Remploy team hits new standard

A team of vocational rehabilitation consultants working for specialist employment company Remploy are the first in the UK to complete training to new standards of practice for the profession.

The vocational rehabilitation consultants (VRCs), which will deliver Remployís newly launched Return to Work service, have completed a rigorous three-month training course to meet the standards now set by the Vocational Rehabilitation Association (VRA). The new standards have not yet been launched to the industry at wide but Remploy, one of the founding corporate members of the VRA, has been consulting with the organisation to assist with the development of the new standards and submitted the first team to undertake the training.

The VRA is the leading organisation in the UK for vocational rehabilitation practitioners ñ assisting them to achieve the highest standards in helping people return to work following accidents or ill health.

The specialist training was delivered by vocational rehabilitation company KMG Health Partners. Each individual was trained against the draft standards of practice that KMG director Gail Kovacs has been instrumental in developing in her position as vice chair of the VRA and chair of the standards task group.

Gail Kovacs said: The first team of vocational rehabilitation consultants has now completed training against the VRAís potential new standards of practice. Remploy and KMG are the first operations to commit to these standards and our trainers were impressed with the dedication and commitment shown by the Remploy team.

ìBy focusing on processes that create and support qualified professionals and quality programmes and facilities, Remploy aims to be the best vocational rehabilitation provider in the UK. Congratulations to our first graduates.î

More than 3,000 people register for incapacity benefit each week and research by the Department for Work and Pensions shows that vocational rehabilitation, the process whereby people with disabilities or health conditions are enabled to access or return to employment, is only available to ten per cent of those who could benefit from it.

Remploy is increasing availability through its newly-launched Return to Work programme, which provides a national network of rehabilitation services. Remployís newly-trained VRCs support back into employment people with illness or health issues including stress, depression, anxiety and back problems.

They provide tailored support for people who wish to continue working, rather than becoming long-term recipients of state benefits. The support offered by VRCs is wide-ranging ñ from assessing physical capabilities and suitable work options, visiting employers to arrange back to work plans, linking clients with appropriate support services, and also advising on benefits. Early intervention is a key aspect of Remployís portfolio of services, offering focused support to prevent issues escalating.

ìThere is limited availability of provision of vocational rehabilitation in the UK at present, but that is set to change very quickly,î said Remployís Return to Work manager Mike Clarke. ìIn too many cases people who are away from their jobs for long periods never return. Yet there is evidence that working can help the recovery process and benefit peopleís mental health.

ìAs a specialist employment services provider for people with disabilities and health conditions, it is fitting that Remploy had input to the new VRA professional standards of practice and that our team is the first, and so far only, team in the UK to be trained against those standards.î