LA Story: Strengthening Supported Internships in Worcestershire

Worcestershire County Council shares how they are strengthening and expanding their Supported Internships programme through strategic leadership, inclusive partnerships, and data-driven transformation.

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Worcestershire County Council’s Skills & Employability service has significantly expanded its Supported Internships offer, creating a more structured, inclusive, and outcome-focused pathway for young people with additional needs. The transformation has been led by Hannah Strong, the Council’s SEND & Internships Work Lead, whose strategic oversight has embedded Supported Internships as a consistent and promoted opportunity across the entire service area.

“When I first stepped into the role, we had around 35 young people placed across just two providers,” explains Hannah. “There was no real infrastructure—no monitoring, limited support, no quality assurance, and no marketing.”

Through the national Internships Work programme and the Council’s own commitment to inclusion, the Skills & Employability service created a dedicated role to develop this work further. The impact was immediate. As Hannah recalls, “It didn’t take long before department leaders recognised we had much more potential to reach. That led to Worcestershire self-funding a second full-time role, specifically focused on strengthening employer engagement—something we knew was vital to the long-term sustainability of the programme.”

Since then, the service has seen strong results: a rise in employment outcomes (including paid roles prior to internship completion), a doubling in apprenticeship uptake, and a growth in inclusive employer engagement across the county. Through strong partnerships, including Inclusive Worcestershire Leaders, young people have been placed in settings such as local theatres, housing associations, and health trusts.

Worcestershire is now supporting five delivery partners and has just seen 54 young people complete internships, with around 70 expected to begin in the next academic year. But Hannah stresses that this success is about more than numbers:

“The knock-on effect of using the Supported Internships Quality Assurance Framework (SIQAF) has been transformational,” she explains. “Interns now benefit from person-centred planning and consistent, high-quality support throughout their journey.”

Employer Engagement Strategy

Like many local authorities, Worcestershire faced challenges in engaging employers. Through the strategic approach taken by the Skills & Employability service, supported internships are now embedded in all employer-facing workstreams—thanks in part to strong collaboration with the LEP, Growth Hub, and local Chamber of Commerce.

One standout initiative was the creation of the Inclusive Worcestershire Leaders (IWL) employment charter. Over 40 businesses have been assessed and awarded IWL status, all of whom must meet the standard of being Disability Confident employers—doubling the number of such employers in the county. Around 20% of IWL members now host supported interns.

“We know the reasons employers hesitate, so we made sure supported internships featured in all of our engagement and employer communications,” says Hannah.

Placements have increasingly resulted in apprenticeships or early job offers, with employer buy-in seen as central to long-term impact.

Using Data and Provider Partnerships

Another key element in the Council’s approach has been data.

“In simple terms, we had no data at the beginning,” Hannah says. “But without it, you can’t identify gaps or measure improvement.”

Under her leadership, the Skills & Employability service introduced Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with each provider, formalising responsibilities and reporting expectations. Termly provider meetings were also established to support consistency and shared development. These approaches have helped create a unified, collaborative provider network with common goals.

Changing Perceptions: Families and Schools

Reframing how supported internships are perceived by families was another major focus. The service worked to ensure that these opportunities are seen as a proactive, aspirational choice.

This involved:

Introducing a bursary of up to £700 per student to support with travel, clothing and associated costs
Offering an additional £300 incentive for any student moving into paid employment post-internship
Producing a suite of animated explainer videos to demystify supported internships for families
Promoting the pathway within schools through career hubs and tailored marketing packs

Through her dual role as SEND, AP & PRU Senior Enterprise Coordinator, Hannah ensured the Supported Internships pathway was embedded into schools’ Gatsby Benchmarks and provider access policies.

Collaborating with DWP

For a period, each supported internship provider in Worcestershire was matched with a local DWP Disability Employment Advisor. This helped build early relationships with families and clarified the implications of Universal Credit and PIP for young people with additional needs. Although the partnership is currently paused due to DWP capacity, it highlighted the benefits of joined up working across agencies.

Creating a Pathway into Employment: Connect to Work

As part of its ongoing development of inclusive pathways, the Skills & Employability service has now created a progression route from Supported Internships into its Connect to Work programme—designed for young people who have not yet secured employment. Several interns from this year’s cohort are already lined up to start.

Individual Impact

One young person recently completed their internship at an Inclusive Worcestershire Leaders organisation in the housing sector and has since begun an apprenticeship.

“They absolutely smashed it and proved just what’s possible with the right support,” says Hannah. “It’s warmed my heart to see so many amazing students find their place in the world of work. Watching them grow in confidence and independence is what this is all about.”

Hannah also notes that leading this programme has deepened her own understanding of employment pathways, reinforcing her passion for ensuring supported internships are viewed as a valuable and viable route into adulthood.

Top Tips for Other Local Authorities

Hannah and the Skills & Employability team offer the following insights for other councils looking to strengthen their Supported Internship offer:

Collaboration is key – engage early with children’s services, schools, careers hubs, and employers.
Start collecting data early – even small metrics will help identify patterns and drive improvements.
Secure leadership buy-in – strategic alignment and directorate support unlock resources and visibility.
Meet with providers regularly – termly sessions help share challenges and maintain programme consistency.
Begin school engagement early – shaping perceptions starts long before post-16 transitions.