Vocational Rehabilitation Assessment for
Employers & Professionals

Understanding work ability, identifying barriers and creating a realistic way forward.

When someone's health changes, returning to work or remaining in work can become much more complicated than simply asking whether they are "fit for work".

An employee may be physically able to complete individual tasks but struggle to manage the overall demands of their working day.

Fatigue, concentration, anxiety, executive functioning, sensory needs, confidence, routines, workload and the impact of managing life outside work can all affect whether employment is sustainable.

A Vocational Rehabilitation Assessment looks at the whole picture.

We assess the employee's functional ability in relation to the actual occupational demands of their job, identify barriers affecting work and provide practical recommendations to support a safe and sustainable way forward.

Our assessments are completed by experienced Occupational Therapists with specialist knowledge of vocational rehabilitation, mental health, neurodivergence and functional assessment.

What is a Vocational Rehabilitation Assessment?

A Vocational Rehabilitation Assessment is a comprehensive Occupational Therapy assessment exploring how a person's health, abilities and current level of functioning affect their ability to work.

Rather than considering a diagnosis alone, we examine the relationship between:

The Person

Their physical, cognitive, psychological, sensory and functional abilities.

The Job

The tasks, responsibilities, workload, hours, pace and expectations associated with their role.

The Working Environment

Where and how the work takes place, including environmental, organisational and interpersonal demands.

Life Outside Work

The wider demands on the person's energy and functioning, including sleep, daily routines, caring responsibilities, recovery time and other important life roles.

This allows us to understand not simply whether somebody can perform a task, but whether they can manage and sustain the overall demands of their working role.

Who Is It For?

A Vocational Rehabilitation Assessment may be appropriate when an employee:

is currently absent from work because of illness or injury
has experienced a deterioration in their mental or physical health
is struggling to remain in work
has experienced anxiety, depression, burnout or work-related stress
has ADHD, autism or another neurodivergent profile affecting work
experiences fatigue, reduced stamina or difficulties managing energy
is returning following a prolonged period of sickness absence
has attempted to return to work that has not been successful
is struggling with concentration, memory, planning or executive functioning
is uncertain whether they can return to their previous duties
requires changes to hours, workload, duties or working patterns
may need alternative duties or another role considered
has a complex combination of health and workplace difficulties
needs a clearer understanding of their current functional capacity for work

It can also be useful where employers, HR or Occupational Health have reached a point where the situation is unclear and need an independent functional assessment to help determine the next steps.

What Do We Assess?

Every assessment is individual, but areas explored may include:

Current functional ability
Cognitive demands
Psychological and emotional demands
Fatigue and work endurance
Sensory and environmental demands
Job demands
Daily life and occupational balance

What Does the Assessment Involve?

Referral and Information Gathering

We review the reason for referral and relevant information about the employee's role.

Where appropriate and with the necessary consent, we may speak with the employer, HR professional, manager, Occupational Health professional, case manager or other relevant professional.

This helps us understand the job demands and the questions the assessment needs to answer.

Comprehensive Occupational Therapy Assessment

The employee completes a detailed assessment with an Occupational Therapist.

This explores their current functioning, strengths, difficulties, work history, health, routines, symptoms, occupational performance and experience of their current or previous working role.

Standardised Occupational Therapy assessments may be used where clinically appropriate.

Job Demand Analysis

We consider the functional demands of the employee's actual role and compare these with their current abilities.

This helps us identify areas where there is a mismatch between what the job requires and what the employee can currently manage.

Clinical Analysis

We bring the information together to consider:

current vocational strengths
barriers to work
functional capacity
work tolerance
occupational balance
factors affecting sustainability
potential workplace adjustments
rehabilitation priorities
appropriate next steps

Written Vocational Rehabilitation Report

Following the assessment, we provide a detailed report setting out our findings and recommendations.

Your Vocational Rehabilitation Report

Depending on the reason for referral, the report may include:

current functional abilities and limitations
occupational strengths
barriers affecting work participation
analysis of relevant job demands
impact of health or neurodivergence on occupational performance
cognitive and executive functioning considerations
fatigue and energy management
sensory or environmental considerations
recommendations for workplace adjustments
recommendations regarding working hours or patterns
rehabilitation priorities
recommendations for a phased or graded return where appropriate
recommendations for reviewing progress
consideration of alternative duties where appropriate
recommendations for further Occupational Therapy intervention
recommendations for other professional input where appropriate

Our reports focus on practical recommendations that can be translated into action.

Occupational Therapy within Vocational Rehabilitation

Occupational Therapists specialise in understanding what enables or prevents people from carrying out the activities and roles that matter to them.

Work is one of those occupations.

Our assessment therefore goes further than asking whether somebody has a particular health condition.

We ask:

What does this person need to be able to do?

What can they currently manage?

What is making work difficult?

Which demands of the role are creating problems?

What could reasonably be changed?

What rehabilitation is required?

Can the employee sustain the demands of work over time?

A person may be able to concentrate for an hour. That does not necessarily mean they can sustain concentration throughout a seven-hour working day.

They may be able to attend work for one day. That does not necessarily mean they can manage five consecutive working days alongside travelling, preparing meals, maintaining their home and recovering between shifts.

Vocational rehabilitation considers capacity, performance and sustainability,

rather than ability in isolation.

Vocational Rehabilitation Assessment Fees

Remote Vocational Rehabilitation Assessment

£650

Suitable for most employer, HR, Occupational Health and case management referrals.

Includes:

review of referral information
relevant pre-assessment information gathering
employer, manager or referrer liaison where appropriate
comprehensive Occupational Therapy vocational rehabilitation assessment
analysis of work and functional demands
clinical analysis and recommendations
detailed written Vocational Rehabilitation Report

Assessments can be completed remotely across the UK.

Face-to-Face Vocational Rehabilitation Assessment

From £750

Appropriate where assessment within the workplace or face-to-face assessment would provide important additional information.

Includes:

referral review
employee assessment
relevant employer or manager liaison
assessment of workplace demands where appropriate
functional and vocational analysis
detailed written report
practical recommendations

Travel time and mileage may be charged separately depending on location.

Vocational Rehabilitation Assessment Plus

£795 Remote

For more complex cases where the employer would benefit from support translating the assessment findings into a practical vocational plan.

Includes the full Vocational Rehabilitation Assessment and report, plus:

feedback and recommendations meeting
discussion with the employee and relevant manager, HR professional or referrer
agreed vocational priorities
recommendations for implementation
return-to-work or work-sustainability planning where appropriate
one Occupational Therapy review session following implementation

Face-to-face Vocational Rehabilitation Assessment Plus is available from £895 plus travel where applicable.

Vocational Rehabilitation Assessment or
Workplace Needs Assessment?

There is some overlap between the two services, but they answer different questions.

Workplace Needs Assessment

A Workplace Needs Assessment is generally appropriate when the employee is currently working and the main question is:

"What does this employee need to help them manage their job effectively?"

Vocational Rehabilitation Assessment

A Vocational Rehabilitation Assessment is broader. It may be more appropriate when there has been:

sickness absence
significant deterioration in functioning
uncertainty about work capacity
an unsuccessful return to work
complex mental or physical health needs
concerns about whether the existing role is sustainable
uncertainty about hours, duties or alternative work
a need for rehabilitation before or alongside returning to work

The central question becomes:

"What is this employee currently able to manage in relation to the demands of their work, what is preventing progress and what needs to happen next?"

Vocational Rehabilitation Assessment or
Return-to-Work Assessment?

A Return-to-Work Assessment has a more specific purpose.

It is usually appropriate where an employee is preparing to return following sickness absence and the main objective is to develop a practical plan for that return.

A Vocational Rehabilitation Assessment is appropriate where the situation requires more extensive assessment and clinical analysis before the return-to-work plan can be determined.

For example, there may be uncertainty about:

whether an employee is ready to return
what level of work they can currently tolerate
which duties they can manage
what barriers need rehabilitation
whether their previous role remains appropriate
whether alternative duties need to be considered
what further support may be required

If the appropriate assessment is unclear, we can discuss the referral before an appointment is arranged.

After the Assessment

For some employees, assessment and recommendations are sufficient.

For others, vocational rehabilitation is a process rather than a single assessment.

Serenity Occupational Therapy can provide further support including:

return-to-work planning
graded return-to-work planning
fatigue and energy management
executive functioning strategies
workplace adjustment support
work routine development
confidence building
occupational balance
neurodiversity-informed workplace strategies
liaison with relevant professionals
review of workplace recommendations
ongoing Complex Employee Case Support

This allows support to be increased or reduced depending on the complexity of the employee's situation.

Referrals from Employers, HR, Occupational Health and Case Managers

We accept vocational rehabilitation referrals from:

employers
HR professionals
Occupational Health services
case managers
insurers
healthcare professionals
other organisations supporting an employee's rehabilitation

Remote assessments are available across the UK.

Face-to-face assessments can be arranged depending on location and the requirements of the referral.

For organisations referring employees regularly, we are happy to discuss an ongoing referral arrangement.

Our reports are written to address the agreed referral questions and focus on functional ability, occupational demands, barriers, strengths and practical recommendations. Where appropriate and with consent, we can liaise with HR, managers, Occupational Health, case managers and other professionals involved in the employee's support.

Discuss a Referral

If an employee is absent from work, struggling to remain in work or experiencing difficulties returning following illness, injury, mental health difficulties or neurodivergence, contact Serenity Occupational Therapy.

We can discuss the situation and advise whether a:

Workplace Needs Assessment

Return-to-Work Assessment