WorkWell pilots: what early learning means for joined-up health and employment support

As the UK Government’s WorkWell scheme moves from pilot to wider rollout from November 2026 the early pilot findings offer useful learning for the teams and partners preparing to deliver joined-up health, employment and community support. 

This is where RIVIAM comes in. 

We have proven expertise and a multi-agency referral hub service that connects referrals, workflows and information across organisations. 

Learn more about how RIVIAM can support connected WorkWell delivery, or talk to us about your local delivery model. 

Why the WorkWell pilot learning matters 

WorkWell is a UK government-backed programme designed to support people with health conditions or disabilities to stay in work or return to employment. 

Following the initial pilot phase across 15 Integrated Care Boards, WorkWell is now being rolled out nationally, backed by up to £259 million over three years.  

According to the latest WorkWell pilot management information, around 34,000 people participated in the pilot phase, with all 42 Integrated Care Boards expected to begin delivery from November 2026. 

While the formal evaluation will not conclude until 2028, the government’s early implementation findings already highlight themes that matter for local delivery. 

For WorkWell teams and delivery partners, the question is not only what the pilots found, but how that learning could translate into practical delivery across multiple organisations, referral routes and support pathways. 

Partnership working is central to delivery 

One of the clearest themes from the pilots is that WorkWell is delivered through local partnership models. 

Delivery brings together NHS organisations, Local Authorities, employment support providers, voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations and wider community services around the shared goal of helping people improve their health while remaining in, or returning to, work. 

The early implementation findings suggest that sites with established local partnerships and previous experience of work and health programmes were generally able to mobilise more quickly than those starting from scratch. 

This is important because partnerships do not operate effectively through intention alone.  

They need a clear vision and mission along with defined referral routes, roles and responsibilities, appropriate information-sharing arrangements and a shared understanding of what happens next when someone enters the pathway. 

The pilot learning therefore raises an important question for WorkWell teams and delivery partners: how will different organisations work together around the person once referrals start to flow? 

Multiple routes into support need clear co-ordination 

WorkWell is designed around a “no wrong door” approach, with people able to enter the programme through different routes, including via GPs, Jobcentres, local services and self-referral. 

That is important for access.  

People with health and employment support needs may present in different places, at different times and through different local services.  

But multiple routes into support also mean local teams need to consider how referrals are received, triaged, managed and tracked consistently, regardless of where they begin. 

The pilot data gives useful context.  

Approximately 43% of participants were in work at their first appointment, while 57% were out of work. Nearly half, 47%, identified mental health as their primary barrier to employment. GPs and primary care were the largest referral source, accounting for 29% of referrals, although people also entered through a range of other routes. 

These figures show the breadth of local WorkWell delivery. Some people may need early help to stay in work. Others may need support to return after time away.  

And many may need input that cuts across health, wellbeing, employment, community and voluntary sector services.

Turning pilot learning into practical delivery 

The early implementation findings also show that there is no single blueprint for WorkWell delivery. Some programmes were led by Local Authorities, others by NHS organisations or third-sector providers. 

That flexibility is valuable.  

It allows areas to build on local partnerships, existing services and different delivery models. But it also means WorkWell teams and delivery partners may need to think carefully about how their supporting processes work across organisational boundaries. 

As WorkWell expands nationally, delivery teams may need practical ways to: 

• manage referrals from multiple routes
• co-ordinate actions across different organisations
• share information securely and appropriately
• maintain visibility across the person’s journey
• understand activity, progress and outcomes across the pathway  

These are not just policy or partnership questions.  

They are delivery questions about how referrals are managed, how actions are co-ordinated and how partners keep sight of progress as services scale.

How RIVIAM enables WorkWell delivery 

RIVIAM provides secure care co-ordination platform services that help organisations connect referrals, workflows and information across multiple organisations. 

By supporting referral management with accessible digital front door services, workflow co-ordination, secure multi-agency working and information flow, RIVIAM helps organisations work together around the individual.  

Organisations can manage a secure role-based model with RIVIAM, meaning delivery partners see the referrals they need to closely manage, but also have sight across all the other actions and referrals in place. This supports the data sharing model. 

These capabilities align closely with the collaborative delivery model at the heart of WorkWell, without assuming a single way of implementing the programme. 

For local WorkWell delivery, this kind of infrastructure can help partners move from shared ambition to practical co-ordination.  

It supports a more consistent approach to referrals, clearer management of tasks and actions, and better shared understanding across the person’s journey. 

You can see a related example of RIVIAM supporting multi-agency working in our Integrated Neighbourhood Teams case study, where NHS, social care and VCSE partners use RIVIAM to receive referrals and securely work together online to co-ordinate care and support around an individual. 

Learn more about how RIVIAM can support connected WorkWell delivery, or talk to us about your local delivery model.