WorkWell: A positive partnership that Works Well

WorkWell is a free and complementary service to help people struggling to find or keep a job due to physical and/or mental health.

The voluntary sector has dual roles to play:

• referring people to the service and
• receiving referrals for services provided to participants that support their journey into work, paid for from personalised budgets.

What our VCSE colleagues say:

Disability Huntingdonshire

Disability Huntingdonshire became involved with WorkWell after beginning to receive a lot of referrals via one of the WorkWell Programme providers.

“We felt there were more clients who would need benefit support and advice whilst looking for a job or maintaining their current employment.

What many people don’t realise is that Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is not an out-of-work benefit and is utilised effectively by people in work, to help them maintain their employment or to support people who have a disability take that tentative step back into employment.

After meeting with Rob and the programme managers, we now have an agreement with all the WorkWell providers in our county.

Our experience with both the managers of the programme and the coaches has been great.

They are fully supportive of our work and my caseworkers, wanting the absolute best outcomes for the people they refer to us.

We know that if we identify anyone who expresses an interest in returning to work, then we can refer them to the WorkWell programme.

This is a positive partnership between providers for the benefit of our community and demonstrates how it should work for the people we all support.”

Tracy Hyland, Disability Huntingdonshire

Care Network

Care Network receives referrals from Workwell via JOY.

“Referrals are often for people with mental health-based needs and require talking therapy. CPFT have a long waiting list, so the hope is that we can either bridge a gap or, in some cases, deliver the intervention that is needed. It’s normally the latter, and we can get people facing and overcoming barriers.

If we refer to WorkWell, then we normally get the client to call themselves. That’s part of empowering clients to obtain the support they need themselves. It’s a step forward. We work effectively with both Hunts and Fens hubs, and we receive multiple referrals.”

Caroline, Care Network

WorkWell Support Services

If you are interested in applying for funding to help you deliver WorkWell support services, submit an application form.

Please note that WorkWell is keen to reach more participants with learning disabilities, autism or neurodivergence, young people not in education, employment or training, care leavers, offenders and those from the Global Majority.

If you would like to discuss any aspect of the WorkWell programme, please contact Rob Henchy: Rob.henchy@nhs.net