A scheme delivered in Bolton which helps unemployed people and those who live with disabilities or health issues has drawn praise at the highest level.
The “Working Well” programme has been running across Bolton and the other nine Greater Manchester boroughs in recent years.
Department for Work and Pensions permanent secretary Sir Peter Schofield KCB has now visited Bolton to see how the scheme works for himself.
Head of delivery for Working Well (Work and Health Programme), Nichola Wood, said: “We are proud to collaborate with GMCA and local authorities to offer a fully integrated programme which is embedded in the local community and provides access to a range of support to ensure our participants have every opportunity to achieve and sustain employment.”
Sir Peter had been to visit Ingeus, one of the partners involved in the scheme, at their office at Knowsley House in the town centre.
As well as in Bolton Ingeus works across the country to help people improve their employment, skills, health, and wellbeing, often working with the government and other partners.
The organisation has been working since 1994 and has around 2,500 employees around the country along with various partners.
They deliver a range of contracts in Bolton and elsewhere around the country including the Restart Scheme.
Ingeus Work and Health Programme, National Citizen Service, Access to Work Mental Health Support Service, and Commissioned Rehabilitative Services.
The Working Well (Work and Health Programme was commissioned by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and delivered by InWork GM.
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They have worked on the programme in partnership with Ingeus, The Growth Company and Seetec to provide support for unemployed people with health conditions or disabilities.
They also help to support people who have been out of work for longer periods of time.
The partners behind the scheme say that since the programme was launched in 2018 it has support more than 29,000 people, of which 17,000 managed to successfully find work.
There has also been the Working Well: Pioneer, which began in September 2023, and they say has already supported 991 people, with 200 of them since finding work opportunities.
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