New support in Barrow to help people on sickness benefit get back to work

A new pilot is starting in Barrow providing health support for people on long term sickness benefit so they can get back into work or training.

As part of the pilot a new health trainer has been employed by Furness Enterprise on behalf of the North West Health Trainer Partnership to help unemployed people in Furness to make changes to their lifestyle which will improve their health and help them get into work or training.

The new health trainer will be based at Waterside House in Barrow but also be able to go out and see people in various community venues.

Barrow is one of three places in the North West to take part in the twelve month pilot alongside Workington and Sefton in Merseyside. It’s hoped that health trainer employed as part of the scheme will be able to work with people in the town currently claiming sickness benefits to both improve their health and their employment prospects as a result.

A launch event has taken place today in Barrow so that Furness Enterprise and NHS Cumbria can explain to other agencies and third sector organisations how they can use the service and refer people they think may benefit from support to the scheme.

Carole Wood is NHS Cumbria’s Associate Director of Public Health in south Cumbria. She said: ”It’s great news that Barrow has been picked as one of a small number of places in the North West to benefit from this extra support. People can find themselves without work for a number of reasons and often it can be connected to people’s health and also a lack of self-confidence.

“Once someone has been out for work for a continuous length of time it can be a difficult and daunting experience knowing how to start to get back into the job market. Working and also participating in training, or getting experience through voluntary work in itself is better for people’s health in the long run. A support scheme such as this provides a support worker who can help take away this anxiety and help people through these difficulties. The health trainer will work with people so they can identify how they can change their lifestyle to improve their health and then start looking at how best to get back into work, whether that’s through training or through another route.”

Anyone wishing to get more information on the Health Trainer programme can contact Jennifer Hair on 01229 820611 or via email to jhair@furnessenterprise.co.uk