Guidance

Provider memo 30: Coronavirus (COVID-19) provider guidance:

Updated 23 December 2024

This memo is for Work and Health Programme (WHP) providers.

Issued by: Work and Health Programme Operational Policy Team

Background

Providers will be aware that the WHP design has been adapted to take into account a number of temporary measures necessitated by the ongoing Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

You have received letters of change or contract variations and will have taken note of the responses which Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has published in the Coronavirus (Covid-19) provider question and answer log, to be found on the Jaggaer system.

An updated version of WHP provider guidance for Coronavirus (Covid-19) will shortly be available through the Jaggaer system and on this website..

Action

For your convenience, a table indicating the whereabouts and broad nature of the changes is included in annex A. Please treat this table as signposting – you should read the guidance amendments in full before raising any queries.

Further information and contact details

Providers will appreciate that the Covid-19 situation is highly mutable. We hope we have captured the principle impacts on the WHP provider guidance, to date, but accept there may be further considerations or decisions yet to come.

The guidance adaptations will be under constant review to ensure the approach is appropriate in the changing climate. We will give suitable notification of changes in line with commercial protocols as we seek to return to business as usual.

If you have any queries about this live running memo please consult your performance manager in the first instance.

If your enquiry is of a commercial nature, or if you have any queries or concerns regarding contract variations or letters of change, please direct them to the Commercial Directorate email inbox: employmentcategory.covid19@dwp.gsi.gov.uk.

If your enquiry is specifically in connection with these temporary alterations to the WHP provider guidance, please contact the WHP policy team: whp.enquiries@dwp.gov.uk

Annex A: WHP Coronavirus (COVID-19) table of changes

Chapter	Paragraph
Chapter 1 Intro and overview	Intro – Covid 19 paras added
Chapter 1 Intro and overview	Para 1c amended
Chapter 1 Intro and overview	Revised para 7
Chapter 1 Intro and overview	Para 8 removed
Chapter 1 Intro and overview	Para 10 amended
Chapter 1 Intro and overview	Para 12 replaced
Chapter 1 Intro and overview	Para 13 all bullets amended
Chapter 1 Intro and overview	Para 14 – slight amendment
Chapter 1 Intro and overview	Para 17 amended
Chapter 1 Intro and overview	Para 18 slight amendment
Chapter 1 Intro and overview	Para 22 all bullets changed
Chapter 2 Participant identification, Eligibility and Referral	Intro – covid paras added
Chapter 2 Participant identification, Eligibility and Referral	Intro (para 1) amended
Chapter 2 Participant identification, Eligibility and Referral	Para 7 – Participants with disabilities – amended
Chapter 2 Participant identification, Eligibility and Referral	Para 7, bullet 2 amended
Chapter 2 Participant identification, Eligibility and Referral	Para added to “Please note”
Chapter 2 Participant identification, Eligibility and Referral	“Please note” added beneath para 8
Chapter 2 Participant identification, Eligibility and Referral	Para 10 amended
Chapter 2 Participant identification, Eligibility and Referral	Para 11 amended
Chapter 2 Participant identification, Eligibility and Referral	Para 11 1st and 2nd bullets amended
Chapter 2 Participant identification, Eligibility and Referral	Para 13 – numbered 14 – amended
Chapter 2 Participant identification, Eligibility and Referral	Paras 17,22,23 and 25 removed
Chapter 2 Participant identification, Eligibility and Referral	Para 14 amended
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Intro – covid paras added
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	High level Must Do’s removed – not accessibility compliant
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Para 1 amended
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Para 3 amended
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Consequence box removed. Content amended
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Para 8 amended
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Para 9 amended
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Para 10 amended
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Actions, bullet 2 amended
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Heading Initial “face to face” meeting amended
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Paras 12,13 and 14 amended
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Actions – 2nd and 5th bullets amended
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Para 19 – new paragraph
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Actions – 1st bullet amended
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Please note added
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Second Please note (still under actions) added
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	6th bullet amended
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	3rd Please note added
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Consequences box under para 23 removed and text amended
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Para 25 amended
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Para 26 amended
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Actions, 2nd bullet amended
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Consequence box removed and text amended
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Failure to attend meeting – 1st para amended, 2nd para removed, 3+4 paras amended, 5th para amended, 6th para removed, 7th para amended, 8th para removed
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Actions – 1st para amended, 2nd + 3rd paras removed, 4th+5th paras amended
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Please note added under para 33
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Actions – 1st bullet amended
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Erroneous referrals, para 36, 1st and 2nd bullets removed, 3rd bullet amended
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Para 37 amended
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Heading – participant referred as mandatory when should be voluntary – formerly paras 51 – 55 removed
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Para 38 amended
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Para 47 amended
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Initial engagement – formerly para 67 amended
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Para 51 amended
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Para 56 and 57 amended
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Action Planning – minimum requirements – para 60 (formerly para 79) amended
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Formerly para 81 removed
Chapter 3 Acknowledging Referrals	Provider registers a start – para 65 – amended
Chapter 4 Action Planning	Intro – covid paras added
Chapter 4 Action Planning	Para 1 amended
Chapter 4 Action Planning	Para 2 amended
Chapter 4 Action Planning	Para 3 amended
Chapter 4 Action Planning	Actions bullet 1 amended
Chapter 4 Action Planning	Bullets 3 + 4 removed
Chapter 4 Action Planning	Para 5 amended
Chapter 4 Action Planning	Para 6 amended
Chapter 4 Action Planning	Para 7 amended
Chapter 4 Action Planning	Consequences box removed, slight amendment to content
Chapter 4 Action Planning	Compliance checks – amended
Chapter 5a	This chapter has been temporarily withdrawn
Chapter 5b	This chapter has been temporarily withdrawn
Chapter 6 – working with participants with complex needs	Intro covid paras added
Chapter 6 – working with participants with complex needs	Heading between paras 5 + 6 amended
Chapter 6 – working with participants with complex needs	Para 8 amended
Chapter 6 – working with participants with complex needs	Para 13 amended
Chapter 6 – working with participants with complex needs	Para 17 amended
Chapter 6 – working with participants with complex needs	Para 20 amended
Chapter 6 – working with participants with complex needs	Please note added between paras 30 + 31
Chapter 6 – working with participants with complex needs	Para 31 amended
Chapter 6 – working with participants with complex needs	Para 41, bullet 5 amended
Chapter 7 Entitlement Doubt	This chapter has been temporarily withdrawn
Chapter 8 Raising a Compliance Doubt	This chapter has been temporarily withdrawn
Chapter 9 Re-compliance	This chapter has been temporarily withdrawn
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	Intro – covid paras added
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	Para 1, Actions, bullet 3 amended
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	Para 1, Actions, bullet 4 added
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	Para 4 amended
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	Para 5, removed
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	Para 6 amended
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	Actions, bullet 5 amended
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	Below para 9, Please note added
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	Actions, 1st bullet amended
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	Below para 15, Please note added
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	Consequence box below para 11 removed, content amended
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	Para 20, 22, 17 and Consequence box removed
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	Para 18, 1st bullet removed
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	Para 18, 2nd bullet revised
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	Consequence box removed and content amended
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	Action below para 20, bullet 2 removed
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	Action below para 23, 2nd bullet amended
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	Consequence box above para 26, box removed, content amended
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	Para 35 amended
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	1st bullet under actions amended
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	Para 58 amended
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	Para 59 amended
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	Paras 84 + 85 removed
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	Para 73 (86) amended
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	Paras 88 – 104 removed
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	Please note added below para 91
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	Paras 124 – 162 removed
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	Para 168 removed
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	Paras 178 – 192 removed
Chapter 10 Change of Circumstances	Please note added below para 215
Chapter 11 Programme Completers	Intro – covid paras added
Chapter 11 Programme Completers	Para 1, 1st 4 bullets amended
Chapter 11 Programme Completers	Para 2 amended
Chapter 11 Programme Completers	Para 4 removed
Chapter 11 Programme Completers	Actions, 3 bullets amended
Chapter 11 Programme Completers	Please note added under actions
Chapter 11 Programme Completers	Below para 6, Consequence box removed and content amended
Chapter 11 Programme Completers	Bottom of para 6, consequence box removed, and content amended
Chapter 11 Programme Completers	Para 10 amended
Chapter 11 Programme Completers	Please note added
Chapter 11 Programme Completers	Please note added above para 11
Chapter 11 Programme Completers	Para 12 amended
Chapter 11 Programme Completers	Para 13 amended
Chapter 11 Programme Completers	Para 14 amended
Chapter 11 Programme Completers	Para 21 amended
Chapter 11 Programme Completers	Para 44 amended
Chapter 11 Programme Completers	Para 46 amended
Chapter 11 Programme Completers	Please note added below para 47
Chapter 11 Programme Completers	Para 71 – 74 inserted
Chapter 12 Participant Complaints	Intro – covid paras added
Chapters 13 Funding Model	Intro – covid paras added
Chapters 13 Funding Model	Paras 1–13 removed
Chapters 13 Funding Model	Please Note page 3 amended
Chapters 13 Funding Model	Para 7 amended
Chapters 13 Funding Model	Para 8 amended
Chapters 13 Funding Model	Paras 11+12 amended
Chapters 13 Funding Model	New para 13
Chapters 13 Funding Model	Para 19 amended
Chapter 14 Validation	Intro – covid paras added
Chapter 14 Validation	General Information para added
Chapter 14 Validation	Para 1 amended
Chapter 14 Validation	Para 2 amended
Chapter 14 Validation	Para 9 amended
Chapter 14 Validation	Para 10 amended
Chapter 14 Validation	Para 11 amended
Chapter 14 Validation	Para 12 amended
Chapter 14 Validation	Para 16 amended
Chapter 14 Validation	Para 20 amended
Chapter 14 Validation	Para 21 amended
Chapter 14 Validation	Para 22 amended
Chapter 14 Validation	Para 34 amended
Chapter 14 Validation	Para 43 amended
Chapter 14 Validation	Para 44 amended
Chapter 14 Validation	Para 46 amended
Chapter 14 Validation	Para 51 amended
Chapter 14 Validation	Para 56 amended
Chapter 15 Data Sharing	Intro – covid paras added
Chapter 15 Data Sharing	Para 3 amended
Chapter 15 Data Sharing	Please note below para 12 added
Chapter 15 Data Sharing	Para 17 amended
Chapter 15 Data Sharing	Para 20 amended
Chapter 15 Data Sharing	Para 24 last 3 bullets added
Chapter 16 Performance Management	This chapter is currently being amended for the specific arrangements due to Covid – 19 and will be updated shortly.