Early Intervention Vocational Rehabilitation and Case Management
We offer multidisciplinary vocational rehabilitation with coordinated case management, helping people stay in work or make a sustained return after illness or injury.
What it is
Vocational rehabilitation helps people affected by ill health or injury to stay in work, or to return to work and stay there after a period of absence. We work to a biopsychosocial model, which considers the biological, psychological and social factors that shape recovery, because the barriers to work are rarely medical alone.
It is not a one-off appointment. Our consultants provide coordinated case management from the first assessment until the agreed goal is reached. That can include signposting to in-work health-related benefits, short work-focussed clinical and therapeutic interventions, job coaching, work conditioning and ergonomic assessments, with workplace modifications agreed directly with the employer.
Early intervention is central to the service. Prompt assessment and case management give the best chance of a lasting outcome.
Who it is for
The service is used by insurers, insurance brokers, occupational health providers and employers, including claims managers and HR teams handling individual absence cases.
It suits three situations: employees who want to return to work but see their physical, psychological or emotional health as a barrier; employees who are at work but struggling to cope with their normal hours and duties; and employees who cannot go back to their original role and need help towards suitable alternative work, within or outside the organisation. Referrals are appropriate for both short-term and long-term illness or injury.
What is involved
The starting point is a detailed biopsychosocial assessment with the employee, carried out by telephone or video call, or face to face where the case requires it. This can take between 1 and 2 hours to complete. The Vocational Rehabilitation Consultant (VRC) gathers medical history and current circumstances and explores the individual's perceived barriers to work alongside their capabilities. During the assessment the employee is also signposted to support already available to them.
A report with tailored recommendations then goes to the referring party. Where ongoing support is needed, the case moves into vocational case management and a work-focussed plan is built around the individual. Interventions can include physiotherapy, psychological therapy, work-focussed functional rehabilitation programmes, education and advice, suggested reasonable adjustments and graded return to work programmes.
Assessments and case management are delivered by registered professionals, including nurses, occupational therapists, occupational psychologists and ergonomists, all experienced in occupational rehabilitation. They liaise with the referring party throughout, so all parties are working towards the same outcome.
What the referrer receives
After the initial assessment you receive a written report with specific recommendations for supporting the individual to consider. If the case proceeds to case management, the consultant keeps the referrer informed at every stage.
Support continues until the agreed vocational goal is reached, rather than ending at the report. The measure of success is a safe, sustained return to work, or continued employment for someone who was struggling in their role.
Testimonials
I am so impressed with the support that our claimant has received. We talk a lot about how VR can differ from OH, and I really feel this is a wonderful example of how much more proactive VR can be. They've found a very practical solution to a barrier and held his hand all the way through that process, and what a huge difference this will have made for him!
Insurer
Questions referrers ask
Can the assessment be carried out remotely?
Yes. Initial assessments are usually carried out by telephone or video call, with face to face assessments arranged where the case requires it.
Does the employee need to be off work to be referred?
No. The service is also used for employees who are at work but struggling to cope with the demands of their normal hours and duties. In these cases the aim is to reduce the risk of long-term or recurrent absence and to help the person sustain their role.
Who carries out the assessments?
All Form Health vocational rehabilitation consultants are registered professionals, including nurses, occupational therapists, occupational psychologists and ergonomists, with significant experience in the occupational rehabilitation sector.
What happens after you refer
Steps
- 1
Refer
- 2
Logged
- 3
Individual contacted
- 4
Assessment
- 5
Report to your inbox
- 1
Refer
- 2
Logged
- 3
Individual contacted
- 4
Assessment
- 5
Report to your inbox
Need the evidence first?
Our functional assessments give a claim or case an objective baseline: functional, cognitive, psychological and workplace evaluations that stand up to scrutiny.
Explore functional assessmentsTalk to the team
Whether it is one referral or a programme of work, start with a conversation.