To be or not to be self-employed? Exploring Risks, Opportunities and Sustainable Work After Illness or Injury

To be or not to be self-employed?

Exploring Risks, Opportunities and Sustainable Work After Illness or Injury

Live VRA Webinar

Returning to work is no longer simply about helping someone go back to their previous employer.

Increasingly, vocational rehabilitation professionals are supporting individuals who are questioning whether employment is still the right option at all.

Should they return to employment?

Should they become self-employed?

Should they build a portfolio career?

Or is there another route that better supports both their health and long-term work goals?

These are complex conversations with no universal answer. They require practitioners to balance clinical reasoning, work demands, financial realities and the individual's own aspirations.

Join the Vocational Rehabilitation Association for this practical webinar with Heather McLellan, Chartered Physiotherapist and Founder of The Return to Work Mentor®, as she explores how practitioners can confidently support clients through these important decisions.

Why this webinar matters

For many people recovering from illness or injury, work itself may need to change—not simply resume.

While self-employment can offer greater flexibility, autonomy and control, it may also introduce uncertainty, financial pressures and additional demands that affect recovery.

Traditional employment may provide stability, structured support and workplace adjustments, but may not always offer the flexibility someone needs to sustain work long term.

As vocational rehabilitation practitioners, understanding these competing factors is essential to supporting realistic, person-centred return-to-work planning.

This webinar will help you explore both pathways through the lens of vocational rehabilitation, enabling you to guide individuals towards decisions that are achievable, sustainable and aligned with their health and circumstances.

During this webinar you'll explore

• Why more people are considering self-employment following illness or injury
• The advantages and limitations of both employment and self-employment
• Practical considerations when discussing career changes during vocational rehabilitation
• The financial, psychological and occupational implications of different work models
• How to facilitate informed, person-centred decision making
• Real-world insights drawn from clinical practice, business experience and lived experience

Who should attend?

This webinar will be valuable for:

• Vocational Rehabilitation Practitioners
• Occupational Therapists
• Physiotherapists
• Occupational Health Professionals
• Case Managers
• Rehabilitation Professionals
• Insurance and Personal Injury Professionals
• Anyone supporting people to remain in, return to, or adapt work following illness or injury

Whether you are experienced in vocational rehabilitation or looking to broaden your understanding of sustainable work outcomes, this session will provide practical insights that you can apply immediately.

Meet the Speaker

Heather McLellan

Heather McLellan is a Chartered Physiotherapist with more than 30 years' experience across occupational health, vocational rehabilitation and private practice.

Known for her evidence-based approach to return-to-work practice, Heather has developed an extensive career supporting individuals with both common and complex health conditions to remain in work, return to work and build sustainable careers.

Following her own serious health crisis in 2019, Heather founded The Return to Work Mentor®, combining professional expertise with lived experience to help individuals, clinicians and business owners navigate the complex relationship between health, recovery and meaningful work.

Heather is a respected speaker, educator and clinician with a practical understanding of how health, work demands, cognitive capacity and nervous system regulation interact to influence successful vocational outcomes.

Webinar Format

45-minute expert presentation

Followed by

Live audience Q&A

Bring your own questions and learn directly from Heather's extensive clinical and business experience.

Included with your registration

Your registration includes:

• Live access to the webinar
• Opportunity to participate in the live Q&A
• Access to the webinar recording after the event
• CPD certificate available on request
• Learning from one of the UK's leading vocational rehabilitation practitioners

Further Resources

To learn more about Heather's work, visit:

The Return to Work Mentor®

www.returntoworkmentor.co.uk

Reserve Your Place

As work continues to evolve, vocational rehabilitation professionals are increasingly supporting individuals to make complex decisions about how they work—not simply when they return.

Develop the knowledge and confidence to guide those conversations with greater clarity.

Book your place today and join the discussion.

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