Guidance

Chapter 1: Introduction and Overview

Updated 23 December 2024

Please note: Please follow the processes outlined for WHP Core and WHP Pioneer. Elements that are exempt from this can be found in Chapter 2b WHP Pioneer eligibility and entry points.

Contracting Body Note

1. The Authority has issued this Work and Health Programme (WHP), including WHP Pioneer, specific provider guidance and generic provider guidance, to help provide Contractors (and sub-contractors) with operational clarity and guidance. This forms part of the Work and Health Programme Contract. In the event of, and only to the extent of, any conflict or inconsistency between the clauses of these documents, the Work and Health Programme Terms and Conditions, any document referred to in those clauses and the Schedules, the conflict or inconsistency shall be resolved in accordance with the following order of precedence:

(a) the clauses of the Work and Health Programme Terms and Conditions including all Schedules and any Appendices or Annexes to the Work Health Programme Terms and Conditions

(b) the Work and Health Programme Specification

(c) the Q and A for Tender

(d) the Tender

(e) the Tender Clarification

(f) the Provider Guidance

(g) the Umbrella Agreement

(h) and any other document referred to in the Work and Health Programme WHP Pioneer Contract.

Please note: WHP Pioneer is an expansion of the Work and Health Programme contract therefore the above order of precedence equally applies.

2. The provisions contained in this Provider Guidance (PG) relating to Universal Credit claimants have been developed on the basis of current practice for such claimants. As we continue to develop Universal Credit, the Department will introduce changes to our interaction processes with providers and claimants. We will keep you advised of these as they develop.

An introduction to the Work and Health Programme Provider Guidance including WHP Pioneer

3. The Work and Health Programme has two elements. The WHP Core programme for active customers and WHP Pioneer (an expansion of the WHP Core programme) which provides specific support to those deemed economically inactive.

4. This Guidance supports you, the provider, by setting out the important things you need to know and do to provide the WHP Services in conjunction with other requirements set out in the Contract between the Contracting Body and the Contractor.

5. This Guidance is a contractual document and should be read in conjunction with other contractual documents which form the Work and Health Programme Contract between the Contracting Body and the Contractor.

6. In addition to this Guidance, you must also comply with the Generic DWP Provider Guidance which applies to all of our provision.

Overview of the Work and Health Core Programme (including Pioneer)

7. Launched in November 2017 the WHP is DWP’s contracted employment provision that will help persons who have a disability, the long-term unemployed (LTU) and specified disadvantaged groups to find sustained work. WHP will target those who are most likely to benefit from the additional support of the programme.

8. In September 2023, the WHP was expanded to include WHP Pioneer. WHP Pioneer aims to help economically inactive customers who have a disability and/ or who are within a specified early access disadvantaged group to find sustained work through a support model that has elements of a place and train type approach. There was no change to the eligibility and suitability criteria.

9. Jobcentre Plus Work Coaches will use their expertise and skills to perform the key role of identifying eligible Participants from the target groups to participate in WHP and then engaging them to access the provision. For referrals made by Jobcentre Plus, they will continue to be the final decision maker for determining if an individual is eligible and should be referred to WHP.

10. WHP will:

• provide additional support that is distinct and additional to that available through Jobcentre Plus
• support current and future local plans for service integration for individuals who have multiple barriers to work and/or have a disability. DWP agreed, through the Government’s Devolution Deal and City Deal process, to work with a number of combined authorities’ /city regions to ensure local priorities influence the design and delivery of WHP by co-designing the programme with those areas.

11. You must, as part of achieving sustained employment outcomes:

• provide Participants with more tailored support than is available in their locality
• have strong links to national and local employers
• link up with health and social care services and other local services
• take a holistic approach to tackling the barriers to employment faced by Participants

12. The Contracting Body will remunerate WHP Contractors in accordance with the payment terms set out in your current contracts. 

13. Participants may be referred to you by Jobcentre Plus. For WHP, some of these referrals will come to you from Jobcentre Plus by an approved signposting organisation.

Overview of Work and Health Programme Jets

14. In October 2020, as part of the UK’s economic recovery, WHP JETS was introduced, as a separate strand of WHP, to provide early light-touch employment support. WHP JETS complemented the wider labour market offer of support through a sector-based approach that responded to local priorities. Referrals to WHP JETS ended in September 2022.

15. For WHP JETS to achieve sustained employment outcomes, Providers were required to:

• provide Participants with targeted support which complements the wider labour market offer in their locality
• have strong links to national and local employers and
• link up and integrate with local services

IT Equipment ‘Fair Use Policy’

16. You should implement a ‘Fair Use Policy’ for any IT equipment issued to participants, where you feel that issuing equipment to participants with multiple barriers to work and/or have a disability will support in overcoming these barriers. Further information can be found in WHP Provider Guidance Chapter 15 Data sharing between DWP and Providers.

17. In order to make participants aware of the expectations on the fair use of IT equipment issued to them, the ‘Fair Use’ discussions (as a minimum) should outline:

• how the IT equipment can be used to improve participants employment prospects
• that IT equipment provided must not be used inappropriately or for any activity that would create reputational damage to you, the Provider, DWP and/or the government, and outline the consequences of using that equipment for any purposes other than agreed with yourself.

18. If issuing a Fair Use form, it is suggested (as a minimum) that the form allows for the following information to be recorded:

• the participant personal details
• the date that the equipment was issued
• if the equipment is expected to be returned, what that date will be
• if the equipment is returned, what that date is
• if the equipment is returned, that you will check and verify (to the best of their knowledge) that the equipment has not been compromised and that no reputational damage to you the Provider, DWP and the government has occurred
• if the equipment has been comprised, that you, the Provider, has confirmed they will take appropriate action

Public Sector Comparator (PSC) (not applicable to WHP Pioneer)

19. When DWP wants to compare and contrast different delivery models they reserve the right to operate a PSC alongside the Work and Health Programme contracts and control group. This will enable DWP to quantify and isolate the impact of different delivery approaches and techniques and will support future policy design. DWP will use reasonable endeavours to ensure the PSC is managed so that it does not have a negative impact on the delivery models of suppliers in live running. All new referrals to the PSC have been suspended.

20. Individuals who previously took part in the PSC from the 1st December 2018 and didn’t receive the full PSC offer (due to Covid) will have the opportunity to attend and complete the Work and Health Programme, on a voluntary basis, if they are eligible and suitable.

Key Responsibilities

21. While Participants are on the WHP some of your key responsibilities are listed below:

• you are required to acknowledge a referral and make contact with the Participant within two working days
• conduct an initial conversation with the Participant to make arrangements for the initial meeting using appropriate means. This meeting/appointment must take place within 15 working days of the referral from DWP
• help Participants to find and stay in sustainable work by engaging with them in accordance with your Customer Service standards (CSS). Further information can be bound in Chapter 16 Performance Management and Compliance Monitoring
• create and retain WHP Exit Report Packs, which include an Exit Report. These must be completed for those referred before the 1 November 2022 until requested by Jobcentre Plus Plus
• create and retain a WHP Final Action Plan for those referred on or after the 1 November 2022
• you should continue to meet DWP requirements in accordance with your Customer Service Standard
• obtain a participant’s signature when required

Participation on the programme

22. While Participants are on the WHP, Jobcentre Plus may continue to maintain contact with them. Therefore, you are expected to ensure that contact and personal details are up to date.

Please note: Not all Participants referred to WHP will be in receipt of a Working Age benefit.

23. Jobcentre Plus may collect any feedback that Participants volunteer about their time on provision. This will be passed to your performance managers.

24. You are expected to ensure Participants are fully informed about your complaints process. Further information can be found in the WHP Provider Guidance Chapter 12 - Participant Complaints.

Obtaining a Participant Signature

25. When obtaining a Participant’s signature, WHP is not prescriptive about how the signature is obtained. You have the option to use one (or more) robust digital alternatives to obtain and store a Participant’s signature as part of the evidence of activities undertaken.

26. Participant signatures will continue to be monitored as part of the Performance Compliance Officers Assurance Checking Regime.

27. You are reminded to comply with GDPR and DWP security requirements when engaging in any digital delivery. Please follow instructions in Chapter 8: information security - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) to raise a request if approval is needed.

Travel costs and additional costs

28. You must ensure Participants are not worse off by virtue of attending the WHP.

29. For WHP you must at your expense pay each Participant’s costs for travel, childcare, replacement care and additional support costs whilst they are on the Programme.

30. There is no requirement to provide a Participant with travel expenses once they have moved into work, however, should you wish to offer to fund travel costs to cover the time between any last benefit payment and first salary payment, this will be at your discretion.

Independent benefit calculators

31. You should support and encourage your Participant to utilise the independent benefits calculators so that your Participant can make an informed decision and understand the effect of any earnings if they start work or increase their earnings.

32. When supporting the participants in the use of benefits calculators, you must ensure that they are present and that they understand the calculations are only as accurate as the information they provide and are not guaranteed. You must ensure the Participant reads and understands the disclaimer included within the online benefits calculator.

Key interactions with Jobcentre Plus

33. While the Participant is on WHP, you will need to work together with Jobcentre Plus as outlined below.

34. DWP will notify you if we become aware that a Participant has a change in their circumstance. The following changes will be prioritised if the Participant:

• dies
• conditionality changes
• becomes a victim of domestic abuse
• becomes ill
• becomes homeless
• develops complex needs

35. It is essential that you are in regular contact with the Participant to ensure you have the latest personal circumstances.

36. For WHP you are expected to facilitate the non-compliance process for Long Term Unemployed (LTU) Participants. You should engage promptly with Labour Market Decision Makers/Universal Credit Decision Makers when Participants have not complied with a mandatory activity.

37. Further information can be found in Work and Health Programme Chapter 8 - Raising a Compliance Doubt for LTU participants.

38. Some LTU Participants may be required to attend mandatory interventions with Jobcentre Plus. For example, JSA Participants will be required to attend their Work Search Reviews and other mandatory interventions at Jobcentre Plus. You must ensure that nothing you require of a Participant prevents them from attending these appointments.

Integration with Local Authorities (LAs)

39. You must avoid duplicating existing services, whilst still ensuring that the needs of the Participants are suitably addressed.

Duration on WHP and in work support

40. Once a Participant starts on WHP you have 456 calendar days to work with that Participant, to help them into sustained employment.

41. Unless a Participant completes early, you will be expected to deliver 456 calendar days of continuous support, with the option of an additional 182 days in work support.

42. You remain responsible for ensuring Participants get the right support for this full period. It is for you to determine the appropriate course of action in accordance with the Contract, for providing support to Participants.

43. You may identify that a Participant is an early completer due to the Participant reaching the earning threshold due to Non-Qualifying Earnings as defined in your contract.

44. In these circumstances, they are not considered to have completed the programme, and you should continue to support them until they either:

• reach the end of their remaining time on programme (456 calendar days for WHP from the Participants start date)
• enter subsequent paid employment
• reach the end of their IWS period
• you are notified of a subsequent validated self-employment outcome

45. In work support whilst on the programme can be for any period of time, but once a Participant reaches the 456-day end point on programme. In Work Support can only be extended for a further 182 days. This may extend the period for which you support a Participant up to a maximum of 639 calendar days.

Should you require a copy of any of the forms mentioned in this chapter, please email: WHP.ENQUIRIES@DWP.GOV.UK