What’s next for Working Well Trust?

While it’s great that we’ve been able to celebrate our many achievements in 2023, it’s equally important to look to the coming year ahead. And with that in mind, we would like to share some of the key areas that will have a huge impact on the way in which we work, and the difference we can make to the working lives of our clients.

A new way forward

We are thrilled to announce that, in collaboration with the Shaw Trust, WWT will be providing an IPS Primary Care service in Enfield and Haringey. ‘Thrive into Work’ will comprise two newly created teams, each with six employment specialists and a team lead. These teams will follow the same IPS principles as SMI services to help clients into work but with a wider remit – supporting people with physical and mental health conditions.

This new approach has so many upsides. It provides opportunities for communities to improve employment and health outcomes in their local area and recognises employment as a driver of an individual’s health and wellbeing. It also ensures that our clients receive the holistic service they need to address potential barriers to employment.

We are in no doubt that these teams will rise to the challenge and that their hard work will act as a blueprint for the planned national roll out. We are proud that WWT is at the forefront of a new service that aims to deliver inclusive growth and help reduce health inequalities. You can find out more about the Thrive service here

The Back to Work Plan

By way of some background, the Government has recently launched its new Back to Work Plan (Which you can read more about here), designed to help up to 1,100,000 people with long-term health conditions, disabilities or long-term unemployment to look for and stay in work. Within the Plan are several health and employment programmes that will benefit 500,000 people over the next five years and help those with mental health conditions stay in or find work.

In the coming months, we will have a clearer picture on WWT’s involvement in the delivery of relevant projects. Part of the Plan involves the expansion of IPS, aiming to help an additional 100,000 people with severe mental illness find and keep jobs over the next five years. The Plan also unveils the WorkWell service which is being launched to Integrated Care Systems across England and will help support people at risk of falling into long-term unemployment due to sickness or disability, through integrated work and health support.

We at WWT welcome these new initiatives and we will keep you up to speed on further developments and how they will impact on our day-to-day activities.

Health Inequalities Report

Next year, WWT will be publishing a report which will address health inequalities across the boroughs we work in. The report will cover accessibility of mental health services and identify barriers faced by individuals from marginalised communities in accessing care. Our research will focus on several areas including language barriers, cultural competence, geographical accessibility, and availability of appropriate support for different populations.

Once finalised, we will share our findings and key recommendations with both you and our wider audience.

So as 2023 draws to a close, we’d like to thank you all for your dedication and unwavering commitment. Please enjoy your well-earned break with friends and family and we look forward to seeing you in January. It looks like 2024 will be yet another busy but rewarding year, bringing a new set of opportunities for us all.