£10m Programme Helping People Back into Work Launches in North Yorkshire

A major programme to help people in York and North Yorkshire with health conditions return to work has begun.

As announced by the government, York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority has been chosen as one of eight areas to lead a Get Britain Working Inactivity Trailblazer. A £10 million, 12-month programme has been developed, which will build on work already taking place in the region and test new ideas.

The programme aims to help 1,500 people seeking work, 500 people already in work who need support and 150 businesses.

In York and North Yorkshire, the combined authority says that number of people not working due to long-term sickness rose between 2019 and 2024 by 72.2%, above the national average. It says there are also more than 150,000 people in work with long-term conditions, who may need support.

David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said: 

“I’m delighted to see this programme start, tackling these challenges and helping to create healthy and thriving communities. Government has put their confidence in us to test new ways of working and our strong partnerships and appetite for innovation will deliver for people across the region, as well as help shape direction at a national level.”

Minister for Employment, Alison McGovern said: 

“Everyone across the UK should have the opportunity to reach their full potential, but for too long people have been left on the scrapheap and locked out of work.  

“That’s why we are investing £10 million in York and North Yorkshire, to support people in the area back to health and back to work.
 
“This comes as we boost living standards, put more money in people’s pockets and Get Britain Working under our Plan for Change.”

The top three priorities for the trailblazer in York and North Yorkshire are 

• to engage and support people out of work due to ill health; 
• work with employers to help them provide good work opportunities 
• and develop ways in which networks of systems and services can be joined up to make it easier for people seeking work or to stay in work. 

While ill health is the main focus, activity will also touch upon other barriers to people not able to get work, such as their age, low skills or long-term unemployment.

Plans for the trailblazer include providing community grants for organisations to deliver initiatives, developing a range of business support for employers and establishing a Work, Health and Skills Interchange. The interchange will offer advice and sources of support for individuals and employers, as well as a new online resource connecting people to the support they need to secure work. Activity in York and North Yorkshire will also be used by government to help inform future employment initiatives in other parts of the country.

The programme’s first commissioned service, called Rise2Thrive. The service is overseen by Knaresborough-based not-for-profit organisation, Better Connect. Rise2Thrive is an existing programme connecting people to work.

Natasha Babar Evans CEO at Better Connect said: 

"We are delighted to be the first Trailblazer funded programme to be going live in York and North Yorkshire. Our programme will bring together VCSE organisations across the region to provide holistic support to enable people who are economically inactive to overcome barriers and move closer towards and into employment.

 “This trailblazer funding will focus on supporting 16–24-year-olds and the over 50s who are struggling with long term sickness and people who may be isolated in rural and coastal communities.

 “Referrals for our trailblazer programme will come from a range of different access points and pathways including existing health and wellbeing hubs.  We are excited to see the impact that we can make across York and North Yorkshire with Trailblazer.”

Earlier this year, 100 people attended workshops hosted by the Combined Authority to help shape a delivery plan for the overall programme.

There is more about the trailblazer on York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority’s website: https://www.yorknorthyorks-ca.gov.uk/project/get-britain-working-inactivity-trailblazer/