Training Catalogue

CTW Employment Specialists and Employer Engagement Officers Induction List

This resource list is intended for Employment Specialists and Employer Engagement Officers working on the Connect to Work programme. It is designed to enhance your organisation’s internal induction and training by offering additional guidance, information and training on Supported Employment practices and principles.

Local London Sub-Region Business Landscape

 Pocket Guide 2025
Barking & Dagenham, Bexley, Bromley, Enfield, Greenwich, Havering, Newham, Redbridge, Waltham Forest

What This Guide Is For

This guide supports employers, employment advisors, and support workers understand the local business environment in Local London sub-region. Most job opportunities and partnerships will come from small or very small businesses, not big corporations.

Business Size Profile in London

London is dominated by very small businesses:
• Total businesses: around 538,000¹
• Micro-businesses (0–9 employees): about 485,000, which is roughly 9 out of 10 businesses¹
• Small businesses (10–49 employees): about 42,000, around 8% of all businesses¹
• Medium businesses (50–249 employees): about 9,000, roughly **1–2%**¹
• Large businesses (250+ employees): less than 1%¹

In East London boroughs, this pattern is the same; almost all businesses are micro or small, which is important to know when connecting jobseekers to employers.²

Top Sectors with Most Small and Micro Businesses in London

Here are the 10 main sectors where most micro, small, and medium businesses operate, and where growth is expected. Numbers are rounded estimates for London based on publicly available data.
1. Construction: About 52,000 micro, 6,000 small, and 1,200 medium businesses. This includes builders, tradespeople, and companies linked to regeneration projects. It is especially active in Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Bexley, and Enfield².
2. Health & Social Care: Around 35,000 micro, 4,500 small, and 900 medium businesses. These include clinics, care providers, and therapy services².
3. Professional & Business Services: Approximately 40,000 micro, 4,000 small, and 900 medium firms. Accountancy, legal support, and property consultancy are common, especially in Bromley².
4. Digital & Technology: Roughly 30,000 micro, 3,500 small, and 700 medium firms. Software, IT support, and creative tech are concentrated in Newham, Redbridge, and Waltham Forest².

5. Logistics, Transport & Warehousing: About 28,000 micro, 3,000 small, and 650 medium businesses. Strong presence in Barking & Dagenham, Newham, Havering, and Enfield².
6. Creative Industries: Around 20,000 micro, 2,500 small, and 500 medium businesses. Media production, design, and digital content are growing in Barking & Dagenham and Waltham Forest².
7. Retail & Wholesale: About 25,000 micro, 3,000 small, and 500 medium businesses. Retail shops and wholesalers are stable across East London².
8. Accommodation & Food Services: Roughly 18,000 micro, 2,000 small, and 400 medium businesses. Hospitality businesses are mostly very small².
9. Education & Training: Around 12,000 micro, 1,500 small, and 300 medium firms. These include small training providers and private schools².
10. Professional, Scientific & Technical: About 15,000 micro, 1,800 small, and 350 medium businesses. Includes consultancies, architecture, and design services².

Business Health – London Snapshot
• Business birth rate: 12.7% → about 13 new businesses per 100 active firms¹
• Business death rate: 10.3% → about 10 closures per 100 active firms¹

Net effect: more businesses are starting than closing, so the small business ecosystem is growing overall. Outer boroughs like Bromley, Havering, and Bexley tend to have higher survival rates, while Newham, Redbridge, and Waltham Forest have more new start-ups².

What This Means for Advisors & Employers
• Most opportunities are with owners of micro-businesses, not HR teams.
• Personal outreach works better than formal applications.
• Sectors to focus on: construction, logistics, health & social care, digital & technology, creative industries.
• For longer-term partnerships, Bromley, Havering, and Bexley are more stable.
• For emerging opportunities, Newham, Redbridge, and Waltham Forest are dynamic and growing.

In short: London’s economy is made of thousands of small businesses, not big companies. Job growth and business opportunities come from these micro and small enterprises.
 

Sources & Data Used
All sources are publicly available. No copyrighted text has been reproduced.
1. Office for National Statistics (ONS) – Business counts, birth/death rates, and London SME size breakdown¹
2. Greater London Authority (GLA) / London Datastore – Borough enterprise counts, sector estimates, and survival rates²
3. House of Commons Library – SME and sector statistics³

Ongoing Resources

Register: Create an account with your mobile number for free training access for the first 2.

1. Introduction to Supported Employment (Video)

   • A 10-minute introductory video on supported employment practices.

2. Course Library: Accessibility Tips

   • Short, 60-second videos covering topics like: Accessibility for Hearing, Accessibility for Vision,  Accessibility Using Immersive Reader 

3. Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF) Model Fidelity 

   • A collection of 9 videos designed to help supported employment providers understand the SEQF model.

4. NHS Leadership Academy Eligibility

   • Four self paced IPS related courses available for free on this platform

BASE - British Association for Supported Employment

1. Quality in Supported Employment Delivery

   • Focused on the Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF).

2. Supported Employment Phase-by-Phase guid PDF

   • A step-by-step guide to supported employment processes.

3. SEQF Model Fidelity Assessment PDF

• A comprehensive handbook on fidelity assessments based on the SEQF framework.

Centre for Mental Health / IPS Grow

1. IPS & Employment Archives

   • Access blogs, publications, and resources on Individual Placement and Support (IPS).

2. IPS Resources

   • Explore guides and materials related to IPS.

3. Current IPS Vacancies

   • View live job postings for IPS roles to gather ideas for job descriptions.

4. Advertise a Vacancy

   • Post open positions to find qualified IPS candidates.

5. FutureNHS Platform - IPS Workspace - IPS Grow

6. Individual Placement and Support (IPS) - FutureNHS Collaboration Platform

   • The FutureNHS Collaboration Platform supports IPS providers with tools for knowledge sharing, collaboration, and access to resources