£3m boost to help people with health conditions back into work
The West Midlands is gaining further funding of £3 million from the Government to help people who have health conditions get back into work.
The money will be used to extend the Thrive into Work programme, which is led by the West Midlands Combined Authority and recently helped its 600th person into employment.
It is now hoped 1,750 people could benefit from the extended scheme.
The new grant will enable the WMCA to offer the support scheme in Birmingham, Coventry and Solihull, as well as in the Black Country where it is currently being funded to run until July.
Thrive into Work helps unemployed people who have mental or physical health conditions get back into the workplace.
Unlike the current scheme being run in the Black Country, the extension of services will include people who are at risk of becoming homeless, have neuro-diverse conditions such as autism, or are in the criminal justice system.
The additional £3m from the Government means the programme will now be funded until March 2022.
West Midlands mayor Andy Street (pictured) said: “This new funding will enable Thrive at Work to be rolled out across all seven West Midlands local authorities across the WMCA area.
“This means that after already supporting more than 600 people to return to employment, we can now help even more people get into work at a time when so many are falling out of work due to the pandemic.
“I am pleased the Government has recognised the importance of the Thrive into Work scheme and we have been successful in lobbying and securing the funding we needed to expand the scheme. ”
The £3.1m grant has come from the Government 's Work and Health Unit and will be delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions and the NHS.
Dr Mohit Mandiratta, a GP in the Black Country and West Birmingham, said: “I have seen first-hand the transformative difference that employment can make to a person 's overall health and wellbeing. It is really fantastic that this work can continue locally as a result of this new investment. ”
Jonathan Fellows, Independent Chair of Healthier Futures Partnership, which commissions all mental health services in the Black Country and West Birmingham, added: “Lack of employment is one of the main predictors of a person 's healthy life expectancy and so it is key that we work together across all sectors to secure work opportunities for local people.
“If you have a long-term health condition, finding and retaining employment can be even harder. I 'm delighted that this additional investment will now mean that many more people will get the support they need to make this achievable. ”
The Thrive into Work trial was originally set up to test if support in primary care settings would help people with a health condition return to employment. It helped people with a variety of conditions including arthritis, cancer and depression. The trial was based on a tried and tested model called Independent Placement Support (IPS) which traditionally supports people with severe and enduring mental health difficulties to find work.
The scheme operates by creating support teams which include primary and community health teams, jobs support and health services. Employment specialists based in GP surgeries and other health and community settings across the region provide intensive guidance to help individuals find and apply for jobs and prepare for interviews.
Thrive into Work is currently provided by Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to people living in Dudley and Walsall, and Prospects, which is part of Shaw Trust, delivers the service to people in Wolverhampton, Sandwell and West Birmingham.
Between June 2018 and October 2020, Thrive into Work helped more than 600 people back into work. Due to the success of the trial, the programme was originally extended to run until July 2021; however, the new grant means that has been extended to March 2022.
To find out more about Thrive into Work click here.