The UK's Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has published a groundbreaking report that aims to improve the effectiveness of health and work programmes at a local level. This initial research, part of the Labour Market Evidence Programme, is designed to provide clear guidance on how to design and deliver interventions that help people with health conditions into employment.
The DWP's broader Labour Market Evidence Programme has been commissioned to inform the establishment of the What Works Centre for Local Employment Support (WWCLES), which will provide evidence-based support for regional and local government initiatives concerning employment and labour market support. The centre is being set up to accelerate the operational readiness of WWCLES by supplying a solid foundation of research and evidence.
The report highlights that while direct evidence in this area is limited, case studies offer valuable insights into mechanisms that contribute to programme success, including robust partnership working and active service user involvement. This is particularly significant for programmes such as WorkWell and the Economic Inactivity Trailblazers, which aim to address economic inactivity by providing integrated health and employment support.
The DWP expects this research to significantly improve its understanding of what enables successful implementation and evaluation of health and work programmes at a local level. The findings will have considerable policy implications for mayors and local authorities, influencing how they commission, design, and assess local employment support in an increasingly devolved landscape.
Ultimately, the cumulative work of the Labour Market Evidence Programme and WWCLES aims to provide evidence to policymakers on the value-for-money case for place-based and local employment support. This will inform DWP and Treasury decisions during future spending reviews, with the goal of fostering more effective and efficient local employment support tailored to community needs.