Helping people with mental health problems find work
Report on the pilot of a scheme to help people with mental health problems, who are claiming Employment Support Allowance, find paid work.
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The scheme provided employment support based on the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model, alongside the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme.
The pilot was 1 of 4 commissioned by the Department of Health and the Department for Work and Pensions based on recommendations in the 2014 report Psychological Wellbeing and Work: Improving Service Provision and Outcomes. It was designed to test service design, methods of tracking findings and initial effects.
The evaluation shows positive feedback from service providers and participants, and provides recommendations and invaluable learning for a second phase pilot. These lessons will be acted on by Growth Deal mental health and employment trailblazers - 4 areas that have received funding to help unemployed people with mental health problems back in to work. Three areas - Blackpool, North East Combined Authority and West London Alliance - will run a larger scale pilot of IPS alongside IAPT later this year.
User research findings for a potential online mental health and work assessment and support service
The Department of Health and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have also commissioned research in response to the recommendation in the Psychological Wellbeing and Work: Improving Service Provision and Outcomes report, that the government should explore how to provide access to online mental health and work assessments, and support.
These reports present discovery phase findings on user groups and user needs for online mental health and employment support.
Creating digital tools for mental health and employment support: the discovery phase
Creating digital tools for mental wellbeing and employment support: pre-alpha phase