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| Fund to cut long-term sick levels | Fund to cut long-term sick levels |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A multi million pound fund to cut the risk of people becoming economically inactive because of ill health or social problems is being launched. | A multi million pound fund to cut the risk of people becoming economically inactive because of ill health or social problems is being launched. |
| The £23m Wellbeing Through Work scheme aims to help employers tackle such issues among their employees, to stop them having to give up work. | The £23m Wellbeing Through Work scheme aims to help employers tackle such issues among their employees, to stop them having to give up work. |
| It is also promoting access to support services for those on temporary or long-term sickness absence from work. | It is also promoting access to support services for those on temporary or long-term sickness absence from work. |
| Around 17,000 people in west Wales and the south Wales valleys could benefit. | Around 17,000 people in west Wales and the south Wales valleys could benefit. |
| Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones announced the scheme on Tuesday. | |
| How to help hundreds of thousands of people off long term benefits and back into work is one of the most pressing issues facing ministers. | How to help hundreds of thousands of people off long term benefits and back into work is one of the most pressing issues facing ministers. |
| The new scheme aims to tackle this from the other side, providing help for workers and employers to keep people in their jobs, even when they are facing health or social problems which could mean having to give up work. | The new scheme aims to tackle this from the other side, providing help for workers and employers to keep people in their jobs, even when they are facing health or social problems which could mean having to give up work. |
| The money will be used to help businesses better understand and manage these problems, as well as protecting vulnerable workers from financial hardship. | The money will be used to help businesses better understand and manage these problems, as well as protecting vulnerable workers from financial hardship. |
| There will also be help for those who are temporarily unable to work to get back into the job market as soon as possible. | There will also be help for those who are temporarily unable to work to get back into the job market as soon as possible. |
| Alan Meudell, from Pontllanfraith, near Caerphilly, was helped by the Healthy Minds At Work programme, which was a forerunner to this scheme. | Alan Meudell, from Pontllanfraith, near Caerphilly, was helped by the Healthy Minds At Work programme, which was a forerunner to this scheme. |
| Mr Meudell was diagnosed with depression in 2000. | Mr Meudell was diagnosed with depression in 2000. |
| He said: "For two years I wasn't fit for work, it was a matter of getting the medication right. | He said: "For two years I wasn't fit for work, it was a matter of getting the medication right. |
| "When I tried to get back into the work place, I didn't have much success in getting a job, so I went back to university." | "When I tried to get back into the work place, I didn't have much success in getting a job, so I went back to university." |
| If these things can be tackled quite early, that will have the best outcomes for the individual concerned and will save the employer some costs Stephen Overell, The Work Foundation | |
| He graduated in 2003 but still could not find work. His graduate careers advisor put him in touch with the Healthy Minds At Work programme and with their help he started as volunteer. | He graduated in 2003 but still could not find work. His graduate careers advisor put him in touch with the Healthy Minds At Work programme and with their help he started as volunteer. |
| The programme supported him when he finally landed a job in 2007. | The programme supported him when he finally landed a job in 2007. |
| He said: "From there it's gone from strength to strength. Although I'm not in full time employment, I do a lot of volunteering with mental health organisations. | He said: "From there it's gone from strength to strength. Although I'm not in full time employment, I do a lot of volunteering with mental health organisations. |
| "The most important message is - don't give up hope." | "The most important message is - don't give up hope." |
| Chief Medical Officer for Wales Dr Tony Jewell said: "Getting back to work is often the best way of getting back to good health. | Chief Medical Officer for Wales Dr Tony Jewell said: "Getting back to work is often the best way of getting back to good health. |
| 'Early recovery' | |
| "Mild to moderate mental health problems and emotional distress are very common but frequently misunderstood. | "Mild to moderate mental health problems and emotional distress are very common but frequently misunderstood. |
| "Wellbeing through Work will help employers to create healthy workplaces and to improve support for people experiencing distress or symptoms of mental illness. | "Wellbeing through Work will help employers to create healthy workplaces and to improve support for people experiencing distress or symptoms of mental illness. |
| "Helping people to remain healthy or to make an early recovery is good for staff and their families and good for business." | "Helping people to remain healthy or to make an early recovery is good for staff and their families and good for business." |
| Stephen Overell, associate director of independent research body, The Work Foundation, gave the scheme a cautious welcome. | |
| He said: "There is a risk of a fairly minor conditions getting exacerbated by a lack of awareness of how to address it. | |
| "A lot of the time employers do not know exactly what to do when someone goes off sick. The advice and support services are often quite hard to find out about. | |
| "If these things can be tackled quite early, that will have the best outcomes for the individual concerned and will save the employer some costs." | |
| However, he cautioned about what definitions would be used to outline the social or health problems which would trigger the scheme's support. |