The WorkWell mapping exercise across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough has now been completed, bringing together the voices and experiences of people, communities and organisations to better understand the barriers people face when entering, returning to or remaining in work while living with long-term health conditions.

The project brought together partners from the health, employment, voluntary, community and public sectors, with a focus on understanding local needs, identifying gaps in support and strengthening connections between services.

Through engagement across Bedfordshire – including Central Bedfordshire, Bedford Borough, Luton and Milton Keynes – as well as Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, valuable insights were gathered about the challenges people experience when seeking employment or trying to stay in work.

What did we hear?

The mapping highlighted a range of barriers, with health conditions identified as the biggest employment barrier, followed by skills, digital skills, personal and family circumstances and communication difficulties.

The findings also highlighted specific challenges relating to:

  • Health: mental health conditions, learning and developmental disabilities, multiple health conditions, addiction-related issues and musculoskeletal conditions.
  • Skills: work-related skills, communication and interpersonal skills, digital skills, qualifications and licences, and language barriers.
  • Digital inclusion: non-user-friendly applications, low digital skills, lack of confidence or trust, and disability-related challenges.

These findings provide a valuable picture of the experiences and barriers within our communities and highlight opportunities to improve joined-up support, access to services and pathways into sustainable employment.

This has been a truly collaborative piece of work, and we are grateful to everyone who shared their time, knowledge and lived experience, as well as the organisations that supported the engagement.

Read the WorkWell findings

A WorkWell newsletter and summary of key insights have been produced, providing an overview of the voices heard, needs identified and gaps and opportunities highlighted throughout the mapping exercise. You can read this below: