Cornwall chosen to pilot new national work and health support

Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Integrated Care System have been selected to become part of a £64 million pilot to deliver joined-up work and health support following a successful bid by NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board.

‘WorkWell’ pilots will provide personalised and accessible support to help local people with disabilities and people with mental and physical health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work.   

The WorkWell programme is led nationally by the Department of Work and Pensions and Department for Health and Social Care Joint Work and Health Unit, and will be rolled out across 15 areas of England from October.

The NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board will work with its local partners over the next two years to design the programme which will bring together services and support to help people with disabilities and long-term health conditions overcome health-related barriers to employment.

Kate Shields, Chief Executive, NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board, said: “I am delighted that Cornwall has been selected to be part of the WorkWell programme. 

“Helping people with disabilities and people with mental and physical health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work is a crucial to helping reduce health inequalities, increasing wellbeing and wider prosperity in our area. 

“Our successful bid was built on strong local partnerships and our track record on the work and health agenda, and I look forward to taking this work forward over the next two years.” 

The next steps will see the design and development of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly WorkWell programme through engagement with partners and stakeholders across our system, with the programme intended to start in late 2024.  The intent is that participants are provided with support to overcome their health and social barriers to work, and to access advice on workplace adjustments and how to access local services such as physiotherapy, counselling and employment advice. 

 With previous interventions primarily focused on people already on benefits and struggling to find work, WorkWell will also help people who are still in work or have recently left to stop them falling into inactivity.

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.