Strengthening the Future of Work & Health: A Unified Voice Across Six Leading Organisations

Strengthening theFuture of Work & Health: A Unified Voice Across Six Leading Organisations

Leaders from six influential organisations; VRA, BABICM,CMSUK, iOH, RCOT and ACPOHE, recently came together for a highly collaborativeand forward‑looking discussion on the future of vocational rehabilitation, occupational health, and case management in the UK. The meeting highlighted the strong common ground shared across the sector and reaffirmed a collective ambition to speak with greater unity at a time of rapid national reform.

Convened by the Vocational Rehabilitation Association (VRA),the session created an open and constructive space for organisations to pool intelligence, align priorities, and strengthen each other’s visibility. With the Keep Britain Working review shaping national conversations, attendees reflected on the urgency of ensuring that work and health professionals are clearly represented in policy discussions.

Each organisation shared updates on their current work, revealing a rich ecosystem of research, standards development, policy engagement, and professional education. The VRA continues to champion the role of work in health and maintains strong relationships across case management organisations, with active involvement in policy roundtables. BABICM highlighted its robust research culture, including evaluative studies and a Delphi project exploring definitions of “complex” case management, with a focuson strengthening the evidence base and avoiding duplication. CMSUK reinforced its commitment to evidence‑based practice, funding its first PhD and exploring future Masters‑level support, while emphasising the importance of keeping work and vocation central to case management.

ACPOHE raised concerns about significant gaps in ROI and outcomes research within occupational health physiotherapy, alongside updates on its engagement with government‑facing bodies and its open invitation for cross‑sector contributions to its webinar programme. RCOT drew attention to substantial academic activity, particularly within universities and highlighted Scotland’s NES vocational rehabilitation framework, stressing the need for rapid translation from research to practice. iOH shared innovative work on AI in occupational health, including early development of an AI‑driven guidance tool that has already attracted interest from the HSE, as well as progress on new clinical standards for management referrals.

Across the discussion, several shared themes emerged. All organisations expressed concern about the slow pace of research, persistent evidence gaps, and the risk of duplicated effort, with a clear appetite for shared priorities and faster research cycles. The Keep Britain Working review prompted reflection on the gap between government ambition and the realities faced by employers, particularly SMEs, reinforcing the need for a stronger, unified professional voice. Attendees also noted the growing number of competency and training frameworks emerging across the sector and the importance of better coordination to avoid confusion. The challenges faced by small employers in supporting staff back to work were a recurring point, underscoring the need for clearer guidance, improved visibility of case management services, and more practical support at employer level.

The meeting also celebrated the cross‑pollination already happening across organisations, from conference invitations to policy conversations and research collaborations, highlighting the strength of a sector that consistently advocates for one another.

The session closed with a strong sense of alignment, mutual respect, and shared purpose. Although each organisation operates in a different part of the work and health ecosystem, all recognised the immense value of working more closely together, particularly as national conversations about workforce, health, and productivity continue to evolve. By uniting their strengths, sharing intelligence, and amplifying each other’s work, these six organisations are well positioned to influence the future direction of vocational rehabilitation, occupational health, and case management across the UK.

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