Health and Employability Delivery Group
01 October 2010 11am-2pm
Scottish Government Atlantic Quay
Minutes
1 / Introductions:Attendee List
Kate Burton / Public Health Practitioner (Health & Employability) Edinburgh CHP.
Policy Manager /
Julie Bilotti / SG: Policy Manager /
Phil Myers / NHS
Dumfries & Galloway
Health Imp Prog Lead /
Jan Graham / Inverclyde CHP. /
Sandra McGuire / Renfrewshire WFP
Health and Employability Lead /
Wendy Third / NHS Tayside /
Sue Plummer / NHS GG&C representing Condition Management Services /
Marilynn Mcmillan obo Ruth Slessor / NHS Ayrshire /
Anne McAlpine / NHS fife Vocational Rehab Co-ordinator /
Gabe Docherty / Lanarkshire NHS /
Michelle Gibson / SG:Employability & Health Development Manager /
Hazel Meechan / NHS Forth Valley
Health Promotion Manager /
Michael Kennedy / SG: Health and Work Partnership Manager /
Willie Bhari / SG: Employability Delivery Team /
Donna Burnett / SG: Health Work and Well-being Coordinator /
Apologies
Jackie Erdman Christine Jess Ruth Slessor Lisa Buck
Andrina Hunter Jackie Bayne Morag.Hamil Judy Gibson
Freda Stewart Rachael Ozanne Joanne Farrow Jackie Bayne
2 / Approval of minutes / MG
3 / DWP Update
Julie Bilotti
Julie Bilotti from SG Employability Policy Team provided the group with an update however stressed that information could change.
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith announced the introduction of a Universal Credit designed to simplify the benefit system and improve work incentives. The Universal Credit will simplify the benefits system by moving from the current benefit structure with a range of complex benefits administered by four different departments to one streamlined system. This should reduce errors and fraud as well as making it easier for people to work out when they will be better off. IDS is keen to reform the system to ensure that work pays for the vast majority of people that any disincentives in the current system are removed. Full details of this have yet to be released.
Radical reform of the welfare to work system and the implementation of The Work Programme is currently underway. The Work Programme will be an integrated package of support providing personalised help for people who find themselves out of work based on need rather than benefit claimed. There is expected to be various entry points to the Work Programme depending on criteria-no information on disabled entry point but expected to be early. This programme will be an outcome based for payments and it is expected that there will be some form of differential payment for clients with greatest need. JC+ will have an offer for individuals and be responsible for them until they enter the Work Programme.
Work Programme will be in place nationally by the summer of 2011. Once in place, it will supersede much of the national programmes currently on offer and these will be phased out. Work Choice will remain separate to the Work Programme. Participation in the Work Programme is expected to last up to two years with those who complete the Work Programme without moving into work being mandated onto a community programme. No details are available at this moment around this. Job sustainability is expected to be targeted at the 26 week mark with contractors receiving payments up to a years sustainability.
Once available, more detailed information will be disseminated.
- A rep from the policy team should attend future HEDG meetings to provide updates on the latest developments from DWP. / JB
4 / Equally Well Lanarkshire NHS
Gabe Docherty
Gabe Docherty provided the group with a presentation on Lanarkshire NHS Equally Well test site.
Lanarkshire’s theme is focusing on sustained employment and barriers to people finding employment. The aim of this site is to increase awareness of the range of employability support which is available to clients and patients, and to encourage referrals into the model.
/ GD
5 / Update on SG – Health Works
Michael Kennedy
Michael provided the group with an update on Health Works.
· Scottish Offer pilot will proceed in Lanarkshire with a MSK trial which looks at early identification of work status at triage and appropriate onward referrals to Working Health Services or employability services locally. 55 Lanarkshire physiotherapist are to receive employability training to ensure an understanding of employability issues and pathways. If successful pilot has the potential to be rolled out across other NHS boards.
· Challenge fund – 2nd round of funding has been cancelled.
· Vocational rehabilitation services have been redesigned.
Further information available via the link at
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/workingage-1/background/SNAPSHOT / MK
6 / Current practice around employability questions in health assessments
Agenda item carried over from previous meeting
Group discussed what questions could be used in health assessments.
- All to give careful consideration to compiling a question(s) for inclusion.
- Sandra to disseminate flowchart with members
/ All
7 / ELN interactive maps NHS Board area content
Joanne Farrow is developing new interactive map for Local Authority areas, JC+ districts and NHS board areas, which we will hosted on our website.
Group to give thoughts and feedback on what content should be available on the website.
/ All
8 / Round table catch up, items for web site or e bulletin
Donna Burrnett, Health Work and Well Being Co-ordinator, circulated leaflets developed for use with GPs and patients around the fitnote. Donna is working to develop materials that are more user friendly for people who are engaging with GPs around the fit note. Donna asked for assistance in forming a group for a one off meeting to look at that information.
Jan Graham from Inverclyde offered that she has a secondee working 2 days a week to work with employers around the fit note. They also have 5 jobs secured via the Future Jobs Fund within the health board.
Sandra McGuire updated the group with news that they were recruiting a 4th client health improvement practitioner for their project. They are also awaiting news on funding of service for phase two.
Wendy Third, Dundee Opportunities, updated that Working Towards Health has had funding agreed for the next 3 years. They view this as offering an opportunity to work with other areas on this agenda.
Kate Burton, Edinburgh CHP, has surveyed those practitioners who have been on their employability training and has identified a demand for a health and employability practitioner network, this includes nurses and physios. The first meeting is taking place later this month and will take the form of a early morning breakfast meeting. Kate will update us on this at the next meeting.
Hazel Meechan, NHS Forth Valley, has been developing the health and employability pipeline with partners and working on high impact changes. Hazel also reported that the Working Health Services had got off to a good start with referrals.
Gabe Docherty, Lanarkshire NHS, updated that project search had started in Lanarkshire with Serrco. Gabe will keep the group updated on progress.
Gabe, Phil and Anne all reported that this was their first HEDG meeting and reported that they had found it useful.
Next meeting: Thursday 13 January 2011-
Note; We hope to have an update on the Aberdeen IB migration to ESA trial which started on 11th October 2010
Minutes of previous meetings are now available on the ELN website. http://www.employabilityinscotland.com/healthandemployabilitydeliverygroup.aspx
Willie Bhari
October 2010
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