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<p>The Government has a wide range of initiatives to support disabled people and people
with health conditions, including <strong>anxiety, bad nerves and depression,</strong>
to start, stay and succeed in work. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) works
in lockstep with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) through our Joint
DWP and DHSC Work & Health Directorate (JWHD), which reports to both Secretaries
of State. This was set up in 2015 in recognition of the significant link between work
and health and to reflect the shared agenda of boosting employment opportunities for
disabled people and people with health conditions, with a focus on building the evidence
base for what works for whom.</p><p> </p><p>Based on the evidence and delivered through
the JWHD in partnership with DHSC, we provide support to individuals and employers.
Initiatives include:</p><ul><li><strong>Employment Advice in NHS Talking Therapies</strong>,
which combines psychological treatment and employment support for people with mental
health conditions;</li><li><strong>The Work and Health Programme</strong> providing
tailored and personalised support for disabled people;</li><li><strong>Disability
Confident</strong> encouraging employers to think differently about disability and
health, and to take positive action to address the issues disabled employees face
in the workplace;</li><li><a href="https://www.support-with-employee-health-and-disability.dwp.gov.uk/support-with-employee-health-and-disability"
target="_blank"><strong>A </strong><strong>digital</strong><strong> information service
for employers</strong></a> providing better integrated and tailored guidance on supporting
health and disability in the workplace;</li><li>Increasing access to <strong>occupational
health</strong>, including the testing of financial incentives for small and medium-sized
enterprises and the self-employed;</li><li><strong>Additional Work Coach</strong>
support programme that provides disabled people and people with health conditions
with increased tailored work coach support to help them move towards and into work;<strong>Disability
Employment Advisers </strong>in Jobcentres offering advice and expertise on how to
help disabled people and people with health conditions into work; and</li><li>The
<strong>Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (IPSPC)</strong> programme,
a Supported Employment model (place, train and maintain) delivered in health settings,
aimed at people with physical or common mental health conditions to support them to
access paid jobs in the open labour market.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Building on existing
provision and the £2 billion investment announced at the Spring Budget, we announced
a new package of support in Autumn Statement 2023. This includes:</p><ul><li>Doubling
the number of places on the <strong>Universal Support</strong> employment programme,
to provide support for 100,000 people per year when fully rolled out;</li><li>Formally
launching <strong>WorkWell,</strong> which will bring together the NHS, local authorities
and other partners, in collaboration with jobcentres, to provide light touch work
and health support in approximately 15 pilot areas;</li><li>Building on the extension
of the certification of the <strong>fit notes</strong> to a wider range of healthcare
professions, exploring new ways of providing individuals receiving a fit note with
timely access to work and health support; and</li><li>Establishing an expert group
to support the development of the voluntary national baseline for Occupational Health
provision.</li></ul>
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