Sport for Confidence Boosting Workforce Skills to Promote Health & Wellbeing

Sport for Confidence CIC has secured vital funding through Essex County Council’s Public Health Accelerator Bid (#PHAB), to deliver the Essex Learning Arena (ELA), a workforce development programme to help people in Essex live healthy lives and achieve their full potential. 

 

 

Building on the success of the Essex Prevention and Enablement Model, a two-year pilot focused on improving health outcomes through physical activity and the subsequent launch of the countywide Reconnect program, the ELA will support frontline professionals across various sectors to embed goal-oriented physical activity into their everyday practice. This initiative will enhance the quality of life for individuals living with long-term health conditions and disabilities. 

 

 

The Essex Prevention and Enablement Model evaluation demonstrated the necessity and effectiveness of a whole-system, preventative approach to utilising physical activity for health improvements. Independently evaluated by the University of Essex, the program evidenced that for every £1 invested an impressive £58.72 in Social Value could be generated. The evaluation concluded this return could be even greater if knowledge, skills and capacity were extended across the Essex workforce a gap the ELA is designed to fill. 

 

 

Led by the award-winning team at Sport for Confidence CIC, the ELA will provide tailored education and mentoring to equip professionals with the skills needed to support the physical and mental wellbeing of their communities. Individuals will be recruited onto the ELA via Sport for Confidence’s extensive partnership network, with an aim of working in partnership with more than 900 people across Essex in the first 18-months of delivery. 

 

 

“Initially, we will work to recruit individuals from 6 core sectors; adult social care, health, leisure, sport, voluntary services and education,” explains Emily Wingate, Business Development Officer, Sport for Confidence. “Priority will be given to those working directly with people who could benefit from a physical activity-based intervention. We will also have a provision to recruit from ‘other’ sectors but these 6 will be the priority.” 

 

 

“Content will be tailored to each of the core sectors and delivered via a variety of methods via digital classrooms and webinars through to in-person workshops, shadowing and mentoring. Learners will also be encouraged to join peer-led online community groups to encourage the sharing of ideas, knowledge and experience. Learners will have access to these communities beyond the boundaries of their program, creating a support resource that they can call upon throughout their onward career journey.” 

 

 

With this new funding, the ELA will offer a range of inclusive, sustainable learning opportunities aimed at driving long-term improvements in public health. The programme aligns with principles of population health and prevention and focuses on two key objectives: 

 

 

 

 

 

The ELA Launches in March 2025 with the introduction of three courses, ‘Belonging In Sport’, ‘Overcoming Barriers To Equality Via Physical Activity’ and ‘Coaches Continuing Professional Development’. In terms of the management and core program delivery of the ELA , Emily will be joined by Georgia Wills, Lead Occupational Therapist, Millie Pollitt, Senior Occupational Therapist and James Adams, Coach Educator, with other members of the Sport for Confidence team supporting as needed. 

 

 

The program’s success will be externally verified by the University of Essex. Evaluation will include the gathering, recording and reporting of learner surveys conducted at the start of their ELA learning journey, then again at 3-month and 6-month milestones.