The Condition Management Programme and Pathways to Work

The Rhondda Cyon Taff and Bridgend district in south Wales was once home to a thriving coal mining industry.  The privatisation of British coal in the 1980s resulted in the closure of many mining sites in the valleys, devastating the local economy and producing widespread unemployment.

Today, around two-tenths of the district’s working population are claiming incapacity benefit, and many have become unintentionally locked into a vicious circle of benefit dependence.  The CMP is helping to reduce the inequalities and social exclusion that have crippled this area over the last few decades, giving people who were previously written off a sense of hope and meaning.  By reaching out to people on incapacity benefit, the CMP gives a crucial lifeline to deprived and isolated members of the community who may have never considered that work or study could be available to them.

Seeing over 900 people each year, the CMP service is focused on each user rather than their condition.  The multidisciplinary team works with claimants at their own pace.  Changes and interventions are gradual and practical so that people can develop the skills and preventative measures that they need to self-manage.  The participative nature of the programme empowers its clients towards self-care.

The team works with each claimant to develop a holistic program of one-to-one and group activities which aim to improve their emotional and physical wellbeing. Relaxation classes, mood management techniques, involvement in community based initiatives such as walking groups and exercise on prescription are just a few of the many interventions that can be included in the programme.  The combination of practical career advice with other self-management techniques helps people to explore what they may be able to do in future, which could be different to anything that they have done before.  Results show that more than half of the programme’s users go on to undertake work or study, with many more finding themselves better able to cope with their condition.

Through partnership working with the local community, the CMP has begun a cultural shift, transforming commonly held perceptions about ill-health and disability in relation to work.