Vocational rehabilitation
Vocational rehabilitation helps employees to get back to their best.
It combines expert advice with practical treatments, working towards one goal: supporting employees back to work following an illness or injury.
The vocational rehabilitation service is included with our group income protection insurance at no additional cost, with AIG paying for all support and treatment.
Our expert partner Proclaim Care
Vocational rehabilitation is delivered by Proclaim Care, rehabilitation specialists. TTheir team have a wealth of experience supporting employees. They help employees return to working life with a plan that’s personal to their needs.
We’re proud to work with Proclaim Care. Here’s why:
- They’re one of the UK’s largest independent rehabilitation providers, with over 20 years of experience
- They’re specialists in early intervention services
- They provide employer training on absence management
- All vocational rehabilitation specialists are dual trained in physical and mental health
The rehabilitation process
Employees can be referred for vocational rehabilitation as soon as their employer thinks they’re likely to be off work for a prolonged amount of time. In fact, the sooner referral is made, the better. So we ask employers to let us know about an employee absence as quickly as possible, and this should be within the first five weeks of absence.
New referrals start with a discussion with either the HR lead or the referring manager, as well as a conversation with the employee. This lets the rehabilitation specialist understand the employee’s condition and anything that could affect their return to work.
The specialist then puts together a rehabilitation plan focused on getting the employee back to work safely. They’ll keep the HR lead or referring manager in the loop as the plan progresses. And they’ll continue to stay in touch once the employee is back at work, making sure the return is a success.
Find more details in our process chart.
Referral and signposting
Rehabilitation specialists make sure that employees are getting the best possible support. At the initial referral, they’ll talk to the employer about benefits and support services that may be available to the employee, including private medical insurance and occupational health. They’ll then make sure the employee is signposted to all of the treatments that'll help them get better, which may include NHS or charity services too.
Proclaim Care’s specialists are experienced at working alongside occupational health. They’ll be in touch with the occupational health team throughout the rehabilitation period, making sure everyone is working in unison to support the employee's return to work.
Take a look at our case studies to see how vocational rehabilitation brings together the right support for employees.
Mental health specialists
Mental health made up over 42% of our vocational rehabilitation referrals in 20221. We want all employees to get the best possible mental health support — that’s why we make sure that these cases are handled by mental health specialists.
We have access to the full range of talking therapies. These are recommended for use when there’s a gap between the start of NHS or privately accessed therapies. In the case of trauma, we work with specialist CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) providers.
You can find our mental health pathway below, explaining the full range of mental health support we provide to both employers and employees.
Find out more in our mental health pathway.
1Source: Proclaim Care; 2022 annual report of support delivered to AIG Life members
A bespoke service for larger clients
We know that managing absence is an important consideration for your larger clients, and they may have a higher volume of referrals for rehabilitation and claims cases.
Our group income protection supports your clients with their absence management processes. We’ll work with key stakeholders to understand the absence process, and make sure the group income protection policy meets their needs.
Examples of how we help larger clients include:
- Implementation meetings, to understand the company, what they need from a group income protection policy, and what support AIG can offer
- Vocational rehabilitation and claims management information (MI) for clients with over 1000 employees covered
- A dedicated claims assessor for all group income protection claims
- Regular and ongoing conference calls with HR, line managers and relevant third parties (such as occupational health) to track the progress of absentees (short or long term), and discuss how we can support with our rehabilitation or claims process
Support materials
Pathways
Cancer pathway
Our cancer support services are here to let your clients' employees look to the future with confidence. Here we show the pathways businesses and their people can take to access cancer specific healthcare.
Musculoskeletal pathway
Discover the pathways your clients' employees can take to access MSK specific healthcare, as well as the support available to them as a business. Letting your clients’ people be their best.
Mental health pathway
Keep your clients' workforce happy and healthy. Take a look at the pathways an employee can take to access mental healthcare, as well as the support on offer to businesses.
Vocational rehabilitation case studies
Morgan's story
Read how vocational rehabilitation helped Morgan gradually return to work after cancer.
Jenny's story
Read how Jenny, her employer and Proclaim Care all worked together to make sure Jenny made a successful return to work.
Susie's story
Read how vocational rehabilitation provided the support Susie needed to get back on track.
Agnes' story
Read how vocational rehabilitation helped Agnes when she was experiencing significant mental health issues.
Barbara's story
After Barbara suffered a fractured hip and elbow, vocational rehabilitation helped her return to work when the time was right.
Group income protection from AIG
For a product and added benefits that well and truly focus on wellbeing, look no further than our Group Income Protection solution. It provides the tips and tools needed to help employees with their physical, mental and financial welling, as well as paying up to 80% of an employee's salary, if they're unable to work.