Work health programme

Parkrun100

I have recently heard about the work health programme, my work coach mentioned it to me. when I was little I had Petti mals, (childhood epilepsy). was on medication till I was 5, and it seemed to stop, it has left me with co-ordination issues, slower at doing basic things. my self esteem has been worn down, I was registered disabled, but due to cut in funds, and the place closing|(work link). this fizzled out. I have told work coach and he has been ok, but I don't know if he took it seriously. my mum has put something in writing about it. I just want to be given a chance and patience and understanding shown, as I never have had this. I want my issues to be taken into account.

steve51

Hi @steve51

Welcome it’s great to meet you today.

I am one off a team of Community Champion’s here at Scope.

We have got some info with regards to work.

I have posted a link below for you with regards to work and I do hope that it is useful????

Please please let me know if you require any further help??????

https://www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support/work-careers/

@steve51

janer1967

Hello and welcome to the community, your work coach should be able to take these into account, it could be an idea to get a fit note from your GP stating that you are fit for work but what adjustments need to be made. I presume you are looking for work or are you looking for a group to attend.

If you are not happy with your work coach you can request another one 

Parkrun100

no he is good and patient so far, but not sure he took seriously what I said. i have a letter my mum has written to show him. I am quite lucky, but I have been embarrassed by my health issues,and tried to hide them, my mum convinced me to see what help I can get. the g.p. thing is a good idea, but I need to find one as have recently moved. its nice to have people who understand, my confidence has been knocked with all the rejections, yes I am looking for work but the group could be good too. does anyone know about work health programme and what its like will they take my issues into account. I just want a job where I am given a chance and shown some understanding. My last employers knocked me down.

emmarenshaw

A warm welcome to the community @Parkrun100

Parkrun100

can you get fit notes quite easily and would it affect my universal credit claim

janer1967

You can get fit note from your GP depends on GO as to how easy it is. You are asking for one to say you are fit for work with reasonable adjustments.  If you get one saying you are unfit for work this will start the work capability process with UC 
I think b4 you do anything you need some face to face advice 
I dont know anything about the work health programme 
If you are fit for work I would talk more to your work coach see if there is disability adviser.
Also look at the info on this site about employment 

Parkrun100

thank you, I don't want one that says I am not fit for work, I want one that says am fit to work with reasonable adjustments.
but don't want it affecting my u.c., work coach says no disability person that is why he wants to see if he can get me on the work health programme. I am fit for work, just am slower at doing things, have trouble with co-ordination and multi tasking  or where I would need to work at a fast pace. thanks for advice it is useful

janer1967

Glad to help maybe get letter from doctor rather than fit note but there will no doubt be a cost . Also may just give diagnosis as GP dont often comment on how your condition affects you 

chiarieds

Hi @Parkrun100 - Welcome to the community. I must admit I had not heard about the Work & Health Programme until you mentioned this. It is also for disabled people, so, if your work coach thinks you are eligible, it helps you find work that you would be able to do.

I really don't know about UC, & whether this might be affected, so I will ask @poppy123456 as she will probably know.

poppy123456

HI and welcome,

Thanks @chiarieds for the tag,

It does sound like you have a supportive work coach and that's a good thing. Unfortunately, there's no such thing as being registered disabled anymore.

The work health program is to help to get you back into work if you have been out of work for less than 2 years this program is voluntary, if you've been out of work for more than 2 years then you may not have a choice to do this. It's not such a bad thing because they will help and support you to get back into work. Some advice here in this link. https://www.gov.uk/work-health-programme

As you also have a disability then it may also be worth asking to speak to a disability employment adviser. When you see this person you will be able to tell them what you can and can't do, the things you need help and support with and they will also support and advise you.

It does sound like you do want to work and that's a very good thing. A fit note from your GP stating you're not fit for work may not be the right thing for you BUT if you do have a limited capability for work then you may want to consider this. Having a limited capability for work doesn't mean you can't work at all, you can work if you want to, even with this.

Hope this helps and if you need more advice please do ask.

Parkrun100

he is quite supportive but I am not sure he has took seriously what I said regarding my issues, but that might be me being paranoid, I was worried about the limited capability route, as it might affect our joint universal credit claim, we might get less or they might stop it while it was looked into. would the work health programme take my issues into account, they don't just push you into anything do they, I just want help and support and some patience and understanding which I haven't really had. I was registered disabled when I was about 16, but when work link closed down, and cuts in funding, I had nowhere to go for help and just had to manage alone. love these pages, feel so much better to open up about how I feel without being judged. am worried work coach will lose patience with me, at the end of the day he still wants me to get a job, he won't be bothered what it is.  

Parkrun100

I don't have an obvious disability not one that you can see, so people might not recognise it, but it  is still a barrier. where would I find a disability advisor.

steve51

Hi @Parkrun100

Good Morning I do hope that everything is okay today????

We have got a Support to Work: employment support program here at “Scope”

I will post the links below for you:

https://www.scope.org.uk/employment-services/support-to-work/

https://www.scope.org.uk/employment-services/

https://www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support/finding-a-job-that-matches-your-skills/

Please please let me know if you have any questions/problems with this info??

@steve51

Parkrun100

everything ok glad to have people to talk to that understand and don't judge because I don't have an obvious disability then I suppose have been too scared to mention it, thought I would not be taken seriously, and just trying to get out of work. had a lot of problems at Last place I worked, told I wasn't fast enough but good with customers, then tills were down, manager had me in office, said not quick enough can't do tills what is left, found out long after tills were down due to him, he got sacked but it got hushed up. he was doing it when I was on till so it seems, working there has affected me, made me anxious. and have had a lot of rejection that has worn down my self esteem, my mum has pushed me to use health issues to get help. she has been great. gym helped, and doing courses to help. this group is great thanks sorry for the rant. its good to talk to someone.

steve51

Hi @Parkrun100

That’s no probs it’s my Pleasure!!!!!

Yes I have also got “Hidden Disabilities” like many of us on here.

These I find more difficult than my other disabilities on show.

Please don’t worry about the “rant” that is what we are all here for.

Please please let me know if there’s anything that I can help you with today??

@steve51

Parkrun100

thank you I will everyone on this group has been so kind and I feel a lot better. nobody except my mum and partner understood how I am feeling

poppy123456

Starting the limited capability for work process off will not affect your joint UC claim in a bad way. As advised, you will need to send in fit notes from your GP to start this process off. Once you do this your work coach will refer you for the work capability assessment and then you'll receive the work capability assessment form to fill in and return with all your evidence.

It's likely a face to face assessment will be needed because most people have them.

Lots of people have invisible conditions. You need to ask your work coach about the disability adviser because there should be one at your local job centre for you to speak to.

I'm glad to hear that you've found our community very supportive, that's what we are here for.

Parkrun100

its nice to be able to talk to people I can talk to that understand and not judge me, though my mum has been Brill.
am not sure about the fit note as if I had a face to face assessment they would not think anything was wrong as there
is nothing obvious, am just slower at doing things and need that taking into account, you might be right about the disability advisor, I will show work coach the letter that my mum has written that explains things and take it from there. thanks again.

Parkrun100

the only thing is if there is a disability advisor, am worried that I might be too late, they might ask why I have not mentioned 
this or got help sooner. which I can't really explain, I guess I just put it to the back of my mind but my mum started talking about it and saying get all the help you can.

poppy123456

It's never too late to ask for anything, especially help like this. Asking for a disability adviser won't go against you. They can be very helpful.

For the work capability assessment then a lot of people claim limited capability for work that have invisible conditions. It would be your responsibility to explain all of this in the form that you're sent. The face to face assessment will be to answer any additional questions they may have. All of that and any other relevant evidence you have, will also help.