Agenda item

Tracey Flynn, Unit Manager - Economic Development and Jayne Garner, Head of Integration at Ingeus to present information on work, health and skills. The presentation and report are attached.

Tracey Flynn, Unit Manager, Economic Development Team presented information on the work that the Economic Development Team are involved in and the benefits that being in work has on people’s health.

There is clear evidence to suggest that unemployment is generally harmful to health, and leads to: 

• Higher mortality;
• Poorer general health, long-standing illness, limiting longstanding illness;
• Poorer mental health, psychological distress, minor psychological/ psychiatric morbidity;
• Increased alcohol and tobacco consumption, decreased physical activity;
• Higher rates of medical consultation, medication consumption and hospital admission; and
• Increased risk of fatal or non-fatal cardiovascular disease and events, and all-cause mortality, by between 1.5 and 2.5 times.
• Building a local integration system to link good employment, healthy workplaces, an employer influenced skills system, business engagement and inward investment.

Bury Council are building a local integration system to link good employment, healthy workplaces, an employer influenced skills system, business engagement and inward investment.

Sharon McCambridge questioned if there was enough connectivity going on through the Steps to Success Programme.

Tracy Flynn explained that there is engagement in the Steps to Success Programme, most of the tenants and residents are on the Working Well Programme and other programmes.

Sajid Hashmi explained that there is a link between work and health, as a significant number of people who are referred to social prescribing are mental health related to not having work.

Councillor Brown gave positive feedback to The Economic Development Team for the great work that they have been doing.

Adrian Crook advised that there is an employment support service for people with disabilities and suggested that it would be great to find more work opportunities for residents with learning or physical disabilities.

Jayne Garner, Head of Integration at Ingeus presented information on the Working Well, Work and Health Programme in Bury.

The programme provides support for unemployed people with health conditions or disabilities. It helps individuals who have been out of work for a long time, and/ or those needing specialist support.

In Bury, 891 people have started the programme and 351 people have been moved into work. Bury is the highest performing borough for rates of people starting work.

• The programme offers a holistic assessment of needs, which supports to identify barriers.
• Mental and physical health support.
• Personal and social barriers such as isolation, debt and housing are addressed.
• The programme works with a range of partners to address needs.

The evidence shows that community referrals to specialist support at the right time accelerates the progression towards work, and the GM model is built on an integrated approach.

Lesley Jones questioned if the Working Well Programme use the Bury Directory.

Jayne Garner explained that the integration team does use the Bury Directory, although feels there is more work for them to do, around connecting to The Bury Directory.

Lesley Jones questioned if the Working Well Programme could be embedded into the neighbourhood working model in Bury.

Jayne Garner explained that they can co-locate where possible within the community and they try to be as accessible as possible, there are some things that they need to keep on-site which are beneficial to the customers journey such as the health team, who deliver face to face workshops and on-site computers to use.

It was agreed:

1.        Tracey Flynn and Jayne Garner be thanked for the update.