CASE
A precarious balance
KEMs
INVOLVED
UWV (Knowledge Center, Employment Agency, Social Medical Affairs), reintegration companies, Regioplan, Centerdata, TU Delft. In follow-up trajectory UWV (Knowledge Center, Employment Agency), TU Delft, Redesigning Psychiatry
THEME
Health and care
Behavior of persons receiving disability benefits
With an ageing population, the current staff shortages will only increase. At the same time, more than 800,000 people in the Netherlands receive disability benefits. These are people who, with appropriate support, could potentially take a step towards work. That is why we explored the question:
How can we improve reintegration services so that everyone, regardless of disability, has the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to society through sustainable labor participation?
The social challenge
New perspective for action
Current linear behavioural models for reintegration services fall short in explaining the complex reality of people with a disability benefit. Reintegration is not simply a matter of turning a number of behavioural knobs. In order to develop the action perspectives for more effective reintegration support requested by UWV, a new perspective on reintegration was necessary.
The KEMs
Methodological diversity
In order to develop a new perspective for action, we used various complementary methods: through literature research into social-ecological systems theory, expert interviews, 60 in-depth interviews with benefit recipients, observations of conversations and co-reflection workshops with professionals, we gained broad insight into the system context of the issue. This showed that reintegration is not a linear process, but rather a cycle of disruption, reorientation and growth towards a new equilibrium—where the interaction between professional and benefit recipient can cause people to get stuck in their reintegration. These insights led to the development of a behavioral intervention that attempts to shape this interaction differently.
The result
Demonstrate potential
By evaluating this intervention in a short pilot, we demonstrated its potential. Initial results showed that job seekers felt more room for their own input and were able to take action again through self-insight. These results led to a follow-up trajectory for further development and implementation of this new action perspective in the implementation of UWV.
Want to know more? Check here:
- Final report: 'A precarious balance: Behavior of persons receiving disability benefits'
- The publication 'Resilience as a driver of reintegration' (Social Cutlery)