A pilot project to test innovative ways of helping people to move off incapacity benefit and into work is to see some of its findings rolled out across County Durham – after successfully supporting more than 150 people into jobs.
Aim High Routeback was launched in Easington in 2005, with the task of working with local GPs and other health professionals on the issues facing people who’ve been on incapacity benefit for several years but want to go back to work, and to make it easier for them to get support.
Each client was offered one-to-one support tailored to their specific needs, along with group activities on topics like back care; writing a CV and completing job applications; assertiveness and confidence-building; and relaxation techniques.
In its two and half years of operation, Aim High Routeback has:
* Worked with almost 400 clients, of which 151 have already moved into jobs, triggering improvements in their health and saving thousands of pounds in benefits. It is estimated that 73 more will start work by the end of this year.
* More than half of the successful clients were people with mental health issues
* 41% of clients reduced their medication and 55% reduced their use of primary care services
* All of the pilot’s clients – even those who haven’t yet moved into a job – report that they believe they are more confident and employable after taking part in the programme.
County Durham and Darlington Primary Care Trusts now plan to use the pilot’s findings to launch a new county-wide programme, in partnership with JobCentre Plus, which will provide health support and advice for patients on incapacity benefit.
Aim High Routeback, which was funded by the Northern Way partnership and One NorthEast, will also help inform national and regional policy on supporting people from incapacity benefit into a job.
Aim High Routeback’s co-ordinator, Joanne Benson, said: “The remarkable thing about this project was the changes clients were able to make to their lives which surpassed the original expectations of the project, in that clients achieved more than a return to work.”
Graeme Greig, Public Health Partnership and Performance Manager from County Durham PCT said: “Aim High Routeback has demonstrated that there is much scope for targeted health interventions both to improve health and support people back into employment. It is the intention of the PCT to roll out an employability health support programme in County Durham with our key partners in the coming year.”
The pilot has been particularly successful in working with people who have mental health problems, such as stress and depression. One of the pilot’s clients, 37 year old Jane*, had been out of work for 15 years with depression when she joined Aim High Routeback. Jane* had five one-to-one sessions looking at issues around her confidence and assertiveness before the pilot was able to fund a distance learning course in Administration and PA work for her. Jane* passed with flying colours in half the time recommended, completed a work placement and is now working 30 hours a week in office management.
One North East’s Economic Inclusion Manager, Robin Beveridge, said: “One of the main aims of the Regional Economic Strategy is to get more people into work, meeting the needs of employers for skilled and committed staff and reducing reliance on benefits and health services. This is particularly important in areas like Easington where worklessness is a long-term problem.
“Aim High Routeback has proved that the potential is there, particularly with clients who have mental health conditions who can find it especially difficult to regain confidence and manage stress at work. By involving more health expertise at the very start of the process, getting health and employment teams working more closely together and making sure services can be tailored for each client, it is possible for people who have been on Incapacity Benefit for a long time to go back to work successfully. We’re delighted that this pilot has laid the foundations for a county-wide programme in the future.”
Dave Peebles, district manager for Jobcentre Plus, said: "In the North East, the government's major national Pathways to Work programme is run by Jobcentre Plus and we work closely with a wide range of local partners to ensure that this and other programmes deliver the sort of help that people need to get back to work.
“Anything that adds value to this or compliments it in any way has to be a good thing and we continue to look forward to developing our relationship with the Aim High Routeback programme."