Assessing employability among carers in London

Wavehill delivered a process and impact evaluation of Working for Carers, a programme supporting unpaid carers aged 25 and over in London to move closer to employment. The research examined how the project operated, what it delivered, and what could be learned about supporting carers into work, including during the COVID-19 period.

The evaluation focused on understanding the full “carer cycle” through the programme and how different forms of support and engagement contributed to participant journeys and outcomes. The project used qualitative insight to explore how carers entered the programme, how caring roles influenced their progression and what happened after participation.

Through stakeholder interviews and a review of programme documentation, the evaluation also reviewed the delivery processes and how delivery supported carer’s wider needs and the effectiveness of outreach activity and partnerships to support recruitment. A key output of the evaluation was the identification of a set of principles designed to inform future employability support for carers in London and beyond.

The evaluation provided a clear understanding of how carers’ journeys through employability support could be understood and structured, informing ongoing thinking about how programmes could respond to varying support needs, engagement pathways, and partnership approaches.

The report is available to read here.