Bolton’s WorkWell service has just launched, helping local residents cope better with their health conditions to secure meaningful work and stay in active employment for longer.
The service is open to all adults including those currently in employment, or those who have left work due to ill health.
The WorkWell campaign is part of the wider Greater Manchester initiative, focussing on preventative actions to help people stay working fit, reducing sickness at work and health related unemployment.
Bolton’s local service is funded until March 2026, and is targeted to provide better employment outcomes for 824 residents over that period.
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities research show long-term sickness is the most common reason for being economically inactive in Bolton, standing at 29.4% in 2022/23.
Bolton continues to lag behind the national average, with more people economically inactive on the sick, figures which have been rising in Bolton and the country as a whole over the past five years.
The most common ailments quoted as affecting employability in Bolton are disabilities, blood and circulation conditions, stomach, liver, kidney, digestive problems, mental and nervous disorders.
The new service provides Work and Health Coaches who deliver one-to-one personal assessments and tailored improvement programmes that address health-related barriers to employment, plus they help with accessing health services, workplace equipment and adjustments, and exploring other suitable employment options.
More information is available on the Let’s Keep Bolton Moving website or by calling 01204 338 981.
Maggie Porter, one of Bolton’s Work and Health Coaches said:
“Our Work and Health Coaches are here to work one-to-one with people to assess their needs and create tailored plans focused on overcoming health-related barriers to employment.
“We are already supporting a number of residents with their health conditions to help them remain in work or re-enter the workforce.
“The team are also on hand to work with local employers helping them create healthier workplaces.”
Bolton Council’s Deputy Leader, Cllr Akhtar Zaman, said:
“The teams’ work has had a really positive impact for Bolton residents, and this is evident in the feedback received.
“The council has an ambitious plan to grow and develop Bolton as a place to live, work, invest and study, and being part of Greater Manchester’s vanguard campaign for the national WorkWell scheme is integral to this.
“As a council, we are keen to ensure that local people benefit from the opportunities coming out of these health and work initiatives and have as good a chance as possible to remain in work or return to work and help grow the local economy.”