WorkWell – The story so far

The WorkWell pilot programme matches local people with a work and health coach who can establish what they need help with, overcome barriers and help them find the right local support. The work and health coaches will provide personalised support, and can connect people with different services, such as health professionals, community sector services and local support groups.

Grant Spillman, WorkWell Team Lead, explains the importance of the programme. He says, “Our country’s greatest asset is its people. However, the talents of too many are being wasted because of spiralling economic inactivity. We’ve got 2.8 million people locked out of work due to long-term sickness. 1 in 8 of our young people are not in education, employment or training. 9 million adults lack the basic skills they need to get on.”

He continues, “All of this comes at a cost. Poor workforce health imposes large costs on employers, especially from sickness absence and turnover, while also making it harder for them to find the talent they need to grow and thrive. There is also compelling evidence about the value of helping people with a health condition or disability to stay in work, including to prevent them becoming economically inactive.”

Cllr Henry Batchelor, Lead Cabinet Member for Communities for South Cambridgeshire District Council, said, “Evidence shows that meaningful employment and a supportive workplace are vital to improving health and wellbeing. Helping individuals with health challenges to secure or retain work is not only transformative for their own personal growth but also critical to the economic success and wellbeing of every community. Through local initiatives and collaborative partnerships – such as WorkWell with CPSL Mind – we help create opportunities for people to realise their potential while fostering economic prosperity and social connection. Together we are building healthier, more inclusive, and successful communities for everyone.”

So how can the programme support local businesses? “WorkWell provides light-touch, holistic support for participants’ health-related barriers to employment and is intended to complement and not replace existing Human Resources, Occupational Health or health support offers”, says Grant. The service has had a great response in Cambridgeshire. We have created a strong team who are well on the way with supporting individuals to achieve their goals and personal outcomes. We are about to take up a regular residency at Cambridge Job Centre plus, so that individuals can self-refer to our service whilst attending their Job Centre Plus appointment, working collaboratively with JCP disability and work coaches. As a team we have forged many new relationships and are working collaboratively with other organisations in the voluntary, medical and health and wellbeing sectors.”

In relation to the workforce, Grant urges employers to explore the referral pathway. “Workwell is open to employers as well as individuals, so an employer can refer a person from within their organisation with consent and we can support both parties with a thrive at work plan. It is more efficient for an employer to retain a loyal skilled employee than it is to recruit, train and replace a person that is facing some physical or mental health challenges.”

Meet one of our WorkWell Health and Work Coaches, Laura Ohlsson

CPSL Mind: Are you able to share how your experience aligns to the WorkWell role?

Laura: I worked in the Spa and Wellness industry for 13 years, most recently in training and management. I love working with people and have many years’ experience discussing and supporting with the impacts of mental and physical health. Since joining CPSL Mind, I’ve been proud to complete training such as Mental Health First Aid, Stop Suicide, Safeguarding and Personalised Care.

CPSL Mind: What can people expect when they engage with a CPSL Mind WorkWell coach?

Laura: No judgement, and a friendly, listening ear! We start by having conversations to understand what matters most to each individual in relation to their health and employment needs and aim to empower and support each person to set and achieve manageable goals. What those goals will look like is completely down to each person; we are here to help them on their way.

CPSL Mind: What would be your message to individuals and businesses on why they should refer themselves or their colleague to the WorkWell programme?

Laura: As a business, it is always going to be more cost and time effective to keep an already trained and experienced individual in the workplace. Referring employees into WorkWell (with their permission) would be an easy step to take to improve performance and wellbeing outcomes for both parties. As an individual, sometimes you just need to feel heard before you can make any progress to the next step. We are here to do that.

CPSL Mind: In what ways does the support that the coaches offer help people to get back to work?

Laura: We get asked this question a lot, and the answer is, it truly varies from person to person. We are led by them and are not here to tell anyone what is right for them. Once we understand the person, we can start to understand the support they need. That could be anything from a knitting class to a CV writing service, training opportunities or even wellbeing courses. The support is unique because so are they!

CPSL Mind: What does it mean to you to be working on this project as a WorkWell coach?

Laura: I feel passionately about the WorkWell project and its purpose. Giving people the time and space to really think about their priorities and goals for employment and then supporting them to make changes which will hopefully lead to achieving those goals is extremely fulfilling.

CPSL Mind: Why do you think it’s so important for people to try to get back into work, in order to support their wellbeing?

Laura: Work brings so much to our lives, sometimes more than we may realise until we find ourselves out of work. Financial stability has a huge impact on our circumstances and therefore our mental health. But work is about so much more than just earning money. It is social, it gives us purpose and enables us to learn new skills, all of which are so important to our well-being.

What’s next? Grant concludes, “We are planning an employer ‘Lunch and Learn’ event very soon, so we can reach out and make more local employers aware of our offering. We are nurturing our relationships with our PCN (primary care network ) to ensure that many more people who may be currently signed off from work have access to our service and are aware of its existence and they can then receive our support.”

To find out more information and for referral, visit: https://www.growthworkswithskills.com/employer-hub/workwell/