What is the Work and Health Programme?

The DWP will be commissioning a new specialist Work and Health Programme (WHP) for claimants with health conditions or disabilities and those unemployed for over two years. It will replace the national Work Programme and Work Choice once contracts expire on 31st March 2017.

The Opportunity

Ingeus is seeking to partner with organisations that have experience of delivering targeted, integrated, tailored support to individuals in receipt of out of work benefits, enabling them to develop the skills, attitude and experiences needed to be successful and resilient in the labour market, and to assist them in overcoming any health and practical challenges to employment they may be experiencing.

General Guidance

  • The Partner Assessment Form’s primary purposeis to evaluate the suitability of interested applicants, alongside their ability and track record, to meet the requirements to partner with Ingeus on the Work and Health Programme
  • Applicants should answer all the questions. Applicants should address their answers to this application only and should not include general marketing or promotional material.
  • We value clear, concise and relevant information in response to the questions provided in the Partner Assessment Form
  • Failure to provide a satisfactory response to any of the questions may result in Ingeus not proceeding further with the organisation in question.
  • Applications that score highly are those that provide unambigious and detailed information

Delivery requirements

Delivery Partners will be expected to:

  • Work cooperatively with Ingeus and partners, and local stakeholders, to deliver an integrated service for participants.
  • Demonstrate commitment to achieiving high levels of performance and quality, within a holistic participant-centred approach.
  • Contribute relevant skills, expertise and experience to the delivery and continuous improvement of the service.

We are keen to work with organisations that can demonstrate:

  • Experience of successfully providing support to vulnerable groups to overcome health and practical barriers and move towards employment.
  • Experience of engaging and supporting groups with specific needs
  • Close links with local employers, stakeholders and other local government services (e.g. skills, health and housing services).
  • Experience of enabling vulnerable groups to access employment, and /or activities that bring them closer to employment

To apply for the opportunity, please follow the below instructions:

Prior to completing this Partner Assessment form all applicants are required to complete the Expression of Interest on the Ingeus Partner Network ( or Merlin standard website (

If you are unsure of your registration status on the Partner Network, or have any questions regarding the application process please email these to

Please complete the Partner Assessment form, outlining your capabilities to meet the requirements for delivery. All questions will be scored according to the criteria outlined in the table below. Following the scoring process partners will be notified as to the outcome of their application. If successful potential partners will be invited to take part in further dialogue and due diligence to determine suitability for the Work and Health Programme.

All questions will be scored based on the scoring criteria outlined here:

Score 0 - / No information provided.
Score 1 - / The response provides insufficient evidence and/or little confidence that the organisation is able to deliver the required services to an acceptable standard.
Score 2 - / The response does not address all elements of the question or provides unsatisfactory evidence that the organisation is able to deliver the required services.
Score 3 - / The response addresses the required elements of the question and provides evidence that the organisation is able to deliver the required services.
Score 4 - / The response cleary addresses all the required elements of the question and provides evidence that the organisation is able to deliver the required services in full. Some added value is offered.
Score 5 - / The response very clearly address all the required elements of the question. It provides comprehensive evidence including names, dates, quantitative details and assurance that the organisation can meet and exceed the service requirements.

Specific Guidance on Assessment questions

Section 1 - About the organisation / Please provide information relating to your organisation's strategic intent. We want to know what drives your organisation, how this aligns to Ingeus's vision and mission and your experience directly relating to the Work and Health Programme
Section 2 –Services / Please provide full information on what services you are able to offer and which specialist customer groups you have significant experience of working with.
Section 3 – Geography & Coverage / Please give a brief overview of the premises available to you, including information about DDA compliance
Section 4 – Social Value / Your response should detail how your organisation benefits society. A good response will go into detail on the following areas:
  • How you ensure parity of outcomes for disadvantaged groups across the programmes you deliver
  • How you promote equal opportunities within your workforce and the programmes you deliver
  • How you make a positive social impact in the communities you deliver services in
  • How you measure social impact
  • How you make a positive impact to environmental sustainability
  • How you measure your environmental impact

Section 5 – Health Conditions, Disability & Long-term Unemployed / Please explain your capabilities to working with specific disadvantaged groups and provide information on how you tailor aspects of your delivery to meet distinct needs. Please provide relevant performance information where possible.
Section 6 – Proposal / Please give a brief overview of your proposed offer and how you add value to the Work and Health Programme