1 day Ago
Live Well centres are set to become a reality in every part of Greater Manchester, the Local Democracy Reporting Service can exclusively reveal. Mayor Andy Burnham has long called for Job Centres in the city to be renamed ‘Live Well centres’ as part of a strategy to get thousands of residents back into work . Some £10m has now been allocated to the project to kick-start GM Live Well’s development, with the money expected to pave the way for the creation of physical GM Live Well centres on high streets in every Greater Manchester borough.
Mr Burnham said GM Live Well centres would provide more comprehensive support than existing Job Centre operations by bringing in voluntary and community organisations inside to tackle a wider spectrum of unemployed people’s issues, such as housing and health. (Image: PA) “Too many of our residents are held back by barriers like poor housing, longstanding poverty, ill health, lack of training opportunities and digital exclusion which they cannot overcome alone,” said the mayor, announcing the project. “GM Live Well is essential to break this cycle and our collaborative approach to deliver it, not just internally across the GM Combined Authority, but alongside partners at NHS Greater Manchester, local authorities, and the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector will ensure that this support is properly resourced and truly embedded in our communities.
” The mayor added he believes a ‘radical rewiring’ of ‘how we deliver services’ is needed to reduce the strain on the public sector. He went on: “Our public services are under intense strain and the benefits system is just not set up to help people into work. We need to radically rewire how we deliver our services and, in Greater Manchester, weʼve proven that we can do that successfully and we have the ambition and vision to go further.
“This funding is the first step towards that vision, and a Greater Manchester where every person can access positive, practical support every day to improve their lives.” Previously, the Labour mayor told the Department for Work and Pensions’ select committee on April 1 a simple ‘rebranding’ exercise wouldn’t suffice to increase employment rates ‘on its own’, a ‘paradigm shift’ is necessary. He explained: “[Rebranding] would have to come with the feel of the place being in the community and voluntary sector.
That money would secure them up and create more volunteering opportunities for people on their journey back to work. “The atmosphere that would create in Live Well Centre which was crowded out with the voluntary sector..
. the feel would really make a difference.” The £10m of money from the Combined Authority and NHS Greater Manchester comes in addition to another £10m from the government last year for a ‘trailblazer’ pilot to reform employment support in the region, as part of the GM Live Well programme.
That cash will be used to give ‘tailored support’ to jobseekers on their journey back to employment. No timeline on opening GM Live Well centres has yet been given..
