The Fit for Work Service can help people in the early stages of sickness absence to get the support they need to go back to work earlier.

The Service is aimed at employees or self-employed people who have been off work for two to six weeks with health problems.  The aim of the Service is to provide individualised support to help people get back to work sooner than they otherwise would, in order to help prevent longer term sickness absence.

 Our Service is free and confidential, and provides individual employees with

 • support and advice;

 • help to deal with stress;

 • access to the appropriate NHS support and treatment;

 • referral to other services, eg debt advice; and

 • liaison with employers where appropriate

  Our professional service offers advice and support in a safe and friendly environment.  Our Case Managers are based at the West Rhyl Primary Resource Centre, and are also able to make appointments in other GP practices where interview rooms are available.  The Service is available to employees and self-employed people who live or work in the Rhyl, Colwyn Bay, Abergele and Pensarn areas.

 We can also help employers access a wide range of free support to develop healthy workplace practices and thereby improve workplace health.

We welcome referrals from all small to medium employers who are based in the Rhyl, Colwyn Bay or Abergele and Pensarn areas, or whose staff are predominantly from those areas.  If you are an employer who wishes to find out more about how the Fit for Work Service can benefit your staff and your business, please contact our Partnership Development Manager Eileen Higton on 01745 369561 or email us at fitforwork@rhylcitystrategy.co.uk.

The Service has been developed by Rhyl City Strategy in partnership with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and Public Health Wales. The Service is funded by the Department of Work and Pensions and the Department of Health.

Quote from Employer

 ’We have found the service extremely useful and it has proved successful with one employee, which aided their return to work.  The staff are friendly and helpful’.

Jessica Soothill
HR Generalist
ED&S Division
Honeywell Environmental and Combustion Controls

‘The Fit for Work Service is a valuable tool, both for employees and employers alike, as it offers vital information, enabling those wanting to return to work, with the support they need, and also, us as an employer, with a range of free support to ensure good practice and improve, where necessary, our workplace procedures’. 

Mr Garry John Stamford Assoc CIPD 
Human Resource/ Care Manager
Michael Phillips Care Agency Ltd

‘We have been using the service for a number of months, in this time we have referred our patients and staff, we are find that all patients and staff who have attended the service are finding that they are seen very quickly and have an excellent service’. 

GP from Pendyffryn Medical Group

 

Useful Tools for Employers

Direct working between the employers and the Fit For Work Team to assess the appropriateness of returning to work, providing workplace risk assessment and advice on job/workplace modifications as required, is now being introduced as links are being made with employers across the area.

We are providing small employers with access to occupational health services and promoting use of existing support services as appropriate e.g. Small Workplace Award; Workboost Wales, Welsh Backs  and Mental Health First Aid.

As part of our support for employers we have identified a range of free support and information to develop healthy workplace practices. Please download the document here. We also have a range of policy templates for your use. These include Sickness Monitoring, Return to Work Forms, Stress Risk Assessment Policy, Wellbeing Policy. If you would like a copy of any of these templates please contact Eileen Higton, Partnership Development Manager on 01745 369561 or e-mail eileen.higton@rhylcitystrategy.co.uk