Restart Scheme

The Restart scheme will give Universal Credit claimants who have been out of work for at least 12 months enhanced support to find jobs in their local area.

Restart Scheme Logo
The Restart Scheme is part of the UK Government’s ‘Plan for Jobs’ initiative, designed to provide you with support and advice to help you secure sustainable employment. Serco has been carefully selected by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to deliver the restart Scheme. We are working in partnership with your local Jobcentre Plus to provide up to 12 months of bespoke support, tailored to your needs.
 
We will continue to provide you with support once you start work. The Restart Scheme provides you with a blend of face-to-face, personal support, digital activities and resources. When you join the programme, you will be introduced to your own Job Coach who will support you to find work.
Restart Birmingham
Restart Dudley
Restart Walsall

Restart will provide intensive support designed to help Participants into sustained work. It will initially target people who have spent between 12 and 18 months claiming Universal Credit. Restart will provide additional intensive support above what is available through Jobcentre Plus (JCP), supporting claimants into sustainable work.

Getting you into work

Everyone’s journey into employment is different and the Restart Scheme is designed to meet your individual needs.

The Restart Scheme provides you with a personal Job Coach who will meet with you regularly and provide telephone, online and face to face support, to:

Identify and encourage your work goals and help you to transfer your existing skills into your next role

Develop a plan to help you find new employment, and provide local work experience placements and skills training

Detail how your benefit calculations will look once you are in work and as you earn more

Support your health, disability and wellbeing

Advise you on how to manage your money, child/caring responsibilities, housing and/or travel costs whilst on the scheme

Support you to retain your job and progress in your new role

How we can help

The Restart Scheme offers resources to help you look for work, prepare for an interview, and support you once you are employed:

  • Job search engine – thousands of job vacancies listed in one place
  • Careers advice and planning How to solve problems that are getting in the way of work
  • Factsheets and guides about specific industries, types of jobs that are available and what skills they require
  • A CV building tool and workshop to help you highlight your skills and experience
  • Interview preparation activities and mock interviews (1-to-1 and group sessions) as well as interview feedback
  • Handy guides on things like ‘How to look for a job,’ ‘How to apply for a job’ and ‘Writing a CV’
  • Matching you to the right job – we work with local employers and businesses, to help match you to suitable opportunities and placements

We’re providing intensive support designed to help Participants into sustained work. It will initially target people who have spent between 12 and 18 months claiming Universal Credit.

Restart will provide additional intensive support above what is available through Jobcentre Plus (JCP), supporting claimants into sustainable work.

We want to ensure all participants are given the best support to find employment. The Restart Scheme will be the first DWP employment programme procured with a customer satisfaction measure built in as an integral part of performance management. DWP has designed robust Customer Service Standards with contractual requirements which will ensure:

  • regular contact with all participants using a variety of methods and channels
  • a personalised offer for all participants, tailored to individual and local need

How to get started

Your Jobcentre Plus Work Coach will explain more about the Restart Scheme and arrangean introductory meeting with us

gov.uk Restart scheme
How the Restart scheme will work
Restart scheme: Contract Package Areas

How we can help