Fit for Work Webinar

Welcome to the Fit For Work Webinar
Facilitated by
Lindsay Soulsby
Director – People Resolutions

Objectives
Understand the implications of the new Fit For Work (FFW) scheme which was launched on 6th April 2010 through:
Appreciating the costs of absence management in the UK
Recapping on the objectives of the FFW scheme
Understanding how the FFW scheme works and who are the key stakeholders involved
Learning how the scheme will affect employers and HR
How much the scheme will cost to implement changes
What you should be doing now
What you should be considering going forward to leverage business and employee benefits

Our Speakers and Q&A Panel
Lindsay Soulsby
Director
People Resolutions
Gail Kovacs
Director
KMG Health Partners Ltd
Linda Hoskinson
Director, Head of Practice People Resolutions
Linda Fletcher
Director
Arrow CMS Ltd

So, just how big is the problem?
Absence and unemployment due to ill health is costing the UK economy an estimated £100bn
Britain has one of the highest proportions of people on sickness and incapacity benefits in Europe. Numbers have more than trebled since the 1970s to 2.7m
175m working days lost each year
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7297174.stm

Why are they committed?
The costs:
Ill health is estimated to cost £100 billion every year – equivalent to the annual running costs of the NHS
Confederation of British Industry estimates 172 million working days lost due to absence in 2007
This cost employers £13 billion.
2.6 million on Incapacity Benefit and Employment Support and 600,000 more each year
Taxpayers and businesses cannot afford this lost.
So, what do the experts think?

Fit for Work Scheme – What is it?
Gail Kovacs

What is it?
In response to Dame Carol Black’s Review, Working for a Healthier Tomorrow, the Government established a number of key initiatives to address the challenges of improving the health and well-being of Britain’s working-age population
Fit for Work Scheme is one initiative

Government’s aim
All initiatives are being developed across Government (DOH, DWP, HSE, etc)
built around three key aspirations which will enable the delivery of the government’s broader vision:
creating new perspectives on health and work
improving work and workplaces
supporting people to work

Work, Health and Wellbeing
Dame Carol Black’s vision:
Prevention of illness and promotion of health and well-being in the workplace
Early intervention for those who are employed but absent with a sick note
Improvement of the health and well-being of those within the benefits system

Government Commitment
“We want to create a society where the positive links between work and health are recognised by all, where everyone aspires to a healthy and fulfilling working life and where health conditions and disabilities are not a bar to enjoying the benefits of work.”
Executive Summary – Improving health and work: changing lives. Government’s response to Dame Carol Black’s review of the health of Britain’s working age population.

The impacts:
If out of work, health worsens
The family is likely to fall into poverty and experience social exclusion
Individuals cannot fulfil their potential
Damage to the community in which they live

The benefits:
Protection against financial hardship
Promotion of quality of life
People making the most of their potential
Strong moral, social and economic case

Why Fit for Work?
Medical model not working
Growing awareness of the biopsychosocial model and its relevance to sickness absence
Increased understanding that absence is not strictly a medical issue, and that absence management is key
HR staff often not equipped / trained to manage absences effectively

Potential of adopting
VR Standards
Values
Professional training
Education
Code of Ethics
NIDMAR – IFDM
EUSE

Standards
Other Regulated Professional Standards
UK Rehabilitation Council
British Standards Institution – Publicly Available Specification 150

Key Concepts
Work is healthy
A healthy workforce is a happier, more productive workforce
Prevention / early intervention
Quality and standards to keep the employee and employer from harm
Rehabilitation is cost effective

Key Concepts
Bio psycho social model – health, social care and vocational rehabilitation
Best practice is health, occupational health and vocational rehabilitation
Best practice or better practice?
Service user involvement

The evolution of disability management
From
Rehabilitating people in order to return
them to work/productivity
To
Returning people to work/productivity
in order to rehabilitate them
(G. Sokoll, 2002)

Fit for Work Scheme
Various and mostly health led models of service delivery
providing personalised and timely back-to-work support primarily for people off sick from work, to enable them to make an earlier return to work than they otherwise would, and to remain there
Some services directly aimed at employers

The Pilot Areas
Scotland-wide
Dundee
Rhyl
Birmingham
Eastern & Coastal Kent
Greater Manchester
Kensington & Chelsea
Leicestershire
North Staffordshire
Nottinghamshire
Wakefield District

General concept
Each allotted £1 million
At least until 2011
Develop innovative approach
Assisting large numbers of individuals
May assist employers as well
Based on case management model
Share with other pilot areas / evaluate

General approach
FFW

Possible Employee Interventions
Stepped approach
Website (ask a question, fact sheets, info)
Telephone (advice and guidance, signposting)
More support (CBT, specialised assessments, counselling, physio, adjustment to work)
Case management (initial assessment, return to work plans, interaction with employer) etc
FFW

Possible Employer Interventions
Website, telephone advice and guidance
Health promotion
Initial needs assessment
Specialised assessments (workstation / ergonomic assessments, job demands analysis)
Education and training (Wellbeing Facilitator, disability awareness
Conflict resolution / mediation
Disability management services
Policy development / support with compliance etc
FFW

Support with legislation
The Care Standards Act 2000
The Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004
The Health Records Act 1990
The Mental Capacity Act 2005
Access to Medical Records Act 1988
The Data Protection Act 1998
The Disability Discrimination Act 2005
The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995
The Employment and Labour Relations Act 2004
The Human Rights Act 2000
Disability Rights Commission Act 1999
Equality Act 2006

Helps employers with…
Risk Management
Health and Safety
Job matching
Sustaining a satisfied and secure labour market
Mobility / transferability

Other initiatives
Increasing funding to Access to Work
Improving advice from GPs about fitness for work (National Education programme and software support)
Developing a new electronic Fit Note
Developing a Mental Health and Employment Strategy for people with mental health conditions

For Employers
Providing the tools to help them understand the costs of absence (Business HealthCheck Tool)
Providing support to address individual employee health issues (helpline for SMEs)
Providing funding for innovative and well-being measures in the workplace (Challenge Fund)

In general
Introducing Health, Work and Well-being Coordinators
Creating the National Centre for Working-Age Health and Well-being
Expanding NHS Plus

Similar models in place
Royal Mail
British Telecom
Dyfed Powys Police
Remploy’s new OH model
NIDMAR training
Convergence

Fit Notes – A Mixed Welcome
Linda Hoskinson

Awareness
68% of employers have little knowledge of the changes
Only 5% of employers think they will reduce absence
57% of employees don’t think that their doctor is qualified to judge them fit for work
64% GPs feel ill-equipped
Representatives and TU responses?
Line Manager training so far?
Government detailed guidance considered to be late

Dialogue
Purpose of the ‘fit note’ is to encourage dialogue
Who will this include?
GPs, Line Managers, HR, OH, EAPs, VR, Reps, Lawyers
Who will co-ordinate (or case manage) this?
What happens if the employee is not willing to return?
Handling disagreements and grievances
GP recommendations are not compulsory but……

Employer Action (a)
Check absence policies and procedures
Is your grievance process robust about disability, permanent and temporary?
Contact Insurance providers
Agree terms – will you reduce pay for reduced hours? SSP terms? Fairness
Help educate your local GPs?
Tighten links with OH, EAP, VR
Require strong links with community resources

Employer Action (b)
Training for Line Managers and HR – help prepare the options - most ‘fit notes’ are expected to say ‘Fit for Some Work’
Mental health literacy
Explain to employees carefully to avoid suspicion. (Helpful rehabilitation, rather than inappropriate pressure to return)
Prepare criteria for when adjustments and accommodations are considered unfeasible or too costly.

Professional Advice
Where are you getting yours from?
Physical and psychological issues
GPs – limited knowledge of workplace, roles, absence policies, legal obligations. Patient focused
OH – some knowledge of workplace, few in the UK trained in Vocational Rehabilitation. Patient focus prevails
VR – trained to case-manage and resolve quickly with both employee and organisation in mind. Links to community and NHS can be variable. (See VR Association for standards)
EAPs – the better ones already do this well, often having access to OH, medical and VR skills. Good at case-management. (See EAP Association for standards)

Fit Notes – A Summary

Summary about the scheme
FFW scheme came into effect on 6th April 2010
Built around 3 key initiatives:
creating new perspectives on health and work
improving work and workplaces
supporting people to work
Ill health costs us 100bn per year
Current model is not working
Many benefits for the employer as well as the government
Links to other initiatives (ie Electronic Fit Note)

Summary about what employers can do
Check absence policies and procedures
Training for Line Managers and HR
Ensure health literacy (both mental and physical)
Educate employees to ensure the scheme is accepted and seen as being fair to all
Ensure access to professional advise for complicated cases when required

Fit for Work Webinar

by People Resolutions on May 05, 2010

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