Career Connect nominated in three categories at national ERSA awards

Kasey Lee, Case Worker in our Justice Services team has been shortlisted in the Frontline Adviser category.

Meanwhile, our Sefton NEET Reduction and Early Intervention Service has been shortlisted alongside Sefton@Work and the Caring Business Charter in two categories: Partnership and Collaboration and Youth Employment.

Kasey Lee – shortlisted for Frontline Adviser of the Year

Kasey Lee is a Support Worker on the HMMPS CFO Evolution Northwest programme, delivered by Career Connect.

Kasey delivers tailored one-to-one and group support, helping participants overcome barriers and facilitating journeys to positive destinations while reducing the risk of reoffending. She works to actively build participants’ self-esteem, confidence, and belief in their ability to turn their lives around.

Over her four-year career with Career Connect, she has built a strong track record of delivering tailored, employment-focused support in both custody and community settings. Kasey helps ensure participants of all backgrounds and ages gain practical skills, qualifications, and meaningful pathways to employment.

Kasey also leads by example, demonstrating creativity and a participant-centred approach, removing barriers to engagement and maximising employability outcomes.

She designed and delivered a range of courses and programmes, including Construction Skills (CSCS) training and ROTL (release on temporary license) initiatives, and has built strong partnerships with employers. Kasey helps participants achieve industry-recognised qualifications, practical experience, and clear pathways to employment.

Kasey also has a positive impact on the professional practice of colleagues, supporting them to deliver a high-quality service by sharing best practice. She is also part of Career Connect’s internal audit committee and won an internal staff award for her professionalism just a little over a year after joining us.

Stakeholders have described Kasey as ‘working tirelessly’, partner employers have called her skills ‘exceptional’ and participants have praised her ‘profound knowledge’ and ability to make them feel supported and confident in moving forward.

Learn more about the HMMPS CFO Evolution Northwest programme

Sefton Caring Business Charter – Career Connect and Sefton@Work: shortlisted for Partnership and Collaboration and Youth Employment categories

Career Connect and Sefton@Work play a leading careers support role in The Sefton Caring Business Charter, launched by Sefton Council.

This multi-agency partnership takes a holistic, practical approach in supporting care experienced young people into education, employment, or training (EET). It also includes Merseycare NHS Foundation Trust, The King’s Trust, and local employers.

It provides tailored support to meet the unique needs of care experienced young people facing multiple and complex barriers, and aims to create inclusive, sustainable employment and training pathways. Career Connect advisers deliver direct interventions and work closely with care experienced young people throughout, and alongside Charter partners, to identify, match, engage, recruit and promote sustained outcomes.

Activity under the charter includes the NEET Reduction and Early Intervention Service (NREIS), delivered by Career Connect’s Sefton team on behalf of Sefton Council (outreach, tracking, information, advice and guidance, mentoring); and a Pre-Employment Programme (in partnership with Merseycare and The King’s Trust) combining three weeks of classroom-based employability training, six weeks of paid work placement and guaranteed interviews for NHS apprenticeships.

Sefton@Work funds support including travel passes and clothing allowances, recognising the financial pressures care leavers face. Career Connect delivers a separate bespoke numeracy programme on budgeting and life skills, a stepping stone for young people into the charter, or enhancement for those already signed up.

All eligible care experienced young people are made the Charter offer. 188 young people (73% of the eligible cohort) have accessed the programme so far, with a significant proportion moving into employment, education or training.

Meet our Sefton team