NICON webinar: Economic inactivity - Building a collective approach across the public sector

A webinar from EPIC Futures NI, in partnership with NI Public Sector Chairs’ Forum, Chief Executives' Forum, and NICON.

Northern Ireland continues to experience the highest levels of economic inactivity across these islands with significant impacts on health inequalities, poverty, pressure on public services, and economic growth.

In this discussion session, we will bring together key stakeholders to provide updates on this important issue and explore what action is already being undertaken to address economic inactivity. This session will be chaired by Heather Moorhead, NI Public Sector Chairs Forum, and introduced by Kristel Miller, EPIC Futures NI.

Stephen McGlew, Director for Work and Wellbeing Transformation at the Department for Communities, will open the session by outlining a new high profile Pathways to Work and Wellbeing Transformation Project, which is targeting the development of a new integrated Work and Health model for Northern Ireland.

We will then hear from Ciaran Boylan, Director, Locus Management, who will present the findings and recommendations from recent research designed to inform this reform agenda. This will be followed by reflections from Michelle Tennyson, Chief Allied Health Officer, Department of Health NI; Michael Wood, Head of Health Economic Partnerships at NHS Confederation, NHS Alliance; and Lisa Toland, Senior Manager for Economy, Belfast City Council.

Following these contributions, we will open the discussion to colleagues leading work in this area, inviting delegates to reflect and explore how their organisations can work collectively to address this high-profile issue and drive meaningful change. We will consider together how we can build a collective and transformational approach to economic inactivity for the future.