Helping you stay well and working...
Good health and good work go hand-in-hand. When we feel well, we’re more able to stay in work, enjoy what we do, and support ourselves and our families.
But when health problems – like stress, back pain, or long-term conditions – get in the way, it can be hard to stay in or return to work, even if we want to.
The good news is that getting support early can make a big difference.
That’s exactly what our WorkWell Programme is here to do – helping people to stay well and stay working – before things get worse. Take a look at our animation to see what our plan is!
Why this matters?
Here in the North East and North Cumbria more people are out of work due to poor health than in most other parts of the country.
In some areas, it’s as many as one in three working-age adults.
That’s not just tough for people affected – it also puts a strain on families, communities, the economy, and the NHS. We know people want to stay active, connected and independent. But too often, people don’t know where to turn for help – or they get stuck between services that don’t join up.
We want to change that.
Our WorkWell programme
We are one of three areas in England to receive money from the Government - £19m - to help people get the support they need, before they feel they have to give up work due to poor health. You might hear this described as a 'Health and Growth Accelerator site'.
The Programme brings together the NHS, councils, job support services, voluntary organisations, and employers to offer joined-up support for people who need it most.
Who will it help?
Our aim is to support around 2,000 people in the first year – including:
- Adults struggling to stay in work due to mental health, musculoskeletal (MSK) or long-term conditions – the leading causes of work -related ill-health in our region
- People who are under financial pressure or missing out on the benefits and support they are entitled to
- NHS and care staff who need extra support to stay in their jobs
- Small to medium size employers - who want to help support their staff and reduce absences.
How the programme works
We're focusing on three key areas to make a real difference.
1. NHS WorkWell services including coaches
People who need support will be referred by a GP or other professionals to a service where a WorkWell coach will work with them to build a personalised plan which could include:
- Connecting them to services such as mental health or pain support
- Offering advice on benefits, money and housing
- Helping with workplace conversations or job changes
- Linking to local groups and community activities.
2. Extra support for NHS and care staff
We will be offering extra help for those who are struggling with their wellbeing.
This includes:
- Faster access to mental health and wellbeing service
- Peer support networks and group sessions
- Support for everyday health challenges like stress, menopause, weight management, and long-term conditions – along with help to stop smoking and cut down on alcohol.
This will help staff stay in their jobs and get the support they need to thrive at work.
3. Creating healthier workplaces
We're also working with local employers to help them create fairer and more supportive workplaces. This includes:
- Working with local employers, councils and many other partners to help businesses support staff with health issues – such as looking at how we offer occupational health advice, especially for small businesses
- Promoting flexible working, fair pay and better job conditions
- Expanding schemes to promote healthier working environments such as Better Health at Work Awards
- Supporting employers to spot when staff need help, and know how to offer it.
Who is delivering the service?
The NHS WorkWell service will be delivered through the ICB's Local Delivery Teams working with partners in each of their areas. How the WorkWell services link with the local and combined authority approaches to support people with health conditions to return to, or remain in, work is currently being developed. At the heart of this will be a 'hub' model working across all agencies. This will ensure that no matter where people access support from, they will receive the right support for you, first time.
The overall WorkWell programme is managed by the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), with support from NHS England and an independent evaluation led by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Alongside this, a local evaluation is also being commissioned. This will evaluate the impact of placing work coaches in health settings and offering access to services to support people to stay well and working.
Supporting our communities, together
Our programme is part of a wider effort across our region to help people to stay well, stay in work or return to work. We are working closely with our combined authorities, local authorities and the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector (VCSE) to make sure support is joined up and connected with what's already out there. This collective effort will be essential to bring about the change we want to see. Together we know we can make a difference and support people in our region to stay well, and stay working.