Is a written reference worth it?

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No.  next question.  Okay, I will discuss more, but it’s still pretty much a no.  Specifically we are talking about written references, and a bit about references in general.

To a good recruiter, a written reference is meaningless

In times prior to the telephone, written references had meaning- papers that employees would carry with them and provide to prospective employers.  But these days they are easily fabricated and largely not worth the paper (digital or otherwise) that they are written on.

To a good recruiter, prior performance and conduct is useful data to be gathered, and must be gathered at the source.  I discuss this more here but your career prospects will likely turn on what others are prepared to say about you, not what is documented in a written reference.

Most companies don’t provide references

Due to legal precedent from the UK (where a candidate successfully sued their prior employer for giving a bad reference), it’s standard practice for companies not to provide references.  This means everyone shifted to personal, verbal referrences, so official document that you might provide will be out of the blue, and not given much regard.

Meaningful references are personal referees

When applying for jobs a good recruiter will need to talk to someone, preferably your last employer.  If you can’t do that, or don’t want to do that, that will raise red flags.

But employers are placing less focus on references

As HR systems look to streamline processes, many are looking to make efficiencies in reference taking, as they increasingly perceive references as a compliance step, not a selection criterion.  This does mean that a written reference might be of value, but it’s not guaranteed.