Issue - meetings

A report outlining the Council’s participation in the WorkWell programme in partnership with the Integrated Care Board and the commencement of activity required to support better outcomes for Work & Mental Health.

Cabinet Portfolio Holder – Councillor Martin Watson

Councillor Martin Watson (Portfolio Holder for Economy), explained that WorkWell was a programme to deliver the Government’s vision to create a healthier nation where an individual’s disability or health should not define whether they remained in the workplace.  The Council, with Coventry City Council and the Integrated Care Board (ICB) were successful in May 2024 in becoming one of 15 Vanguards to receive funding to mobilise local work and health integration across the ICB area.  The programme was a pilot lasting 18 months from October 2024. 

£1.75m had been secured from the Department for Work and Pensions with the accountable body being the ICB for Coventry & Warwickshire. This funding would be shared with the Council via the variation to the Better Care Fund Section 75 agreement.  Subject to the terms of the variation, 60% of the funding would be passed to the Council, with the other 40% being related to performance-based payments and the report identified the mitigations in place to manage this risk.

Councillor Sarah Feeney expressed the view that this was a key step to support individuals back into work and asked for more information about how the service would be delivered.

Councillor Marian Humphreys welcomed the scheme, noting the different causes and levels of stress and further welcomed the societal changes which were removing the stigma associated with talking about stress.

Councillor Isobel Seccombe noted that there was a lot of good work for the Council to build upon in delivering this programme, including the Thrive to Work scheme across the West Midlands.

In response, Councillor Watson advised that the programme would build upon the Council’s existing offer and it was planned to visit workplaces to meet with individuals face-to-face.

Resolved:

That Cabinet:

1.     Authorises the Executive director for Communities in consultation with the Executive Director for Social Care and Health to vary the existing Better Care Fund Section 75 agreement with the Integrated Care Board to accommodate WorkWell on terms and conditions acceptable to the Executive Director for Resources;

2.     Approves the Council acting as lead delivery partner for elements of the WorkWell funding and for the Council to lead on the commissioning of joint programmes across Coventry & Warwickshire;

3.     Authorises the Executive Director for Communities to carry out appropriate procurement activity and/ or competitive calls for projects to deliver the priorities of the WorkWell Funding; and

4.     Authorises the Executive Director for Communities to negotiate and enter into all necessary contract and agreements required to deliver the approved recommendations on terms and conditions acceptable to the Executive Director for Resources.