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Employability and Mental Health. Michael Perera – Projects Manager , Mental Health Lynn Holmes ,Employment Advisor, Job Centre Plus/NHS Highland Fiona Maclachlan, Occupational Therapist, Inverness CMHT. Employability and Mental Health. The IPS Model in Highland
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Employability and Mental Health • Michael Perera – Projects Manager , Mental Health • Lynn Holmes ,Employment Advisor, Job Centre Plus/NHS Highland • Fiona Maclachlan, Occupational Therapist, Inverness CMHT
Employability and Mental Health • The IPS Model in Highland • Review of local pilot in partnership with Department of Work and Pensions • Suggested way forward
1 in 6 people with a serious mental health condition have a job. 8 in 10 want 1.
Why do people with mental health conditions struggle to be in employment?
3 Factors Fear A culture of low expectations Failure to do what we know works
What is IPS? • Competitive employment is the primary goal • No eligibility criteria • Job search based on individual preferences • Job search rapid, within one month • Employment specialists co-located with clinical team • Support time-unlimited and individualised • Benefits advice supports transition to work • Job development is undertaken with local employers
So, how do you successfully help people with mental health problems into work? • Individual Placement Support • 12 month pilot in NHS Highland • Partnership with DWP – Job Centre Plus • Employment Advisor located within mental health services 3 days per week • Worked along side Community Mental health team and Rehabilitation Services • Ambitious for clients who wanted to work
What happened? • 26 clients referred • Initial confusion from referrers over role of service (e.g. 2 clients already in work) • 4 realised during process that they were not quite ready for work • 4 decided at initial interview IPS was not right approach for them • 15 received support • 10 now in work • 3 in volunteering • 2 in college
Lessons • For IPS to work well it must be undertaken to a level of high fidelity • Not all 8 principles are as easy to implement • Those achieved more easily: • Personalised i.e. based on user preference • Rapid action plan, finance/benefits advice • Achieves open employment • Less often fully in evidence: • Fully integrated with health care, no exclusion criteria • Employer engagement job development • Planned follow-on support
Success? • We believe so. The success rate of clients referred gaining employment mirrors that in other areas where IPS is the adopted approach (66%) • This is double the success rate of traditional approaches. • It is intensive but has proven to be worth it
Mental Health Strategy • Evidence Based supported Employment • Adherence to 7/8 Core Principals “If IPS is not delivered to a proven model, effectiveness will be reduced” Work Foundation Centre for Mental Heath
What next? • Employment Specialist is continuing in NHSH Rehabilitation Service part time in a joint funded position • We recommend IPS be the model of choice • We recommend that the totality of resource utilised by all agencies to support employability be identified across The Highland Council area • A mapping of who does what be undertaken to identify duplications/ overlap • Draft an employability pathway understandable to all • Adjust working practices/ service level agreements/ to redesign existing resources focusing on implementing IPS