NARROWING INEQUALTIES Through CONNECTING COMMUNITIES WITH HEALTH AND CARE CAREERS
This initiative was co-designed in 2021 by Health and Social Care partners and communities across Leeds to better understand how we engage with and recruit from our diverse communities. This programme builds upon the success and the lessons learnt from previous initiatives across the partnership such as Lincoln Green and Red Kite. Through geographically targeting communities within the 10% most deprived wards, we are improving health through prevention, access, experience and outcomes for people entering and working in our organisations and prioritising additional support for those who need it most.
The Leeds Health and Care Talent Hub, provides the infrastructure to deliver the Connection Communities programme, through connecting the people of Leeds into careers, education, training, and volunteering and work experience opportunities across the health and care partnership.
IMPACT:
You can find out more about the impact, outcomes and key successes of the initiative in the formal evaluation conducted by Leeds Beckett University’s School of Health. Click here to read the report.
This dashboard provides an overview of reach and impact of the Leeds One Workforce approach during 25-26. Click on the dashboard below to view:
Case Studies:
We’ve spoken to a number of candidates, employers, recruitment and learning partners about their experience of the Connecting Communities with Health and Care Careers project.
Click on the links below to read the stories of people who’ve been directly involved in the programme:
- Candidate: Munashe Makoni – Business Support Apprentice at LTHT
- Candidate video: Shoghik Khurshudyan – Clinical Support Worker
- Candidate: Rahel Hagos – Apprentice Clinical Support Worker at LTHT
- Recruiting Partner: Joe Eastell – Senior Team Leader in Recruitment at LTHT
- Employer: Elissa Matley – Director of Operations at People Matters
- Employer: Ami-Rose Connor – Assistant Business Support Manager at LTHT
- Learning Partner: Beckie Perkin – Apprenticeship Assessor at Leeds City College
Click here to access a visual map that outlines how each of the above roles interacts with each other throughout the project.
Impact – Case study of existing programme participants report April 2025 – Narrowing Health Inequalities in Leeds through targeted interventions to diversity the health and social care workforce
The “Connecting Communities through Health and Care Careers” programme was evaluated by Leeds Beckett University in 2022 and highlighted the programmes emphasis on person-centred care and its extensive partnership collaborations. Building upon this, the city’s Narrowing Inequalities Steering Group which have a focus on systemic and cultural change initiated an in-depth qualitative study, resulting in the below case study report. The objective of the study was to explore the impact of the Connecting Communities programme and the wider Leeds Health and Care partnership work, inform future health equity programmes and support the development of measurement tools for wider impact assessment.
The research involved conducting case study interviews with seven participants who had participated in the programme since 2019. The findings and recommendations are detailed in the overview presentation and the case study report. These case studies illustrate various ways the Leeds Health and Care Partnership have tackled health inequalities in Leeds, significantly impacting participants’ lives and the wider determinants of health. The system’s ability to eliminate barriers to start health and care careers while enhancing individual health outcomes is also evidenced.
Connecting Communities with Health and Care Careers Stories
For further information or ways to get involved, please contact healthandcaretalent@nhs.net