Knowella

Return to Work Referral

Opens a return to work case and gathers what is known so far about the absence, the person and their job. Raised at the trigger point set in the programme plan. Completed by the manager and passed to occupational health. The point where the clock starts.

KnowHealthRecordHLT-059Pinned in navigation
Completed by
the manager and passed to occupational health
Raised
At the moment the event happens, rather than reconstructed

Summary

In short

  • A return to work referral is a record used in KnowHealth that opens a return to work case and gathers what is known so far about the absence, the person and their job. It is built against ISO 45001 cl.8.1 and forms part of the Return to Work programme.
  • Raised at the trigger point set in the programme plan. Completed by the manager and passed to occupational health.
  • The template holds 57 fields across 7 sections.
  • Scoring is referrals within trigger, where high is good.
  • ISO 45001 is occupational health and safety management systems. The international standard for managing worker health and safety. Certifiable, and the backbone of most of this library.
  • It connects to the rest of the library: feeds Fitness assessment, Restrictions, Meeting record.

What it is

What it is

What is a return to work referral?

A return to work referral is a record used in KnowHealth that opens a return to work case and gathers what is known so far about the absence, the person and their job. It is built against ISO 45001 cl.8.1 and forms part of the Return to Work programme.

When is a return to work referral completed?

A return to work referral is completed at the moment the event happens, rather than reconstructed afterwards. Raised at the trigger point set in the programme plan.

When to use it

When to use it, and when not to

This record is one step in a larger programme. Using it for work that belongs to a neighbouring template produces records that are hard to report on later.

Use it for

  • The event or activity this record covers has occurred, or is about to
  • The workspace is being set up, or the register needs an entry added or retired
  • You are running the Return to Work programme and this is one of its steps
  • A linked record needs this one to exist: feeds fitness assessment, restrictions, meeting record

Not for

  • Work Restriction Record, which records what a worker can and cannot do while recovering, and for how long.
  • Modified Duty Plan, which sets out the temporary duties a recovering worker will perform.
  • Return to Work Interview, which records the conversation on return from any absence, covering fitness, adjustments and whether work contributed.
  • Anything outside KnowHealth, which belongs in the workspace that owns that process

Standards

What it is built against

ISO 45001Occupational health and safety management systems

The international standard for managing worker health and safety. Certifiable, and the backbone of most of this library.

ISOInternational Organization for Standardization

A voluntary international standard. Widely adopted, often required by customers, and certifiable where a management system standard.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is the return to work referral template based on?+

It is built against ISO 45001 cl.8.1. ISO 45001 is occupational health and safety management systems. The international standard for managing worker health and safety. Certifiable, and the backbone of most of this library. ISO is international Organization for Standardization. A voluntary international standard. Widely adopted, often required by customers, and certifiable where a management system standard.

What sections does the return to work referral contain?+

There are 7 sections: header, the absence, contact with the worker, the job, questions asked, confidentiality, next steps. Together they hold 57 fields, 41 of which are required.

How many return to work referral records should we have?+

This is a singleton. One record per workspace, set up once and maintained, rather than one per event. Other templates refer back to it.

Which programme does the return to work referral belong to?+

It is part of Return to Work. Shorter absences, sustained returns, and work related cases fed back into risk control.

How is a return to work referral scored?+

Scoring is referrals within trigger. High is good. Scores exist to make the form tell you something, not to produce a percentage for its own sake.

Can the return to work referral template be changed?+

Yes. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it. Most teams install it as it is, run it for a cycle, then adjust.

The agents

What the agents do with it

The form is the easy part. Keeping it current, routing it to the right owner and holding the evidence together is the work that actually slips.

KnowHealth

Holds the return to work referral library against your registers, routes each record to its owner, and keeps the evidence trail together.

Ella

Coordinates the crew, rolls completion and exceptions into one view, and holds every write for your approval before it touches a record.

This template lives in KnowHealthemployee wellbeing. Exposure monitoring, health surveillance, case management and return to work.

Meet KnowHealth

Sources

Sources

  • ISO 45001 — Occupational health and safety management systems
  • ISO — International Organization for Standardization

KnowHealth

Also in Return to Work

6Browse the whole library
Record

Work Restriction Record

Records what a worker can and cannot do while recovering, and for how long. Completed when restrictions are issued. Managed by occupational health with the supervisor. States capabilities rather than diagnosis, which is all the supervisor needs.

Plan

Modified Duty Plan

Sets out the temporary duties a recovering worker will perform. Written when restrictions are issued. Agreed by the supervisor, worker and occupational health. Real work rather than made up tasks, because meaningful duty speeds recovery.

Record

Return to Work Interview

Records the conversation on return from any absence, covering fitness, adjustments and whether work contributed. Completed on every return. Carried out by the line manager. Done well it finds work related ill health nobody would otherwise report.

Plan

Return to Work Programme Plan

Sets out how the site brings people back to work after injury or illness, covering triggers, roles, timescales and the duties that are actually available. Written once and reviewed yearly. Owned by occupational health with HR. Most return to work failures are programme failures rather than individual ones.

Record

Stay at Work Record

Keeps somebody at work on adjusted duties instead of signing them off. Raised at the first sign that a person is struggling to do their normal job. Completed by the supervisor with occupational health. Far easier than bringing somebody back once they have been away for a month.

Record

Return to Work Meeting Record

Records the meeting between the worker, their manager and occupational health where the return is agreed. Held before the return date. Chaired by occupational health or HR. The worker being in the room is what separates a plan that works from one that is imposed.

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