Across the North East and North Cumbria, major programmes are coming together to tackle economic inactivity. From the Economic Inactivity Trailblazer, to WorkWell (Health and Growth Accelerator), and Connect to Work, partners are testing new ways to support people into good, sustainable employment.
Our latest blog, co-authored by VONNE's Lisa Taylor, Health and Wellbeing Programme Director, and Siobhan Flynn, Policy Manager, helps the VCSE sector make sense of this regional agenda, how the programmes link, and where community-based organisations fit in.
Across the North East and North Cumbria, a range of work is happening to tackle one of our region’s most pressing challenges, economic inactivity. The North East has one of the highest economic inactivity rates in England, with around 26.5% of people aged 16–64 neither working nor actively seeking work.
Addressing this challenge is vital not only for economic growth, but also for strengthening the wellbeing and resilience of our communities.
At VONNE, we believe the VCSE sector is central to this mission. Our organisations understand the barriers that keep people out of the labour market and we work every day with those most affected by health inequalities, poverty, and social exclusion. The solutions must be local, collaborative, and rooted in community insight, and that is where the VCSE sector shines.
Economic Inactivity Trailblazer
The Economic Inactivity Trailblazer is part of the government’s wider Get Britain Working programme, giving regions greater flexibility to design and test new ways of supporting people to move into and stay in work.
The Trailblazer aims to maximise the impact of existing services, test new ways of engaging and supporting people who are economically inactive, and lay the groundwork for long-term system reform.
Two Trailblazers are underway across our region, one led by the North East Combined Authority (NECA) and another by the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) in partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). While both share a focus on helping people move closer to work, they have different scopes:
- The NECA Economic Inactivity Trailblazer focuses on tackling health-related economic inactivity, bringing together employment, health and skills partners to redesign local systems of support.
- The TVCA Youth Guarantee Trailblazer focuses specifically on young people aged 18–21, testing new ways to help them access work, training or education and reduce the risk of long-term inactivity.
VONNE has been commissioned by NECA to lead the VCSE sector system reform strand, delivering on objective three. Our Policy and Data Team are leading this work, building strong foundations for reform and developing ambitious new ways of working that maximise the skills, capacity and resources of the VCSE sector.
Find out more:
- North East Combined Authority Economic Inactivity Trailblazer
- Tees Valley Combined Authority Youth Guarantee Trailblazer
Health and Growth Accelerator – WorkWell
The Health and Growth Accelerator (now known as WorkWell) is led by the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), and explores how better health can drive inclusive economic growth and how the region can work collectively to reduce health-related economic inactivity.
Delivery focuses on three interconnected pillars:
- Person-centred early intervention – improving health and wellbeing to help people stay in or return to work.
- Supporting the health and care workforce – strengthening recruitment, retention and wellbeing.
- Promoting good work and employer liaison – engaging employers to foster healthy, fair and inclusive workplaces.
VONNE’s Health and Wellbeing team are supporting this work, championing the contribution of VCSE organisations that address the wider factors affecting health and employability and ensuring the VCSE sector is embedded within all three pillars, as well as supporting VCSE integration via membership of the programme Steering Group.
Find out more about the WorkWell programme here.
Connect to Work
Connect to Work is a new national programme under the Get Britain Working White Paper, designed to help people with health conditions, disabilities or complex barriers move into and stay in work.
Across the North East, North Cumbria and Tees Valley, delivery is being shaped locally to reflect different economic and health contexts. These programmes take a supported employment approach, bringing together health, skills and employment partners to provide joined-up, person-centred support that helps individuals find and sustain suitable work.
Find out more:
Connect to Work is relevant to the VCSE sector, which already supports many of the people the programme aims to reach. It offers opportunities for referrals and wraparound support, ensuring that those furthest from work can access help.
The VCSE Sector’s Role
The VCSE sector is essential to tackling economic inactivity. Our organisations:
- Reach and support people that statutory services can’t easily engage.
- Build long-term trust within communities.
- Address the wider issues that affect employability, such as, health, housing, caring, debt.
- Innovate and respond flexibly to local needs.
Across the North East and North Cumbria, VCSE organisations are already delivering work that supports these initiatives, from improving health and wellbeing, to providing employability support and financial advice. These organisations are a vital part of the regional ecosystem, offering the community connections and insight needed to make system change effective.
Across the Economic Inactivity Trailblazer, WorkWell, and Connect to Work programmes, VCSE partners are contributing lived experience, delivering local interventions and shaping system design.
VONNE is working to ensure the sector is recognised as an equal strategic partner within this regional agenda. We are:
- Leading the VCSE system reform strand of the Economic Inactivity Trailblazer.
- Ensuring the VCSE sector is embedded within all 3 pillars of the WorkWell programme.
- Providing VCSE intelligence to inform strategic development of WorkWell.
- Sharing information about all programmes to ensure the VCSE sector has access to relevant information.
- Connecting organisations with emerging opportunities.
- Sharing learning and good practice from across the region.
Our goal is to ensure the VCSE sector is not only at the table but shaping the solutions.
Get Involved
If your organisation supports people who are out of work or face barriers to employment, you can:
- Learn more about the NECA Economic Inactivity Trailblazer work being led by VONNE.
- Join the Health and Wellbeing Network to stay informed about the WorkWell programme.
- Connect through VONNE’s networks for regular updates and opportunities to engage, such as online workshops and webinars.
- Join the Skills, Inclusion and Employment Network - This network acts as the voice of North East VCSE Skills, Inclusion and Employment providers, influencing a range of public sector partners at a local, regional, and national level. This also feeds into the relevant North East Combined Authority. If you would like to join the network, please email vonne@vonne.org.uk.
Together, we can strengthen collaboration, influence system change, and ensure community-based approaches are at the heart of efforts to reduce economic inactivity across the North East and North Cumbria.