The Director of Public Health has approved the virement of £340,000 from the Public Health grant to the Regeneration and Economy budget during the period 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2026.

The current contract for Worklessness Support Service in Wirral, funded by the Public Health Grant and UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) will expire on 31st March 2025.
Approval for a 12-month extension of the current contract delivered by Involve Northwest is being recommended by the Director of Regeneration and Place to the Economy, Regeneration & Housing Committee on 12th March 2025.
The virement of Public Health Grant funding is essential to sustain the current service, contributing to the UKSPF.
There is available funding from the Public Health Grant following confirmation of Wirral’s Public Health Grant allocation for 2025/26.

Wirral is an area which has levels of worklessness exceeding regional and national averages and this service is helping to address worklessness in Wirral, in line with Wirral’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2022 – 2027 (Priority 1: Create opportunities to get the best health outcomes from the economy and regeneration programmes.

This decision enables the delivery of a jointly funded Worklessness Support Service, delivered by Involve Northwest.

Not undertaking a virement of Public Health Grant funding to Regeneration and Economy to contribute to funding a local Worklessness Support Service would have a negative impact on the existing local service, and on Wirral residents that can access and benefit from this service.

The decision has been taken under Part 3 Section C - Overview and Scheme of Delegations of Authority to Officers as the decision is not reserved to a Committee or Sub-Committee and the Director is satisfied that paragraphs 2(a) to 2(c) apply.

Background Papers

12^th March 2025 report to Economy & Regeneration Committee – UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Wirral’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2022 – 2027 - Enc. 2 for Health and Wellbeing Strategy.pdf