News

We’re excited to share the brand-new WorkWell animation, bringing to life the initiative designed to support thousands of people across the BlackCountry with health conditions and disabilities to find, remain in, or return to meaningful employment. WorkWell is part of a national pilot, led locally by Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, with the aim of removing barriers linked to health and wellbeing that can make work feel out of reach.

The Mayor of the West Midlands has visited Blakenall Village Centre to see first-hand how the WorkWell programme is supporting Walsall residents with health conditions or disabilities to access and stay in employment.

WorkWell is an early-intervention work and health support programme funded by the UK Government and delivered in the Black Country as one of 15 national pilot areas. In Walsall, the programme is led by Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (BCHFT) and delivered through the Trust and local partners coordinated via Walsall Together. The programme provides personalised one-to-one support and helps people to overcome health-related barriers to work before challenges become long term.

Led by Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, WorkWell is supported through place-based leadership within the Walsall Together Partnership, which has been selected as one of 43 national pioneer sites for the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme (NNHIP), reflecting a strong, system-wide commitment to improving health outcomes and reducing inequalities.

During the visit, the Mayor met representatives from BCHFT, public health and primary care, as well as other local delivery partners and heard about the impact WorkWell is already having across the borough. To date, the programme has supported more than 1,800 people across the Black Country into employment pathways, volunteering or education, with strong feedback from participants.

The Talking Therapies Employment Advice (EA) Service is celebrating its second anniversary, marking two years of helping people improve their mental wellbeing while staying in, returning to, or moving closer to employment.

Since launching in November 2023, the service has supported 3,791 people to access tailored employment advice alongside Talking Therapies support. By integrating mental health and employment guidance, the service has helped individuals overcome workplace challenges, rebuild confidence, and create more stable futures for themselves and their families.

Over the past year alone (April 2024–March 2025), the service engaged with 1,881 people, and it is on track to support a further 2,280 people between April 2025 and March 2026. This growth reflects improved referral processes, stronger collaboration with therapy teams, and expanded outreach across local communities.

At a time when youth unemployment continues to present a significant challenge across the Black Country and wider West Midlands, WorkWell, led by Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust through its Employment and Recovery Service, is delivering positive results successfully engaging young people and supporting them to take active steps towards employment, education, and training.

Over the period of October 2024 to October 2025, WorkWell has received more than 650 referrals of 16-24 year olds from across the four Black Country boroughs. Of those, more than 330 participants formally joined the programme. 

Cruicially, over 50% of those who signed up are now actively engaged in support such as skills coaching, employer introductions, and job search mentoring to transition into employment, training or further education. The number of new starts has risen steadily across the year, with particularly strong uptake in summer and autumn 2025.

A new WorkWell bus advertisement is set to hit the roads across the Black Country, spreading a positive message of support for people whose health may be affecting their working lives.

As the New Year gets underway, many are thinking about fresh starts, new goals and getting back on track after the festive period. For some, however, ongoing physical or mental health issues can make getting into work, staying in work, or returning after time off feel like a real challenge. That’s where WorkWell comes in.

The new advertisement, displayed on buses travelling across the Black Country, is designed to raise awareness of the free WorkWell support available to local people. Whether someone is struggling with a long-term condition, recovering from illness or injury, or feeling overwhelmed by stress or anxiety linked to work, WorkWell offers practical, personalised help to support health and wellbeing at work.

Patients across all four Black Country boroughs are set to benefit from a major investment to help people stay in or return to work, thanks to new funding awarded through the Primary Care Innovation Fund.

The funding will support GP practices in Dudley, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Sandwell to scale up successful pilots already shown to reduce demand on GP appointments and provide patients with specialist support from Work and Health Coaches delivering the WorkWell programme. By integrating work and health services directly into primary care, the programme will ensure more patients receive timely support to remain in employment or return to work after illness.

Each borough will receive £25,000 to build additional capacity, deliver targeted communications, and expand referrals into the nationally recognised WorkWell programme.