Written by Michelle Wilkinson
Find support for working with a mental health condition with the Individual
Placement Service – by Michelle Wilkinson, IPS Mental Health Employment
Specialist.
Did you know 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem each year in England, with 1 in 6 people experiencing a common mental health condition, such as depression or anxiety?
Let’s say you’re living with a mental health condition – it could be something relatively common, such as anxiety or depression; or it could be something severe, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. You now have the desire to get back into work after being unemployed for some time. Add into the mix the fact that you have no idea where to start in gaining employment, you have concerns of how to manage at work both emotionally and financially, and you’re wondering whether a new employer would support you with reasonable adjustments for your condition. Alternatively, you’re already in employment – how do you inform your employer about your condition? Should you inform them? Will they discriminate or be judgemental? Would it prevent you from receiving promotion opportunities? There can be so many concerns regarding employment while you’re living
with a mental health condition. This is where the Individual Placement Service can support you.
I have personal experience of burnout from working in a different industry whilst in a supporting role. During this time, I experienced feelings of isolation, masking at work by pretending that everything was OK, and grappling with the fear of not being considered as ‘resilient’ until there was no alternative but to go off sick. Then came the feelings of failure – I felt I was letting my colleagues down, believing I had not been able to manage the workload like everyone else. After 5 months of sick leave and counselling support, I made the choice to change my employment, to another supporting role.
In hindsight, there was no weakness on my part; there was a lack of support within the workplace to retain my role. I was not in a situation where there was an opportunity for support outside the organisation. However, there is support out there – you just need to know where to look.
In December 2023 I commenced employment with the Individual Placement Service (IPS) within the NHS. This is where I found my passion, and I felt supported.
The IPS was first developed in the 1990s and is available worldwide. It is evidenced that paid
employment is supportive of a mental health recovery journey; service users report experiencing reduced symptoms, financial improvements, an increased sense of achievement, and more connections with others. The service is available for people with mental health conditions who are already receiving support from a team within the Adult Community Division or Specialist Services.
In my new role, I now have work-life balance. I am part of a team of 27, which includes employment specialists, peer support workers, and administrators; a team that covers the whole of Lincolnshire. We all come from a variety of backgrounds, share various skills and knowledge in mental health and employment, and are all linked to various mental health teams throughout the county. The team takes pride in their work in supporting others in their employment journey, and our service has maintained “Good Fidelity” in a recent review. There is nothing more fulfilling than seeing our service users achieve or retain their employment and being a part of their journey.
After receiving a referral, a Mental Health Employment Specialist will contact you to discuss IPS services and how they might help you. If you feel it would benefit you, appointments can be arranged at a time and place to suit your needs. If you are not able to be contacted straight away, you may be added to our waiting list, but a team member will make contact as soon as they can. The service is at your pace and for an unlimited time, meaning we work with you throughout the whole of your employment journey. Within work support, your employment specialist may support you with identifying reasonable adjustments in the workplace, planning what to say to your employer, making an action plan for coping with your mental health at work, maintaining good work life balance, and support with any issues that may arise which may include attending meetings with your employer.
This is not an exhaustive list, and your allocated employment specialist will be with you through the journey until you feel settled into your new role. We can even support at looking for another role while already in employment.
We have three peer support workers in our team that have all had their own IPS journey and mental health lived experience. With their unique perspective, they are available to work alongside the employment specialists to help service users depending on their individual needs. Through telling of their own stories, peer support workers can hopefully be a source of inspiration and hope to others.
If you meet the criteria and feel that IPS would be of benefit to you, you can self-refer using our website www.lpft.nhs.uk/thinking-about-work or via the QR code. Alternatively, you could speak to your mental health worker or lead professional to let them know that you are interested in finding paid work or support in retaining your current employment, and they will contact the IPS team for you.
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