9:00pm Saturday 21st November 2009
By Steve Sowden
THE support provided to people in Somerset with mental ill health, who are either seeking work or wishing to stay in employment, has been described as “excellent”.
The accolade comes from the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, a national charity and “think tank” for mental health care in the UK.
They say the support offered by Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has shown it to be one of just nine Centres of Excellence in England exemplifying good practice.
Somerset Partnership Trust provides an employment service modelled on what is known as the Individual Placement and Support approach. IPS aims to address employment needs for people who use mental health services in a direct way, helping individuals to find their preferred work path and supporting them to apply for suitable jobs.
Job searches based on a person's preferences begin quickly, unlike in traditional services which provide training and sheltered work as a precursor to employment. Health care and employment support are provided together, not separately, and expert advice on benefits is offered to anyone starting or thinking of starting work.
Sainsbury Centre joint chief executive Dr Bob Grove said: "IPS turns traditional thinking on its head and we are thrilled to be working with Somerset Partnership Trust and other forward-thinking areas.
“Nine out of ten people who use mental health services in England want to work but only one in five actually do.
“Too many vocational training and rehabilitation services are ineffective when it comes to getting people jobs. Many still assume that people need a lengthy period of training before seeking open employment.
“IPS challenges this thinking: the priority is to respond to a person's desire to work, start the search for competitive employment quickly, and ensure that training and in-work support are provided as needed.
"We believe that IPS should be made available to everyone who uses mental health services in England who wants to try out paid work. We hope that our ‘Centres of Excellence’, like Somerset, will help to make that possible for all in the next few years."
Ed Gillam, team manager with Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust’s employment support service, said: “The Trust has long recognised the therapeutic benefit of paid work for people who have experienced a period of mental ill health.
“Here in Somerset we have been working hard to help people get back to work as a major factor in their recovery. We also work with local employers and our partners in the public sector to encourage them to join us in recruiting more people who have experienced a period of mental ill health.
“The Sainsbury Centre programme has given us the opportunity to share our experiences with other Trusts, to demonstrate the successes of our staff and service users and to show people that, with the right support, our clients are valuable employees in a wide range of businesses."
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