Trailblazer Webinar: Get Britain Working Inactivity Insights

Get Britain Working Inactivity Trailblazer Webinar 28th March 2025 OFFICIAL

Welcome and Introduction Tracy Watts Skills & Employability Manager York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority (YNYCA) OFFICIAL

Get Britain Working Inactivity Trailblazer Purpose of today s webinar Feedback from stakeholder engagement event on Feb 14th Progress on Trailblazer Strategic Framework OFFICIAL

YNY Trailblazer Timeline Jan-March 2025 Implementation phase: Partner engagement Data & evidence base Strategic Priorities Evaluation framework Delivery starts April 2025-March 2026 OFFICIAL

Get Britain Working Inactivity Trailblazer Feb 14th Stakeholder Engagement event Overview of the Get Britain Working Inactivity Trailblazer Maximise the reach, effectiveness and impact of the range of existing services Test new and innovative approaches to engaging and supporting people Join up services Evidence base Draft Strategic Framework Round Table Feedback Sessions Engaging and Supporting economically inactive people Good Work Supporting Employers Joining Systems and services Focus Groups OFFICIAL

Get Britain Working Inactivity Trailblazer Engaging and Supporting economically inactive people HEADLINES Effective Support Models One-to-one, trust-based key worker support is essential. Best practices include RISE2THRIVE, NHS Individual Placement Service (IPS), Social Prescribers, and Supported Internships efforts e.g., Ambitious About Employment - City of York Council. North Yorkshire Council s Supported Employment Service is also effective. Community Engagement Connect with individuals in accessible settings like GP surgeries, homeless hostels, and addiction services. VCSE and local hubs should lead support efforts but require capacity building Rural Networks: Yorkshire s food and farming sector is a key employment area. Tailored and Inclusive Support Adapt approaches to meet the needs of different age groups and backgrounds. Involve service users in designing their support plans. Provide long-term programmes for harder-to-reach individuals. OFFICIAL

Get Britain Working Inactivity Trailblazer Engaging and Supporting economically inactive people WHAT ARE THE GAPS? 1 Cohorts: o Check data to ensure all groups are represented. o Support for family and parents to help the individual. o Starting with younger age group 14-16 to help with sustaining employment and education. o Lack of support for early leavers or waverers 16 to 18. o Lack of awareness of support mechanisms particularly age 50 plus. o Hardest to reach people take longer to support. Organisations: o Businesses need more support to help them become confident at supporting people with barriers OFFICIAL

Get Britain Working Inactivity Trailblazer Engaging and Supporting economically inactive people WHAT ARE THE GAPS? 2 Systems, capacity and capability: o Capacity building needed for small organisations who have access to vulnerable groups. o Build on existing relationships in local areas. o Coordination of existing support and hubs. Provision: o Neurodiversity awareness e.g. adapted interview process to facilitate access to jobs. o Not enough support to stay in work rather than dealing with the issues when people become inactive. o Exploring self-employment needs specific support. o Look at how to engage with different age cohorts i.e. connecting with different age groups requires different skills. OFFICIAL

Get Britain Working Inactivity Trailblazer Good Work Supporting Employers HEADLINES 1. Build on the work of good employers to spread best practice: Primark, Body Shop, Barclays, TransPennine Express, B&Q, Amazon. Showcase the advantages to businesses of taking on people with difference e.g. neurodiversity, physical disabilities, ex- offenders. Get specialist business advisors in the Growth Hub to work 1:2:1 with businesses on this agenda. Self-employment was highlighted as a good option for this cohort more training and support for this is needed. Incentives for employers needed to take on vulnerable people but not just financial, could be getting a Good Business award, badges or positive publicity. Create a Good Business Charter. Funded transport programmes can be an effective method of getting some people to work in rural areas e.g. Wheels to Work for some cohorts. More effort needed to engage with small and micro- businesses to raise awareness about inclusive employment. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. OFFICIAL

Get Britain Working Inactivity Trailblazer Good Work Supporting Employers WHAT IS WORKING WELL? 1 1. Educating and Supporting Employers Highlight benefits of hiring diverse groups. Provide tailored employer support (e.g., supported internship model). Promote existing schemes and badges e.g. Disability Confident Scheme. Showcase best practices (e.g., Primark, Body Shop, Barclays, anchor institutions). 2. Financial and Structural Support Offer financial incentives and subsidies. Support infrastructure and travel to work initiatives. Recognise employers with awards and certifications. 3. Promoting Flexibility and Adaptability Encourage hybrid working and self-employment. Suggest job modifications for accessibility. Provide employer support tailored to business needs. OFFICIAL

Get Britain Working Inactivity Trailblazer Good Work Supporting Employers WHAT IS WORKING WELL? 2 4. Strengthening Community Connections Leverage anchor institutions and networks (e.g., growth hubs). Build links through sector-based work academies and volunteer opportunities. Collaborate with disabled entrepreneurs and the FSB. 5. Supporting Employees and Sustaining Employment Offer post-placement support. Implement programmes like NHS Breakthrough. Support internships and initiatives (e.g., Ambitious about Employment). Adapt Youth Contract for broader age groups. 6. Demonstrating Business Benefits Emphasise reduced absenteeism and increased skills. Solve business challenges through diverse hiring. Promote successful case studies and testimonials. Highlight programme successes (e.g., Kickstart). OFFICIAL

Get Britain Working Inactivity Trailblazer Good Work WHAT ARE THE GAPS? YNY Good Work Charter Employer incentives particularly for small and micro businesses Targeted education for employers via Growth Hub ie what is on offer (other support, skills provision, financial support) Training for employers on inclusive recruitment, neurodiversity and available support Work on prevention e.g. 50 plus initiatives to prevent early retirement due to ill health, pre-16 work to keep young people engaged. Joining up employers with the knowledge, support and initiatives that already exist. OFFICIAL

Get Britain Working Inactivity Trailblazer Joining Up Services HEADLINES 1. General agreement on interchange model and that it is needed. 2. Ensure co-design with people who have lived experience of receiving support. 3. Build local capacity to deliver in community. 4. Must link with existing programmes. 5. Model needs to be flexible to reflect differing needs of diverse groups. 6. Must include face to face support. 7. Build on and enhance existing models. 8. Hyper-local approach so that people can access support near to them. OFFICIAL

Get Britain Working Inactivity Trailblazer Joining Up Services WHAT ARE THE GAPS? 1. Include feedback from people who are service users or have lived experience. 2. Ensure funding follows participants. 3. Activity must have face to face element, not just online. 4. Utilise existing services and best practice, do not reinvent the wheel. 5. Ensure navigators have up to date knowledge of benefit system. 6. Ensure data driven. 7. Hyper-local approach needed. OFFICIAL

Work, Health & Skills Interchange Model Individuals Providers Employers Navigators are existing workers/volunteers from Business Community & Health sectors (eg Food banks, Libraries, GP surgeries, business advisers etc) Engagement & Referrals into Interchange Referrals via marketing/comms or from external organisations Referrals from Place-based Work, Health & Skills Navigator Network For individuals and businesses Website & Phone line Links to wider programmes and support Web based Platform Dedicated Advisers providing support for: Adviser Support Information, Advice & Guidance on Careers, Skills, Apprenticeships, Skills for Business/Workforce Development, Health & Wellbeing in the Workforce.

Get Britain Working Inactivity Trailblazer Strategic Framework update OFFICIAL

Get Britain Working Inactivity Trailblazer Government objectives for the Economic Inactivity Trailblazers: Maximise the reach, effectiveness and impact of the range of existing services Test new and innovative approaches to engaging and supporting people Provide a platform for longer-term systems reform, to deliver a coherent, joined up local work, health and skills offer OFFICIAL

Get Britain Working Inactivity Trailblazer York and North Yorkshire is different to other Trailblazer areas: Employment rate already close to Government s 80% target More rapid increase in number of people economically inactive due to long-term health conditions (LTHC) (including neurodiversity) Growing number of residents with LTHC in work and at risk of becoming economically inactive alongside a declining working age population Very high proportion of small and microbusinesses with limited HR / occupational health capacity and capability York and North Yorkshire s Strategic Framework sets out how we want to use the Trailblazer opportunity to respond to YNY s specific circumstances, needs and existing activity A strong focus on prevention: early intervention to support people in work and at key transition points and prevent people from becoming inactive Extensive engagement activity to reach inactive people who may not have considered returning to employment Engaging stakeholders and listening to evidence and feedback on priorities and gaps. OFFICIAL

Get Britain Working Inactivity Trailblazer YNY Trailblazer aims: Support people who are currently economically inactive with health conditions / neurodiversity to help them move back towards work. Reduce the number of YNY residents becoming inactive or at risk of becoming inactive, by providing preventative health and employment support and support at key transition points. YNY Trailblazer approach: Person centred Target those in greatest need to address inequalities and avoid exacerbating them Enhance existing activity to increase effectiveness build on good practice, lessons learned and existing expertise Transformational step change in capacity and capability of systems and services Aligned with Mayoral priorities healthy and thriving communities OFFICIAL

Get Britain Working Inactivity Trailblazer Strategic Framework: Joining up systems and services Engaging and supporting inactive people Good work supporting employers DWP objectives: Provide a platform for longer-term systems reform, to deliver a coherent, joined up local work, health and skills offer Maximise the reach, effectiveness and impact of the range of existing services Test new and innovative approaches to engaging and supporting people OFFICIAL

Get Britain Working Inactivity Trailblazer Joining up systems and services Rationale: Complex system Lots of provision but hard for individuals and employers to find the support they need Need additional capacity and capability to overcome challenges of awareness, understanding and accessibility Strengthened governance Good Work and Health Partnership CA / ICB systems integration Shared research programme Work, health and skills Interchange OFFICIAL

Get Britain Working Inactivity Trailblazer Engaging and supporting inactive people Rationale: Lack of clear pathways back towards work Longer spells out of work lead to worse health, poorer wellbeing and increased barriers More proactive engagement needed to reach residents not currently thinking about work Build capacity; address practical barriers; community grant pot Build and innovate on current work to engage and support inactive people Build on existing support and provision: Bespoke engagement for priority cohorts: - 14-24 yr old NEETs / at risk - 50-64 year olds - LTHC (inc neurodiversity) - Rural inactive communities Training and skills development to support key cohorts; targeted engagement; support for health conditions Pilot new approaches: Fit note engagement, upskilling and review; work with neighbourhood teams and hubs Join up work and health support OFFICIAL

Get Britain Working Inactivity Trailblazer Good Work Supporting Employers Rationale: Employers are central to tackling increasing levels of inactivity as the creators of good work opportunities YNY employers need help to make their workplaces more inclusive and accessible HR and occupational health expertise is very limited within the business base Extend current offer to include HR and occupational health support Funded work placements; job brokerage; pre- and post- recruitment support Enhanced business support offer for YNY s diverse employers Build on existing support and provision: Financial incentives to address barriers and create opportunities Amplifying and extending the Good Business Charter approach Pilot new approaches: Identify best practice; share learning / experiences; establish peer networks; proposals for future roll-out Anchor organisations good work and health OFFICIAL

Get Britain Working Inactivity Trailblazer Outcome measures Positive progressions Individuals supported People sustaining engagement People with increased employability through development of interpersonal skills People engaged in job-searching / education / learning People into work experience / volunteering People in employment (longer-term outcome) People sustaining employment (longer-term outcome) Businesses retaining workers with health conditions Businesses recruiting workers previously inactive / with health conditions Businesses supported Employees supported OFFICIAL

Get Britain Working Inactivity Trailblazer Next steps Delivery Plan currently being finalised with DWP Anticipated approval mid-April Develop implementation plan for delivery of activity over next 12 months. OFFICIAL

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