Liverpool City Region employment programmes for healthier lives Liverpool City Region Combined Authority

Health and employment outcomes in Liverpool City Region (LCR; made up of Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral council areas) have been below the national rates for many years. Underlying health issues caused by high levels of smoking and obesity have resulted in higher rates of respiratory diseases, as well as poor mental health, when compared to other parts of the country. This has contributed to low employment outcomes for many people, along with low levels of qualifications and skills, and reduced job certainty and sustainability.

The COVID-19 pandemic will have major long-term public health consequences, and the LCR is likely to be more vulnerable to these effects due to the composition of the labour market and existing health-related barriers to employment.

Interventions that help people to enter or remain in good quality jobs are central to delivering economic and public health recovery in the region. This project will bring together a partnership that will enable health and wellbeing to be incorporated across LCR’s economic strategies. It will involve developing a unique, integrated approach to labour market programmes – informed by the lived experiences of residents.

The core aims of the project are to: incorporate health and wellbeing outcomes into all LCR economic strategies and labour market programmes; integrate employment services with health and the wider social offer; put systems in place to identify groups with combined employment and health risks; and ensure labour market programmes are based on the best available evidence for maximising benefits.

The learning from the project will be used to inform and change practice across the UK in embedding health and wellbeing within economic policy.

Contact information

For more information about this project, please contact Rob Tabb, Policy Lead: Employment and Skills, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.