The Rt Hon Dame Diana Johnson MP, Minister of State for Employment, visited the Barking Learning Centre (BLC) on Tuesday 14 July to learn more about the borough's unique approach to resident employment and health support.
The visit was a showcase of the borough's innovative neighbourhood health model, employment support, and nationally recognised innovation in learning disability employment pathways.
The Minister of State was given a tour of the various support services available to Barking and Dagenham residents, including B&D Works employment support, the Local London funded Trailblazers programme, and the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) Youth Hub.
The visit saw the Minister meet with local residents with learning disabilities who have been supported into work by the council and its partners including Local London and the DWP Barking Youth Hub, who have secured 21 apprenticeships since opening.
Following a tour of the BLC there was a roundtable discussion at Barking Town Hall where representatives of the council, Thames Freeport, Queen Mary University, The Sycamore Trust, Local London and others shared views and insights on the borough's hub-based approach to services, the neighbourhood health model and partnership working.
Cllr Dominic Twomey, Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, said: "I'm really proud to have shown the Minister how Barking and Dagenham is delivering fantastic work to provide integrated employment and health support for our residents.
“We're a young borough and growing fast – and we’re developing innovative approaches, with our partners, to provide tailored support with the joined-up help people need.
“I found our roundtable discussion really useful and I'm looking forward to more collaborative work with the DWP to help bring more positive change to our residents' lives"
Cllr Rubina Siddiqui, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Economy and Skills, said: "The Minister met with local apprentices and service users who have been supported by our services, and it was a great opportunity for them to share their experiences.
"We're looking forward to working more closely with the government to bring even more programmes to the borough and changing more lives.
"We should also be proud that we're receiving national attention for the way we're doing things. When it comes to innovating and partnership working the Minister could see It Starts Here in Barking and Dagenham."
Background information on services available in Barking and Dagenham
B&D Works
B&D Works is the council’s free service to help Barking & Dagenham residents get a job, improve skills and widen job and career options, offering support online or in-person at two community Job Shops in Barking and in Dagenham.
Support offered includes:
- Help with CVs, job applications and interview techniques,
- Training to improve your chances of landing your dream job,
- Exclusive access to suitable job opportunities across a wide range of sectors – including a dedicated construction programme,
- Dedicated employment coaches,
- Advice about benefits, childcare and other issues affecting your household,
- Dedicated BOC advisor appointments,
- Specialist teams including Adult Social Care Broker.
Currently, around 940 people are supported by the service each year.
B&D Works also delivers the council’s Connect to Work programme, a government‑backed five‑year employment initiative that has received £6m in funding to help residents with health conditions and disabilities move into work.
Within this is the Individual Placement Support (IPS), which offers intensive, personalised employment assistance for people with complex needs, including those with Special Educational Needs, and the Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF), which provides tailored guidance for individuals with learning disabilities and long‑term health conditions – the programme aims to help participants progress into paid employment.
Trailblazers
Funded by Local London as part of £60m Trailblazer funding secured by GLA from the DWP, Trailblazers has been designed specifically for residents who are economically inactive, primarily from the following target groups: women, parents, carers, and individuals with transferable skills but no prior business success.
Disabled people and those with health conditions or complex barriers to employment are also supported. Through the Trailblazers funding, the council has commissioned a local charity, the Sycamore Trust, to deliver support to residents with autism to move them closer to employment
DWP Dagenham Health Hub
The Dagenham Heathway Health Hub is delivered through a partnership between the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Barking & Dagenham Council, NHS partners and community organisations. It is based within Dagenham Library. It was launched in Summer 2025 by Baroness Twycross.
Support includes:
- Personalised Work Coach and DEA support,
- Health and wellbeing signposting,
- Skills and confidence-building activities,
- Employment and volunteering opportunities,
- Community engagement activities,
- Access to local health services,
- Financial, housing and welfare support referrals,
- Digital inclusion support.
Thames Freeport
The Thames Freeport expects to attract £4.5bn of investment and support 21,000 new skilled jobs in the region.
Its Skills Programme connects residents from Barking & Dagenham, Havering and Thurrock to those opportunities.
Over the past 3 years LBBD has established a strong collaborative relationship with Thames Freeport.