As part of the GM Get Britain Working Economic Activity Trailblazer, Manchester City Council (MCC) plans to commission an extended employment and health service which can provide holistic and person-led support for residents experiencing long-term health conditions, disabilities and/or caring responsibilities, helping them move towards economic activity.
The Trailblazer is intended to test new and innovative approaches to identifying and engaging people who are not economically active and supporting them to participate in the labour market, particularly those residents who have been failed to reach in the past.
This is a one-year test and learn programme which will be evaluated by DWP/GMCA. The programme is expected to go live from June 2025 to 31 March 2026.
Context
MCC’s Trailblazer will build on existing infrastructure in the VCSE sector to engage with communities through a multi-disciplinary, holistic, person-led approach. We will require interested partners to work collaboratively and innovatively to develop a service model that can effectively help residents reduce a variety of barriers to moving towards employment. The service offer must be adaptable enough to be able to meet the needs of residents who experience mental and physical health problems in a timely way.
A key objective of the Trailblazer is to maximise the reach, effectiveness and impact of the range of existing services that could support residents to participate in the labour market, by transforming how partners and services work locally together. The service commissioned in Manchester will help to inform longer term system reform to delivering a coherent, joined-up local work, health and skills offer.
Providers will be expected to deliver a service which is neurodiversity aware, culturally appropriate and Adverse Childhood Experiences and (ACES) and Trauma informed.
The information session will present:
- The background, strategic context, and evidence base of the Economic Activity Trailblazer
- The aims and objectives of the Trailblazer Programme, including service delivery and priority groups
- Eligibility criteria, timeline, and key milestones
- Financial and payment models
- Target outcomes and data reporting
- Monitoring and evaluation processes
There will be an Interactive Q&A at the end of this session.