User perspectives on the role of local services in promoting labor market participation of people with chronic illnesses

How do local Norwegian work, welfare, and health services (WWH services) support the labor market integration of chronically ill people? We discuss how user organization representatives evaluate the role of municipal-level service support in facilitating labor market participation of people with chronic illnesses and disabilities, and to what extent the views of user organizations are requested and included in local service development. We thus contribute to the limited research on the role of WWH services for work inclusion from the user perspective. Our analysis rests on an original web-based survey, combining qualitative and quantitative data, and a focus group discussion. Although user representatives call for strengthening of services, they also view employers' adaptations as being more important than local services. And despite their expertise, user organizations are only included in local service development to a limited extent. This study is based on the perspectives of user organization representatives. They are leaders or secretaries for organizations in the Norwegian Federation of Organizations of Disabled People, the largest national umbrella organization for people with disabilities and chronic illnesses.These user representatives have broad knowledge of what really matters for people with chronic illnesses who are seeking a job and how services meant to help them should work.According to these user representatives, employer adaptations and attitudes are more important for work inclusion than local services.Main barriers to work inclusion are limited service capacity, little personalized support, and insufficient employer adaptations.User organizations are rarely consulted or involved in local service development. However, involving user representatives in this way could use their knowledge to improve services for people with chronic illnesses.