Trust