OCS has been recognised at this year’s ERSA Awards, receiving the Employer Partnership Award for its work with the Shaw Trust and the Social Value Team to create meaningful routes into employment for people facing barriers to work and helping to build futures.
About the ERSA Awards
The Employment Related Services Association (ERSA) is the UK’s trade body and membership organisation representing the employment support sector. Its annual awards ceremony, celebrated on the 25th November, celebrates the partners, advisors and employers who lead the way in supporting social mobility, offering meaningful employment to individuals facing barriers to employment. The Employer Partnership Award is the only category dedicated to employers, celebrating businesses that show true collaboration, inclusive practice, and a lasting commitment to accessible opportunities.
A Partnership Built on Shared Purpose
OCS was nominated by the Shaw Trust, one of the country’s leading employment charities offering employability services. The nomination reflects the strength of the partnership developed between the Shaw Trust, the Social Values and Recruitment Teams and the OCS hiring managers, who have worked together to support candidates from a wide range of backgrounds into sustainable roles.
Celebrating Colleagues and Candidates
This award is a tribute to all our colleagues in OCS and The Shaw Trust who have worked tirelessly to support individuals back into meaningful employment. From the hiring managers who have opened their doors to inclusive recruitment, to the social value and recruitment teams who have enabled the process this award is a celebration of our commitment to open doors for everyone. Most importantly it is a tribute to the participants who courageously took a step forward in their employment journey and embraced a future with OCS. For me this award marks an important moment in our journey.
“The work so far has laid solid foundations, and now we have the chance to build something even stronger for our candidates and our partners. This is just the beginning.”
Elly Besley
Senior Resourcing Manager, Inclusion UK&I
Committing to Inclusion Across Communities
The evening highlighted the exceptional work of employability partners nationwide, celebrating life-changing support for people who have experienced long-term unemployment, health-related challenges or significant personal barriers. With few employers present, the event also underscored the value of OCS’s visibility in this space and its commitment to inclusion across the communities it serves.
Collaboration has been central to the progress so far. The Social Value Team, led by Kellie Newell, Head of Social Value, has strengthened connections with local charities and grassroots organisations, ensuring candidates receive personalised support. Hiring managers across OCS have adapted established recruitment routines to create space for new approaches, alongside the Recruitment Team, who continue to refine processes to give every candidate the best possible experience.
Building the Next Phase of Inclusive Hiring
While the award recognises the impact of recent work, it also marks the beginning of the next phase. OCS is shaping a more intentional and consistent approach to inclusive hiring, working closely with partners to align opportunities in key locations where participant caseloads are high. The aim is not only to support more people into work, but to ensure each person has the right foundation to stay, grow and thrive.
The award reflects OCS’s mission to make people and places the best they can be and reinforces the TRUE Values that guide how colleagues support one another, work with partners and contribute to their communities.
Congratulations to the teams on this remarkable achievement.
