Healthy Working Life: Round One
Round One of the Healthy Working Life programme supported 17 Leeds VCSE organisations to help people with health conditions and disabilities build confidence, develop skills and move closer to employment.
The £720,000 programme ran from September 2025 to March 2026 and supported 511 participants across Leeds.
Through locally rooted community organisations, participants received personalised support shaped around their individual circumstances, strengths and ambitions. This included support to improve health and wellbeing, build confidence, develop skills and take steps towards learning, volunteering, employment and self-employment.
About Round One
Healthy Working Life supports people with significant health conditions or disabilities who are not in paid employment.
The programme recognises that moving closer to work looks different for everyone. For some people, progress might mean leaving the house more regularly, building social connections or gaining confidence. For others, it might mean starting a course, volunteering, exploring self-employment or moving into paid work.
Round One supported people with a wide range of health conditions and disabilities, including:
- autism
- learning difficulties and disabilities
- mental health conditions
- cardiovascular conditions
- epilepsy
- musculoskeletal conditions
- visual impairments
- speech and communication difficulties
- progressive illnesses and other health conditions
The programme is part of the Get Britain Working Trailblazer and the wider Work, Health and Skills agenda. It is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions through West Yorkshire Combined Authority and led locally by Leeds City Council. Forum Central manages the VCSE grant programme and supports grant holders throughout delivery.
Round One at a glance
£720,000 programme funding
17 Leeds VCSE organisations
511 participants supported
Delivery from September 2025 to March 2026
Targeted programme outcomes surpassed
I would only keep that final statement if you are comfortable that the underlying data supports it. The shared programme copy says that targeted outcomes were surpassed, but I haven’t seen the specific final outcome figures behind that claim.
Stories from Round One
The experiences of people supported through Healthy Working Life show that moving closer to employment does not follow a single path. Trusted relationships, personalised support and manageable steps can make a significant difference.
From isolation to volunteering and new opportunities
One participant supported by GIPSIL had been living in supported accommodation and experiencing significant anxiety and isolation. Initially, it took a month for her to build the confidence to return calls and arrange a first meeting.
Her love of animals became the starting point for her support. Beginning with accompanied dog walks, she gradually built her confidence before visiting a local farm and securing a volunteering role.
She went on to volunteer at the farm every day and prepare to train as a farm leader. She also received one-to-one maths support while exploring future opportunities in health and care.
“If anyone in a similar situation needed help I would recommend they come and get this support. It helps keep me motivated and because of it being 1:1 it is more manageable than going straight back to college.”
Small steps leading to full-time employment
A participant supported by Leeds North and West Foodbank joined as a volunteer, having never worked before. They wanted to gain experience, develop new skills and build their confidence.
Through volunteering, training and personalised support, they began taking steps towards employment. After attending a careers event, they secured a part-time role as a carer.
They were later offered a full-time contract and moved into full-time paid employment.
Turning a passion for rugby into a first paid opportunity
A young person supported by Rugby League Cares was struggling with confidence, social situations and uncertainty about his future.
His love of rugby league provided a way to connect with him and build confidence. Through the programme, he took part in activities focused on mental health, social skills and managing stress.
Having previously gained a basic refereeing qualification but feeling too anxious to pursue it, he began practising his skills in a supportive environment. He was subsequently offered his first paid opportunity as a rugby league referee.
What participants said
“The programme for me includes 1 to 1 sessions tailored around me with zero pressure and the freedom to open up when I feel comfortable, all at my own pace.”
“I really like the sessions; talking helps me think. Lee’s questions really help me look at things in a different way and help me set goals to move me forward to find friendships and plan for my future. I feel more confident now since starting wellbeing support.”
“It has been very helpful and it is a perfect match. I am learning a lot from my volunteer and he has supported me greatly through the toughest times.”
Learning from Round One
At the end of Round One, grant holders came together to reflect on their experiences, share successes and explore what could improve future programmes.
Discussions considered:
- participant recruitment and retention
- referral pathways and partnership working
- programme support
- data gathering and reporting
- one-to-one support for grant holders
- peer support and learning
- communications and promotion
- stronger connections across health, housing, digital support and other services.
Grant holders also identified some practical challenges experienced during delivery. These included digital exclusion, lengthy registration paperwork, difficulties explaining medical terminology in different languages and the time needed to build trust with people who may initially be reluctant to engage with services or share personal information.
This learning helps inform future rounds of Healthy Working Life and contributes to wider conversations about how employment support can better respond to people’s health, circumstances and individual needs.
What organisations had to say about the programme
Gillian Wallace Head at Employment and Skills at Leeds City Council
Ben from Leeds Rhinos Foundation
Emily from Community Learning Partnership
More stories from Healthy Working Life
The Round One case study collection includes stories from organisations across Leeds, showing the different journeys people have taken towards greater confidence, independence, learning, volunteering, self-employment and paid work.
This is where I would link the longer case studies booklet if you’re happy for it to be publicly available. It contains 11 detailed stories and is genuinely useful enough to justify a download.
Continue exploring Healthy Working Life
Find out more about the wider Healthy Working Life programme, current funding rounds and the impact of VCSE organisations supporting people across Leeds.
