- WorkWell, a proven health-and-employment support service, will be rolled out across England to help people with health conditions stay in or return to work.
- The expansion follows a successful pilot supporting over 25,000 people with tailored physical and mental health support.
- Part of the Government’s Plan for Change to break down barriers to opportunity, boost living standards and support economic growth.
Up to 250,000 more people with health conditions will receive support to stay in or return to work, as a groundbreaking programme proven to transform lives and boost living standards is to be rolled out across England.
WorkWell provides personalised, early help for people struggling with their health — connecting them to local services such as physiotherapy, counselling and workplace adjustments. WorkWell forms part of the Pathways to Work offer, created to help disabled people and those with health conditions move from welfare into work and provide a joined-up support system for local residents.
WorkWell is designed differently by acting as an early-intervention, health-led service that is locally designed and integrates with local NHS, council, and community services to prevent people from leaving work due to health issues or supporting them back to work quickly if they fall out.
Following the success of the WorkWell pilot – a pioneering health and employment support programme in 15 areas – it will be rolled out across all of England, backed by up to £259 million over the next three years.
Over 25,000 people have been supported to stay in or re-enter work during the pilot phase with 48% reporting mental illness as their main barrier to employment, and 59% out of work at their first appointment.
With the right support, people can stay in work and move off from welfare into work. WorkWell is one example of this and is supported by other programmes including Connect to Work and Pathways to Work Advisers to help people stay in or return to work.
WorkWell brings together health and employment support such as physiotherapy and counselling, workplace adjustments and return-to-work plans.
The expansion is part of the work the Government is doing to bring down NHS waiting lists and tackle the inherited issue of 2.8 million people out of work due to long-term sickness – the highest in the G7.
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Pat McFadden said
Too often, people with health conditions are signed off sick without the support they need to stay in or return to work—and that doesn’t help anyone.
WorkWell changes that by giving people the help they need. Our pilot provided support to 25,000 people to remain in their jobs and helped others get back to work.
Now we’re rolling this out nationwide—because supporting people to stay healthy and employed benefits individuals, businesses, and our economy.
The national rollout is expected to ease pressure on the NHS, reducing demand for GP appointments by ensuring more people get the health and work support they need through WorkWell.
Fit notes are currently issued more than 11 million times a year, and WorkWell aims to ensure people get help earlier and through the right route — freeing up GP time for patients who need it most.
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting said
No-one should have to choose between a job they love and their health. WorkWell’s national expansion shows this government is modernising a system that has written people off for too long.
We’re issuing millions of fit notes a year dismissing people as simply “not fit for work”. By combining health support with employment support in local communities, WorkWell can give people back their confidence, their purpose and their wellbeing.
Crucially, it also eases pressure on GPs and cuts waiting lists so we can build an NHS fit for the future.
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.
Participants will access services through multiple routes including employer referrals, GP referrals, Jobcentre Plus, local services, or self-referral, creating a ‘no wrong door’ approach to support.
Services provided through the programme vary locally, but can include
- Physiotherapy for back pain and mobility issues
- Mental health interventions including counselling and psychological support
- Workplace adjustment advice to help employers accommodate health conditions
- Ongoing health condition management
Sadie, who was supported by the WorkWell programme, said
I was under a lot of stress from work and wasn’t feeling supported in managing my work life balance.
I went to my doctors, as I wanted to be proactive rather than going off sick and they recommended the WorkWell programme.
I was contacted by WorkWell and started sessions with them. I explained what I was experiencing, and the support I felt I needed. My WorkWell adviser set me targets and pointed me in the right direction of some activities that I could do. It really helped me to have the consistency of someone to speak to and have someone push me in the right direction to be supported.
My work could see that I was trying my best to stay in work and get the support that I needed. I’m still with my employer, I’m focusing on my health, I’ve got so much more work life balance, and it started with WorkWell’s support being in my corner.
Shaw Trust Chief Executive Officer, Chris Luck, said
We’ve seen first-hand the difference WorkWell can make in our work supporting over 5,700 people in North West and North Central London, as part of the initial pilot programme.
Key to its success is meeting people where they are – they can access support in person, over the phone, via video call or even in their local café. It joins up work and health support, with employment coaches working closely with mental and physical health professionals, to make sure people get the help they need.
All of this makes it really easy for people to access the right support, at the right time, to help them find the job that’s right for them.
We welcome the expansion of the service to support people nationwide, and look forward to seeing its future impact.
WorkWell will be available through NHS Integrated Care Boards working in partnership with Local Authorities, Jobcentre Plus, and community organisations to deliver locally designed services that meet specific community needs.
Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation said
The national rollout of the government’s new health and employment support programme, WorkWell, across every ICB is welcome news. Health leaders know all too well that good work and good health are two sides of the same coin, and supporting people to stay in or return to work is an important step in helping to reverse the rates of health-related economic inactivity in England and in turn reducing pressure on the NHS as well as the economy.
We know that through the NHS Work and Health Network – NHS Confederation – a joint government and NHS Confederation initiative – progress is being made to strengthen the health service’s role in tackling economic inactivity. The national WorkWell programme will further help systems to build on this momentum and deliver on the government’s 10-year health plan commitment for every ICB to establish outcome targets to reduce economic inactivity.
The national rollout follows Sir Charlie Mayfield’s Keep Britain Working Review, which highlighted the urgent need for early intervention in workplace health support, while 1,000 Work Coaches have been redeployed to provide personalised support for disabled people and those with health conditions.
Further Information
Data on WorkWell outcomes will be available in due course.
