Targeted initiatives to tackle health inequalities, integrating the Leeds Health and Care Workforce

Abstract

 

Deprivation and poor health are significant challenges in Leeds, with the poverty gap growing in parts of the city. The Leeds One Workforce approach to narrowing inequalities (NI) was co-designed in 2021 building on the innovative partnership approach already visible in the city. Its phased approach has seen interventions put in place to boost the opportunities for people from marginalised communities to develop their skills and remove barriers to careers in health and care and has global relevance for other localities experiencing high deprivation. The overall NI approach is supported by a long-term and wide-reaching evaluation plan which mobilises our partner organisations and intends to amplify best practice in getting people into careers and supporting this group to develop within the health and care workforce. We will present findings from embedded evaluations of initiatives across the city, and individual case studies, from those who have accessed NI interventions in Leeds. These will explore the relationships and contributions of partnership organisations and presence of any unexpected barriers or facilitators to these interventions. Linking with third-sector organisations and creating accessible pre-employment opportunities to develop core working skills is a vital part of the Leeds approach to recruiting people from priority wards. Additionally, supporting people into careers in health and care which suit their values, interests and personal circumstances, in addition to employing organisations with flexibility and openness towards their employees at their core is a strong factor in recruiting and retaining from areas of deprivation. Partnership working is essential to tackling health inequalities in places of high deprivation to address individual and systemic barriers to securing employment, ensure the best chance of success for community outreach programmes, and maximise efficiencies by combining the efforts of local organisations.

Key messages

• Leeds, UK is transforming approaches to narrowing health inequalities through partnership working across health and social care education and employment.

• Current and future best practice will be explored to demonstrate transferable NI approaches.