December 23, 2025Posted by: Charlotte

As 2025 draws to a close, it’s a moment to reflect on the breadth of work delivered across PeoplePlus this year. From social recruitment and employability to justice and community services, colleagues and partners across the organisation have supported people to move forward, often in complex and challenging circumstances. What follows is a round-up of activity from across the business, bringing together highlights and impact from each area.

Social Recruitment Advocacy Group (SRAG)

In 2025, the Social Recruitment Advocacy Group (SRAG) continued to bring employers and strategic partners together throughout the year, in person and online, across nations, regions and sectors.

The conversations that start at each event don’t stay in the room. They become collaboration, shaping how organisations work and how social recruitment and social impact are delivered in practice. Over the year, partnerships creating real jobs have continued to take hold, including collaboration between G4S, PeoplePlus UK and ANTZ UK at Sizewell C.

Members have strengthened their social value capability together, across supply chains, procurement practice and within their communities. Clearer insight has also emerged as measurement has improved. One member, The Omni Group – Omni Facilities Management, reported that 50% of their placements this year came through social recruitment pathways, following their work with the SRAG Charter Framework.

We would like to thank our Summit hosts this year – Timpson Group, The Bedford College Group, Currys plc, Sodexo UK and Ireland and M Group – along with all our members and partners for their time, trust and commitment. While social media offers only a snapshot, much of what matters most happens between events, behind the scenes, and over time.

The year closed with a memorable performance by The Choir with No Name at the final Summit. Singing Merry Christmas by Ed Sheeran and Elton John, the performance reflected the power of community and connection and felt a fitting way to look ahead to the year to come.

Social Recruitment Framework (SRF)

The Social Recruitment Framework (SRF) has continued to deliver meaningful social value throughout 2025, supporting people into work while helping employers recruit more inclusively.

Across the year, partnerships created opportunities in a wide range of sectors, including customer service, warehousing and logistics, retail, construction and hospitality. More than 50% of all successful job starts were achieved through employers committed to social recruitment as active SRAG members.

Key highlights from 2025 include:

• 1,251 job starts across multiple sectors
• 600+ job starts with one major contact centre employer
• 308 people introduced to Tesco
• 270 individuals awaiting start dates

One standout moment was the YouthPath Talent Match event delivered with Movement to Work at the NEC Birmingham. Several employers made on-the-day offers, while others progressed candidates into final-stage interviews, demonstrating the impact of employer-led, inclusive recruitment in action.

Our thanks go to all partners, employers and SRAG members for their continued commitment to creating opportunity and driving social value.

Employability

Employability remains central to the social value delivered by PeoplePlus, supporting people across England, Scotland and Wales to move into work, stay in work, or take steps towards self-employment.

England

In England, teams supported:

• 3,237 first job entries, with strong performance across the North East and Home Counties
• 980 rapid response jobs, helping people return to work quickly following job loss
• 2,020 job outcomes achieved

Recent months have been among the strongest since 2022, reflecting continued improvements across delivery teams.

Wales

In Wales, impact in 2025 has included:

• 1,516 first job entries on Restart, with 1,962 total jobs secured so far this year, including self-employment and second roles
• 899 customers supported to gain qualifications, achieving 1,668 qualifications
• CSCS training delivered to 197 attendees, with an 88% pass rate

Scotland

In Scotland, delivery has continued to make a difference despite challenging conditions:

• 100+ people supported into work through Fair Start Scotland, despite no new referrals since 2024
• Strong sustained outcomes achieved at 13, 26 and 52 weeks
• 100+ parents supported into self-employment through Working for Families (North Lanarkshire)
• 50+ prisoners engaged in self-employment workshops
• 150+ women in business supported through Scottish Pathways, with 60+ potential start-ups

Employability work is never delivered in isolation. We thank the employers and partners who continue to work alongside us, offering opportunities, support and employment to people often furthest from the jobs market, and helping turn potential into progress.

Community Services

Across Community Services, 2025 has focused on making a tangible difference for carers and for people living independently.

Carer Support – Gloucestershire Carers Hub

Through our Gloucestershire Carers Hub:

• Over 2,400 carers are registered with our services
• An average of 7,121 carers receive regular communications and updates
• Over 17,000 carers have been reached since the commencement of the contract
• Events have been held to engage carers within their local communities

Independent Living Services

Our Independent Living Services now operate across 20 contract areas, ensuring quality and consistency of support. This year we:

• Successfully mobilised two new areas: Wirral and Kent
• Mobilised two existing areas: Solihull and Birmingham
• Supported over 9,000 people to live independently and thrive

These outcomes are made possible by the commitment of dedicated teams and partners working every day to strengthen communities and improve lives.

Justice

2025 has been the busiest year yet for the Justice division, marked by significant growth in scale, new contracts going live, and expanded delivery across England and Scotland.

This year saw the successful mobilisation of the new Prisoner Education Service (PES) contract, onboarding 11 additional prisons. Delivery also began on the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) Personal Development and Learning contract, going live across all 14 SPS establishments and Community Custody Units, establishing consistent provision from the outset.

We also began providing education and industries at HMP Millsike, supporting the launch of a new resettlement prison with integrated learning and skills provision from day one. Delivery at Millsike has included education, employability and industry-aligned activity, alongside high-profile literacy engagement, reflecting the prison’s focus on progression and preparation for release.

Alongside mobilisation and new delivery, other highlights reflected the breadth of justice work delivered this year. These included a University of the West of England evaluation of the Way2Learn in-cell learning model, national literacy activity linked to World Book Day, employer and sport-led programmes at HMP Lincoln, a tutor finalist at the Inspire Justice Awards, and the publication of an employment pathways insights report through the Social Recruitment Advocacy Group. This work laid the foundations for a new Justice Recruitment Advocacy Group launched in Q4.

Performance outcomes remained strong throughout the year. 96.23% of learners completing vocational courses achieved an accredited qualification, while 84.26% achieved accredited outcomes in maths and 90.93% in English.

Taken together, the year reflects both the scale of delivery now in place across the justice estate and the depth of activity being delivered on the ground.

Reflections and the Future

As we look back on the year, it is clear that 2025 has been one of the busiest and most significant years yet for PeoplePlus. Across employability, justice, social recruitment and community services, colleagues have delivered practical support at scale, across an expanded footprint, helping people move forward in often challenging circumstances.

It has also been a year of change and growth. We became part of the swipejobs brand, enhancing our offer through global leading technology, welcomed Challenge TRG Skills into the wider PeoplePlus business, and achieved Gold Investors in People status.

None of this is possible without the commitment of colleagues, employers and partners. Our CEO, Kenny Boyle FIEP, reflects:

“This year has yet again shown the strength of PeoplePlus at its best. I want to thank every colleague for the professionalism, care and determination they bring to their work every day, and our employers and partners for the trust they place in us and our continued collaboration in supporting the people and communities we serve. We’re proud of what’s been delivered and focused on what comes next.”

As we move into the year ahead, we do so with pride in what has been achieved and focus on building even greater impact in the future.

Check out our social media pages for more on each division's achievements and successes this year. 

December 23, 2025Posted by: Charlotte