How Salford’s VCSE Sector is Shaping a Local Response to “Get Britain Working” and GM’s Live Well Reforms
Across the UK, the Government’s recent Get Britain Working papers highlight a pressing national concern: rising economic inactivity, particularly among people facing multiple barriers to employment. Many residents remain disconnected from the labour market because of long-term health conditions, caring responsibilities, mental ill health, disrupted work histories, or the aftermath of homelessness, domestic abuse, or the criminal justice system. The Government therefore invited areas across the country to test new locally designed models that bring together statutory services and community organisations to better support those who are “furthest from the labour market.” Greater Manchester was selected as one of these test areas, giving Salford the opportunity to develop its own locally tailored approach.
Salford’s Economic Inactivity Trailblazer (EIT) is a direct response to this challenge and forms an integral strand within the wider GM Live Well vision. In Salford, the Trailblazer is delivered collaboratively by Salford Employment Hub, Salford Future, and the five Elevate Salford core partners. This partnership model recognises that while employment is the long-term goal, many residents need stabilisation, wellbeing work, and time to rebuild confidence before they are ready to move forward.
The five Elevate core partners -The Broughton Trust, Salford Foundation, Salford Loaves and Fishes, Mustard Tree, and Groundwork GM - bring decades of specialist, community-focused experience supporting Salford’s most vulnerable residents through a broad spectrum of services. Their support goes far beyond engagement: partners work collaboratively and intensively on building confidence, identifying strengths, removing practical barriers, and supporting people to take real steps into work, regardless of how far they are from the labour market at the point of referral. Over the past three years, Elevate has demonstrated that the VCSE sector is uniquely placed to do this: combining trusted, trauma-informed relationships with deep neighbourhood knowledge, employer connections, and long-term flexibility. Participants progress into employment, volunteering, enterprise exploration, accredited training, and improved wellbeing because the support is relational, personalised, and responsive rather than transactional.
A core principle underpinning Salford’s approach to EIT is our commitment to a “no wrong door” model. Whether a resident first speaks to a neighbourhood organisation, an Elevate partner, the Employment Hub, or through Salford Futures, they will be supported by a unified system that works together behind the scenes. This ensures people do not have to repeat their story multiple times, are not passed between services unnecessarily, and can access the right support regardless of where they enter the system.
Our approach in Salford directly supports the wider GM Live Well plans by showing how employment, wellbeing, and community support can be integrated into a single, coherent pathway that reduces duplication and makes it easier for residents to access the help they need.
To understand more about the Trailblazer programme nationally and across GM, you can read the GMCA overview here:
https://www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/what-we-do/work-and-skills/economic-inactivity-trailblazer/