Agenda item

The Board considered a report of the Integrated Care Board regarding the delivery plan for Leicestershire, Leicester City and Rutland (LLR) WorkWell, and how the programme would be placed in General Practice to support the population that might have barriers in returning to work. A copy of the report, marked ‘Agenda Item 6’, is filed with these minutes.

Arising from discussions the following points were noted:

(i)           The LLR programme was one of 15 national vanguards being established to provide the service. The Chairman welcomed how quickly the WorkWell programme had been put together in LLR since the bid to the Department of Health and Social Care had been approved in May 2024, particularly as the funding was only available until March 2025. The LLR programme was of particular interest nationally because the delivery model being used was based on a partnership and Primary Care Network model rather than using a single provider.

(ii)         The LLR programme was appointing 26 work health coaches and four senior work health coaches. One senior work health coach was already in place. The work health coaches would identify the barriers to a person returning to work and link in with social prescribers.

(iii)        In response to a question as to whether specific locations in LLR were being targeted or whether the offer was universal, it was explained that originally the localities that were most inactive with regards to people in work were focused on, but because all 15 Primary Care Networks (PCNs) within Leicestershire had signed up to host and deliver the Programme the same model was now in place across Leicestershire.

(iv)       The Joy App was being used to help refer the public to different agencies, and a contract variation had been agreed with Joy so that the service for LLR met the requirements of the WorkWell programme and the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).

(v)         The WorkWell programme was linked in with the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Health and Wellbeing Alliance but the membership of the Alliance was still developing and therefore further engagement with the voluntary sector needed to take place. Voluntary Action Leicestershire offered to help as they had links with many more organisations, many of which were not on the Joy App.

(vi)       Specific public consultation had not taken place regarding the WorkWell programme, partly due to the short period of time there was to put the programme in place. However, engagement had taken place over the years with regards to some of the individual aspects of the programme. There was an intention to carry out further engagement with the WorkWell participants as they went through the programme.

(vii)      Potential participants in the WorkWell programme were identified through the Statement of Fitness for Work, commonly known as the ‘fit note’, which was issued by healthcare professionals. The WorkWell programme had targets to meet in terms of people engaged with, and monthly data would be captured and submitted to DWP. Discussion took place around whether it was better to work with the people that were motivated to return to work, rather than use resources on those people who did not want to return to work. A member sought reassurance that the programme would not just focus on those people that were the easiest to return to work in order to meet the targets but would also work with those people with more complex issues who were more difficult to return to work. In response reassurance was given that WorkWell was more integrated than previous DWP approaches, and the model was a ‘wrap around’ offer using different agencies where there was not an incentive just to target the easiest cohorts but would also tackle those with long term conditions and disabilities. The Programme would evolve and adapt depending on the nature of the people coming forward.

RESOLVED:

(a)        That the update on the WorkWell programme for LLR, including that all fifteen Primary Care Networks within Leicestershire have signed up to host and deliver the Programme, be noted;

(b)        That the implementation of WorkWell within Leicestershire be supported.