A starting point could be to target contractor positions posted by companies and/or recruitment agencies. Those are sometimes really close to permanent employment (except the job security and employee-specific perks) but will at least get you started in the game.

Be mindful of laws around disguised employment with those types of engagements. You need to make sure you are in the clear legally by paying the appropriate amount of tax for your given situation (in the UK the regulation is called "IR35" and tries to specify what falls under a legitimate B2B arrangement and what counts as "disguised employment" and incurs taxation equivalent to conventional employment).

Reach out to other contractors who you’ve worked with directly (e.g. worked on the same project at a former employer) and valued/praised your work.