Employ-Ability

What Employ-Ability does

Employ-Ability is a specialist UK charity, founded in 2002 and headquartered at the Latton Bush Centre in Harlow, Essex, that delivers employment support services to individuals experiencing mental ill health. Its core service model is the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) framework, an evidence-based vocational rehabilitation methodology that emphasises personalised job matching and ongoing in-work support. The organisation delivers three primary service lines: support for young people, help getting back into employment, and a job retention service for people whose employment is at risk due to mental ill health. It also works directly with employers to facilitate successful job matches and workplace accommodations.

The organisation operates across West Essex, South Essex, Southend, and West Suffolk, serving individuals (primary beneficiary) and employers (secondary beneficiary, including those participating in the Disability Confident programme). It has built a network of strategic partnerships with NHS trusts, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Essex County Council (ECC), Shaw Trust, Connect to Work, the Centre for Medical Health, and PPL, which provide referral pathways and funding. Services are provided free of charge to end users.

Because Employ-Ability is a registered charity rather than a commercial enterprise, it does not generate revenue from user fees. Its income is derived from service contracts and grants with statutory bodies (NHS, DWP, ECC), national charities (Shaw Trust), and government employment programmes (Connect to Work). Marketing and outreach rely on the organisation's website, social media channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram), and inbound referrals from healthcare and partner organisations. The organisation holds accreditations including Living Wage Employer, Mental Health at Work Commitment, and GBC Accredited, and is governed by a board of trustees with a leadership team overseeing operations.

Name

Employ-Ability

Legal name

Employ-Ability

Website

https://employ-ability.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Employ-Ability is a UK charity that delivers specialist employment support, using the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model, to individuals with mental ill health across West Essex, South Essex, Southend, and West Suffolk.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Rehabilitation Services

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Employment Services (5613)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits (BPAGADAF), Supported Employment & Job Coaching (EDAKANAE), Workforce Support Services & Case Management (Coaching, Wraparound) (EDAAAOAK), Career Coaching, Mentoring & Placement Support Services (EDAAAKAO)

Keywords

• Employment support services
• Vocational rehabilitation
• Mental health employment
• Individual placement support
• Job retention support

Headquarters

HQ city

Harlow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Charitable funding and grants: As a specialist employment support charity, Employ-Ability operates primarily through funding from NHS partnerships, government contracts (including Department for Work and Pensions), and charitable grants. Revenue is generated through service contracts rather than direct customer payments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Employ-Ability is a specialist UK charity that delivers employment support services to people experiencing mental ill health, using the evidence-based Individual Placement and Support (IPS) methodology. The organisation offers three core services: youth employment support, help getting back into employment, and job retention support for individuals whose current employment is under threat. It also partners with employers to facilitate job matches and provide workplace accommodations.

Product overview

Employ-Ability is a specialist employment support charity that operates a service-based model centred on the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) methodology. The organisation offers an integrated portfolio of services comprising: (1) Support for young people, (2) Help getting back into Employment, and (3) Help with your current job (job retention service). These services are designed to help people with mental ill health secure and retain employment, working across West Essex, South Essex, Southend, and West Suffolk.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Support for Young People Specialised employment support service tailored for young people experiencing mental ill health, providing guidance, mentoring, and transitional support for entering or re-entering the workforce.
• Help Getting Back into Employment Employment support service helping individuals with mental ill health return to and secure sustainable employment, delivered through the evidence-based Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model.
• Help with Your Current Job Job retention service supporting individuals whose employment is at risk due to mental health challenges, helping them maintain their current position through workplace support and advocacy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Evidence-based IPS model with proven effectiveness in employment outcomes for people with mental ill health

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• NHScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHS partnership providing healthcare referrals and collaborative working to support individuals with mental ill health in gaining employment. The NHS logo appears prominently on the organization's website indicating a formal relationship.
• Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partnership supporting employment services for people with disabilities and mental health conditions. DWP badge displayed on website.
• Shaw TrustmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational charity partnership for disability and employment support services. Shaw Trust is a major provider of employment support for people with disabilities.
• Connect to WorkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Connect to Work program providing additional employment support pathways and resources for clients.
• Centre for Medical HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Centre for Medical Health providing integrated health and employment support services.
• Essex County Council (ECC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partnership supporting regional employment services across Essex.
• PPL (Professional Partnerships Limited)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting professional development and service delivery capabilities.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Mind: The UK's largest mental health charity, with broader advocacy and support remit but also employment-support programs and local Mind branches delivering employment services. Overlaps with Employ-Ability in mental health employment but operates at significantly larger scale and scope.
• Rethink Mental Illness: National UK mental health charity providing information, services, and supported employment initiatives for people affected by mental illness. Larger incumbent with adjacent employment-support services competing for the same funder pool.

Emerging players

• The Prince's Trust: Major UK youth charity with employment, education, and enterprise programs targeted at disadvantaged young people. Overlaps with Employ-Ability's youth employment service for young people with mental ill health.
• DFN Project Search: UK supported employment program focused on young adults with learning disabilities and autism transitioning into work. Comparable as a specialist supported-employment charity operating in the UK and competing for similar disability-confident employer relationships.

Direct peers

• Advance: UK charity supporting people with mental ill health, learning disabilities, and other vulnerabilities into employment and independent living. Closest peer given the shared mental-health-and-employment focus and IPS-aligned methodology.
• Remploy: UK employment-services charity supporting disabled people and those with health conditions into sustainable employment. Directly comparable in target beneficiary, employer-engagement model, and geographic operating model.
• Together (formerly Richmond Fellowship): UK mental health charity providing employment, housing, and recovery-focused support, including IPS-aligned employment services. Highly comparable mental-health-employment model and beneficiary population.
• Shaw Trust: One of the UK's largest employment charities supporting people with disabilities and health conditions into work. Direct overlap with Employ-Ability on individual placement, employer engagement, and IPS-style delivery; already named as a major partner of Employ-Ability.
• United Response: UK charity providing employment, housing, and support services for people with learning disabilities, mental health needs, and autism. Comparable in offering individual placement and supported employment services within the UK third sector.

Others

• Centre for Mental Health: UK mental health policy and research charity that influences IPS adoption and employment-support commissioning. Not a direct delivery peer but is a named partner of Employ-Ability and shapes the policy environment in which the charity operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/people/Employ-Ability/100086494637412
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/employ-ability-charity
• Instagraminstagram.com/employ.ability

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Employ-Ability