House of Commons Reception Celebrates Four Years of Restart Scheme Success

• The Employment Related Services Association (ERSA) hosted a special House of Commons reception to celebrate four years of success for the Restart Scheme.
• The programme has helped more than 200,000 people overcome barriers and move into work since its launch.
• The Growth Company delivers the Restart Scheme as a trusted supply chain partner across Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire, the North West, and the East Midlands.

On Monday, industry-body ERSA welcomed members, supply chain partners, participants, and politicians to a special House of Commons reception marking four years of success for the Restart Scheme.

The event celebrated the programme’s achievements, including helping more than 200,000 people overcome barriers and move into sustainable employment since its launch.

Reflecting on the evening, Michelle Leeson, Managing Director for Employment, Justice, and Health at The Growth Company, said: "It was humbling to be invited to London to hear about the success of the Restart Scheme and how it’s helping people find and succeed in work.

“As we all know, economic inactivity is a big challenge for the UK. There are countless people up and down the country who want to work but face real barriers. Restart gives them the support they need to overcome them.”

“Behind every statistic is a personal story. The scheme has helped thousands of people regain their confidence, develop new skills, and secure meaningful employment, with many participants going on to build careers and achieve goals they never thought possible.”

“Over the past few years, we’ve seen this first-hand across Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire, the North West, and more recently, the East Midlands,” she added.

“Now we’re looking ahead, learning what works, improving how we deliver, and making sure even more people get the chance to benefit from good jobs.”

Find out more

The Restart Scheme is a Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) initiative that provides up to a year of tailored, intensive support to people who have been on Universal Credit for more than 6 months. It helps them to overcome barriers to employment through a wide range of employability support.

The Growth Company delivers the Restart Scheme in South Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire on behalf of Maximus UK, in the North-West on behalf of G4S, and in Greater Manchester on behalf of Ingeus.

Read more on our dedicated Restart Scheme page.

The Growth Company

The Growth Company is an award-winning social enterprise with a 30-year history of enabling growth, creating jobs, and improving lives.

We help people and businesses across the UK to develop, grow, and succeed through a range of employment, skills, and business support services. We provide employment, justice, and health services across the North West and beyond.

Contact us today to find out more.