Need help to stay in or return to employment?

Off work because of a health problem?

Required 7500 volunteers to take part in a government unded research project. Are you, (or do you know someone who):

* Has been off work because of illness, injury or disability for between 6 and 26 weeks;

* Is worried about losing a job or business;

* Live and work in Birmingham, Glasgow, Sheffield, Teesside, Tyneside or West Kent.

If the answer to all these questions is yes, then you could be eligible to participate in the Job Retention and Rehabilitation Pilot. With your help, we aim to test the effectiveness of three different types of person centred healthcare and workplace focussed help.

Volunteers, who are eligible to participate, will have a 3 in 4 chance of receiving a boosted service, which may provide extra help in returning to work. One in four people who take part in this pilot will be part of a control group and will continue to receive existing services.

Participation in this pilot is free and will not affect any benefits or other forms of healthcare/ass i stance you are currently entitled to. The pilot has already helped people to get back and remain in work. For example:

A mechanic, suffering from a degenerative disc disease had been off work for over 3 months due to illness and was also becoming depressed about the prospect of incapacity. Following liaison between the pilot caseworker and the employer, the volunteer was offered relocation to a non manual job within the company. The volunteer has also started an IT course and is being supported by a disability employment adviser.

If you would like more information, or know someone who might benefit from this pilot, please call the appropriate helpline number.

Healthy Return: Glasgow: 0800 052 1012 (healthy return.org)

WorkCare: Sheffield: 0800 052 6528 (workcare.org.uk)

WorkCare: Birmingham and West Kent: 0800 052 1659 (www.workcare.co.uk)

RouteBack: Tyneside and Teesside: 0800 052 4038 (routeback.co.uk)

Some interesting regional facts on rehabilitation and returning to work

50% of Scottish Employers keep in touch with people off work, but only 27% of London's employers do the same.

58% of employers in London prefer to change people's hours to help them get back to work.

In the North East, a record 66% of employers change the work people do, and 42% of employers provide training to help workers back to work.

West Midlands based employers are more likely than any others to offer a phased return to work (66%).

55% of the problems affecting the ability of employees to carry out their duties, was found to be back pain.

These facts came out of the Rehabilitation and Retention Survey produced by the TUC. The full report, including the seven point plan, developed to help reduce sickness absence and the costs to employers, can be found at www.tuc.org.uk