Professionals to provide adaptive tech for people with health conditions via new WorkWell pilots

A new work and health support service will be rolled out across 15 areas of England, as part of the UK Government’s plan to help people with health conditions back to work.

The WorkWell pilots, launched by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), will connect 59,000 people from October to local support services, including physiotherapy and counselling, so they can get the tailored help they need to stay in or return to work.

It comes after the Prime Minister announced a package of welfare reforms to modernise the benefit system and help thousands more people into work, including a review of fit notes to consider how to relieve pressure on GPs and deliver personalised work and health plans that prevent people from falling out of work and onto long-term sickness benefits.

The WorkWell service provides a single, joined-up assessment and gateway into both employment support and health services locally to help people manage their conditions and to identify workplace adjustments or support that would enable them to stay in work or return sooner.

Participants do not need to be claiming any government benefits and will receive personalised support from a Work and Health Coach to understand their current health and social barriers to work and draw up a plan to help them overcome them.

According to the UK Government, evidence shows that work is an effective way to improve wellbeing by reducing the risk of depression, improving physical health, and building self-confidence and financial independence.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Victoria Atkins MP, said: “Too often, people with disabilities or poor health fall out of work with no support.

“We have a plan to change that and improve lives so everyone has the opportunity to find fulfilling work. This service will help tens of thousands of people, who will receive joined-up work and health support, tailored to their individual needs.

“This service, alongside a faster, simpler and fairer health service, will build a healthier workforce, and a stronger economy.”

WorkWell is for anyone with a health condition or disability, including mental health conditions, who wants to work. It is a voluntary service, so people will be able to self-refer or may be referred to WorkWell through their GP, employer, or the community sector.

Healthcare professionals will also provide advice on workplace adjustments, such as flexible working or adaptive technology, facilitate conversations with employers on health needs, and provide access to local services such as physiotherapy, employment advice and counselling.

It comes as the latest figures show there are currently 2.8 million people who are ‘economically inactive’ due to long-term sickness, a near-record high. According to the government, the fit note process is often the first step to someone falling out of work and into inactivity. Data recently published by the NHS shows almost 11 million fit notes were issued last year, with an overwhelming 94 percent of those signed “not fit for work”.

The government says a large proportion of these are repeat fit notes, which are issued without any advice, resulting in a missed opportunity to help people get the appropriate support they may need to remain in work.

To address this, the Prime Minister announced a review of the fit note system to stop people being written off as “not fit for work” by default and instead design a new system where each fit note conversation focuses on what people can do with the right support in place, rather than what they cannot do.

As part of the call for evidence, the government is also testing reforms of the fit note process to integrate it more closely with WorkWell, enabling the people who need it to have a work and health conversation, with a single, joined-up assessment and gateway into local employment support services.

Some WorkWell pilots are in areas of the country with some of the highest number of fit notes issued, like Greater Manchester and the Black Country, where a combined total of over one million fit notes were issued last year.

“Fit note trailblazers” will also be rolled out in some of the WorkWell pilot areas to ensure people who request a fit note have a work and health conversation and are signposted to local employment support services so they can remain in work.

The trailblazers will trial better ways of triaging, signposting, and supporting people looking to receive a fit note and will be used to test a transformed process to help prevent people with long-term health conditions falling out of work, including referral to support through their local WorkWell service.

Covering a third of integrated care boards across England, the success of the pilot will inform the possible future rollout of a national WorkWell service dedicated to stemming the flow of people falling out of work due to ill health where the right adjustments and support could prevent this.

This is a key part of the government’s £2.5 billion Back to Work Plan to help up to 1.1 million people with long-term health conditions, disabilities, and long-term unemployment to look for and stay in work.

In addition to reforming the fit note process and expanding NHS Talking Therapies, the Back to Work Plan includes the launch of Universal Support to match 100,000 people to job vacancies and expanding the Restart scheme to give people the skills they need to progress.

The government’s wide-ranging welfare reforms also include changes to the Work Capability Assessment, which are expected to reduce the number of people put onto the highest tier of incapacity benefits by 424,000 by 2028/29.

The DWP recently launched a consultation on the approaches the UK Government should consider around modernising the welfare system for people with disabilities and health conditions.