Rehabilitation
Current Projects
Fit for work: rehabilitation evaluation
The piloting of fit for work notes is a key element of the Government’s response to Dame Carol Black’s report “Working for a Healthier Tomorrow”. BOHRF is funding the evaluation of the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of a new multi-disciplinary rehabilitation and wellness programme (Fit for Life) case control study, which is targeted at employees with long-term sickness absence.
The objectives of the research are:
- To compare changes from before to after the introduction of the intervention in total and temporary staffing (full-time equivalent person-years) and in the number and duration of absences lasting longer than eight weeks, in the intervention group as compared with the control group.
- To document the operation of the Fit for Life programme, including the extent to which eligible staff members are referred by managers, the efficiency with which cases are managed, the referrals that are made to specialised services, and the use that is made of job modifications.
- To use the data obtained to inform a cost-benefit analysis.
The main disciplines that are represented within the core multi-disciplinary team are occupational health, physical therapy (physiotherapists and chiropractors), psychology, psychiatry, occupational therapy, dietetics, and lifestyle/exercise practitioners (personal trainers).
A case manager will work closely with the client to help them make a self-assessment of their problems (biological, psychological and social), and to formulate solutions to improve their own health and well-being. The intention is to motivate, enable and engage clients in actively improving their own health and fitness for work, and to avoid imposing interventions on passive or reluctant individuals.
Completed Projects
Rehabilitation and line manager competencies
To the best of our understanding this is the first longitudinal research designed to identify behaviours, and to develop and validate line manager competencies required for supporting effective return to work and staying back in work, covering employees being rehabilitated back in work after absences due to mental health problems, back pain, heart disease, cancer.
Using a combined qualitative and quantitative approach, this research:
- Identified line manager behaviours that contribute to successful return to work/rehabilitation
- Validated the behaviour based Competency Framework for managers to Support Return to Work
- Guidance for health and HR professionals, line managers and employees on achievement of successful return to work and staying back in work
- Guidance on mainstreaming the model into personal development and performance
The research received funding in kind from HSE and CIPD, in addition to project funding from Bunzl plc, Centrica plc, Corus plc, EDF, Faculty of Occupational Medicine, NHS Employers, National Grid Transco, Rolls Royce plc, Scottish Executive.
The research report – Managing Rehabilitation: A competency framework for managers to support return to work – can be downloaded as follows:
Executive SummaryThe data and statistics behind this research are available from BOHRF on request. Please e-mail
In addition guidance for line managers, occupational health and human resource professionals is available here:
In addition a checklist that managers can us to assess their performance in supporting colleagues back to work – providing an opportunity to note any points needing improvement is provided here:
Last Update: 21-Dec-2010