More help on the way for East Lancashire residents struggling to find work
More help is on the way for people in East Lancashire whose health may cause them to lose their job, or struggle to find work.
More help is on the way for people in East Lancashire whose health may cause them to lose their job, or struggle to find work.
Burnley Council has secured a new contract to continue delivering the WorkWell programme until March 2029 after exceeding its target during a two-year pilot and recording the highest participant satisfaction rate in Lancashire.
The council, working with Calico Enterprise, supported 942 people through the pilot scheme, surpassing an original target of 846 participants and scoring a 98 per cent satisfaction rate from those it helped.
The programme helps people with low-level physical or mental health conditions stay in work, return to employment or avoid leaving work because of ill health. Under this new contract, the service will be expanded beyond Burnley into Pendle and Rossendale, with a target of supporting another 1,400 people over the next three years.
The new funding comes as the Government rolls WorkWell out across England, backed by £259 million over three years following the success of pilot schemes. Lancashire was one of 15 areas selected to test the programme when it began in October 2024.
Burnley Council said its WorkWell partnership achieved the highest satisfaction rate in Lancashire, where the programme also operated in Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Lancaster, Preston, West Lancashire and Barrow-in-Furness.
Pilot figures showed the most common barriers to employment among Burnley participants were mental and behavioural conditions, musculoskeletal problems and circulatory illnesses.
Nearly 23 per cent of those supported were aged between 18 and 25, while 43 per cent were in work and 57 per cent were out of work when they joined the scheme.
Councillor Lubna Khan, Burnley Council’s executive member for development and growth, said: “WorkWell is an important part of our wider efforts to help more people in Burnley stay in work, return to employment and overcome some of the barriers that can lead to economic inactivity.
“The pilot has shown the value of providing practical, personalised support that helps people remain connected to the workplace and access the opportunities that employment can bring.
“I’m proud of what has been achieved through WorkWell in Burnley, and pleased to see the programme continuing and reaching more people across neighbouring areas as it moves into its next phase.”
Lindsey Danson, service operations manager at Calico Enterprise, said: “The pilot has demonstrated a strong and growing need for integrated health and employment support.
“We are incredibly proud of the team for going above and beyond to help participants make significant improvements in confidence, resilience, physical health and wellbeing, resulting in excellent job outcomes.”
Elsewhere in East Lancashire, WorkWell has been delivered through Blackburn with Darwen Council’s wellbeing service, supporting residents in Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley.
Council documents show Blackburn with Darwen secured funding to support around 1,000 residents through the pilot, while participants were offered tailored support from dedicated work and health coaches to help them remain in or return to employment.
Across the area as a whole, the pilot supported more than 3,000 people and delivered about 3,100 personalised work and health plans.
An evaluation by the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board concluded the programme had helped “stem the flow” of people leaving work because of ill health.
Nationally, there are now around 9.1 million economically inactive people aged 16-64 in the UK, with long-term sickness remaining a major driver of the increase that has followed the Covid pandemic.