Adam Robinson, Susan Jones, Courtney Lawrence, Rosalyn Xavier, Ciara Lewis and Ellen Moseley

Introduction

The Private Sector Midlife MOT Pilots were launched in three geographical areas (East Anglia, North East of England, and Cornwall and Devon) in May 2023, to test a private-sector-led programme to encourage employers to support employees aged 45 to 55 to engage with later life planning through a holistic assessment of their health, finance, and skills. The pilots were delivered by three separate suppliers in the three areas and ended after one year in June 2024.

The pilot was run as part of an enhanced package for those in midlife announced in the government’s 2021 £500 million Plan for Jobs Expansion. It builds on earlier Midlife MOT pilots delivered by four private sector organisations (Centre for Ageing Better, 2018).

The purpose of this research was to explore the early implementation of the pilots delivered in the three areas and how employers and participants have engaged with the initiative.

Methodology

Research comprised observations of delivery of the Midlife MOT sessions and interviews with provider staff, employers and employees (Midlife MOT participants).

The extent to which the research was feasible across all three provider areas was limited by low participant numbers. Consequently, it was only possible to conduct employer and participant interviews in one provider area only.  

Fieldwork took place between September 2023 and February 2024 and consisted of:

• 7 virtual observations of Midlife MOT sessions in delivery, across all 3 areas
• 25 in-depth interviews, joint interviews or focus groups with delivery staff, across all 3 areas
• 14 in-depth phone interviews with participants from one area only, this included 4 interviews using the ‘timeline’ approach
• 6 interviews with employers for one area only – to boost responses, employers were also given the opportunity to complete an online survey, to which 7 further employers responded

The research questions for the project were:

1. How is the Midlife MOT being delivered? Is it being delivered effectively? How has delivery varied between providers, types of employers and participants’ characteristics?
2. What have been the barriers or facilitators to engagement in the Midlife MOT for employers and participants?
3. How has the Midlife MOT changed participants’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviour towards work, wealth, and wellbeing?
4. How do different types of employers perceive the Midlife MOT (for example its value and any challenges)? Has the Midlife MOT changed employers’ perceptions of the need to promote work, wealth, and wellbeing? How so?

Key Findings

How is the Midlife MOT being delivered?

• All 3 providers delivered 4 core stages of a participant’s Midlife MOT journey; referral, initial assessment, support and an exit review. Participants’ Midlife MOT journey generally lasted from 6 weeks (in one area) to 3 months (in the other areas).
• Providers offered a broad range of content across the three pillars of work, wealth and wellbeing, via group workshops and one -to-one appointments, as well as online learning. One provider offered a unique model, whereby the three pillars were delivered in one 2-hour workshop, rather than in shorter discrete sessions.
• Employers and participants were offered the choice between virtual or face to face delivery, with many opting for virtual delivery due to convenience and flexibility; provider staff saw positives to both modes of delivery.
• There is no clear evidence from this small-scale research of the effect of different delivery arrangements on participation in the programme.
• Participants were able to learn or refresh their knowledge on a range of topics, gain practical tips and were signposted to additional information and support.
• The research found there was only minor tailoring of the content of sessions, for example according to the industry or participant characteristics, instead tailoring was mostly through questions and discussion during the session.
• Providers described making small changes (mainly to the group workshops) during the first 6 months of delivery, to improve participant attendance and engagement.
• In one area, participants had mixed experiences of the one-to-one appointments, some were expecting coaching and were disappointed to find they served more as a progress review/signposting opportunity. While some participants found these appointments helpful, several participants felt that some structured coaching would also have been beneficial to them.
• There was evidence from one provider area that some participants were unclear of the purpose of the initial and final assessments and felt these should have provided them with more information and next steps.
• In the same area, a small number of participants were unclear about the content of the programme (for example the financial support available and timescales for accessing online support).

Employer and participant engagement 

• Providers typically found employers and recruited them via online searches, LinkedIn, job fairs and networking events; tailoring their approach slightly based on the sector of the employer.
• For employers involved in the programme, some wanted to take part because they could expand or provide more detailed support than previously available, and for a few, it was the opportunity to demonstrate commitment to employee well-being.
• Some employers actively encouraged their staff to attend sessions, but this may vary according to the employer’s size and organisation and employee job role (for example roles where individuals work shift patterns). Time was the main barrier for some participants attending sessions, which was also cited by one provider and some employers, who spoke about the expectation that extra learning should be done in employees’ own time.

Low programme take-up from employers and participants

• Provider staff, employers and participants alluded to several factors that could have influenced the low-take up of the Midlife MOT, these were as follows: a limited awareness of the Midlife MOT among employers and participants; a limited understanding or perceived irrelevance/lack of prioritisation among employers or participants; ineffective marketing of the Midlife MOT; an ineffective delivery model, relying on employers – rather than going directly to participants; a narrow age range (45 to 55 years); and a limited capacity for employers to implement and manage the Midlife MOT.

Participant and employer outcomes (based on one area only)

• Although the pilot has been terminated early due to low take-up, for those employers that took part and were interviewed, they typically felt it was too early to discuss outcomes, and whether it had changed their perceptions of the importance of promoting work, wealth and wellbeing. Some were already supporting their staff in one or more of the three pillars, but some also noted the Midlife MOT helped to fill a gap in their provision. Several employers felt they had an improved understanding of supporting employees with later life planning. There were mixed views about who should be responsible for delivery in future, none mentioned employers themselves, but rather felt that it should be providers or the government.
• The extent of later life planning before the programme varied amongst participants, with motivation being a factor. This was mostly based on financial planning, from simply thinking about it, to doing basic financial assessments/exploring their pension pots.
• Most participants valued the support received and spoke in general terms about the learning gained for example improved awareness of their health or increased clarity in their career goals and a couple reported greater understanding of their current financial situation and retirement needs. Only a small number had taken specific actions for example to top up pensions or seek further financial advice. Several participants also however reported a need for further support and follow-up, particularly on the finance pillar.

Conclusion

The contracted providers designed and ran their individual Midlife MOT programmes across the 3 geographical areas, in line with the pilot outline, offering a broad range of content across the three pillars of work, wellbeing and wealth, delivered through workshops, one-to-one sessions, and online learning. Some employers who participated felt that the programmes helped to fill in gaps in the provision they offered on these subjects but felt that it was too early to assess outcomes. For most participants, their involvement with the programme was seen as valuable, although experiences were mixed with some finding it less useful. Low employer and participant uptake was a feature of the pilots, which limited some of the research to only one area and resulted in the pilots concluding early.

References

Centre for Ageing Better, (2018). ‘Developing the Mid-life MOT’.