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Thrive into Work

About the service

Thrive into Work offers one-to-one job finding support to people with health challenges.

There are two organisations that provide this service:

  • Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to people living in Dudley and Walsall. They also provide additional support for the West Midlands.
  • Shaw Trust to people in Birmingham, Coventry, Warwickshire, Sandwell, Solihull and Wolverhampton

This offers a unique approach to employment support that empowers people living with health conditions to find suitable and satisfying work. Research suggests that being in regular work has positive effects on your health. If you have a health condition, being in work can:

  • Help improve support networks
  • Find ways to manage your health and wellbeing.

In 2018, WMCA managed a trial to see how effective the programme was. It ended in October 2020. The results from the trial showed that more than 600 people in the region had been helped to find new job roles. Without the programme, many of these people would have been signed-off on long term sick leave. The programme can help people regain confidence, independence and sense of purpose. It’s part of our vision for a fairer, greener, healthier West Midlands.

If you want to join the Thrive into Work service, you will get:

  • One-to-one support to suit your needs and employment goals
  • Support from your health care team to help you manage any difficulties
  • Advice on benefits to find out if being in work could increase your income
  • Help with finding a job if you are not in paid employment
  • Continued support once you have started in a job
  • Help talking to your employer about your needs at work
  • Regular and ongoing support online or by phone

The Thrive into Work specialist employment support service has launched two new animations to let people know how easy and straightforward it is to refer to the service. One is aimed at health professionals so that they can refer their patients directly to Thrive into Work.

Watch the video below

The second one is aimed at the general public so that anyone can self-refer or share the details with someone they know.

Watch the video below

Who can use the service

You can get this support if:

  • You are aged 18 or over
  • You are currently out of work, or at risk of leaving work due to sickness
  • You have problems finding work, or staying in a job, because of your health. This can be your physical health or your mental health
  • You are registered with a GP in Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Rugby, Warwickshire, Walsall or Wolverhampton
  • You are interested in finding paid employment or retaining existing employment

Our specialist pathway can provide support if you have:

  • A neurodevelopment disorder, for example ADHD, autism

How to sign up

If you want to get help from this service, you can:

Refer yourself online. This process takes about 10 minutes.