Individual Placement Support (IPS) employment service support people who have a mental health condition to achieve meaningful full-time or part-time employment. Statistically, the number of people with an enduring mental health condition in paid employment is low, which is where our IPS service can support with helping to address any barriers that have prevented people from starting or remaining in work.
Our Employment Specialists work closely with service users, community mental health teams (CMHTs), and local employers and businesses:
- We are fully embedded within CMHTs to raise awareness of IPS, receive referrals, and stay linked in with clinical teams about the support we're providing to their service users,
- We meet service users in community venues they feel comfortable and familiar with, to start building up a profile of skills and interests, ready for job searching,
- We identify local businesses who match the skills and interest criteria of our service users, and who we can help to fill vacancies, and support both employer and employee throughout the process.
What our support looks like practically
An Employment Specialist can assist with:
- Creating and tailoring a CV
- Job searching and applications
- Interview preparation and practice
- Sharing information about mental health conditions with the employer (if the service user wishes to do this)
- Support employer discussions
- Helping identify barriers that may have prevented a person from starting or remaining in work
- Staying well in work
- Obtaining advice around benefits
Recent job outcomes
We have recently supported service users with successful job outcomes with the following businesses:
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Contact IPS
Halton and Warrington
Email: IPS.Halton&Warrington@merseycare.nhs.uk
Knowsley
Email: IPS-Knowsley@merseycare.nhs.uk
Liverpool
Email: IPSLiverpool@merseycare.nhs.uk
Sefton
Email: IPS-Sefton@merseycare.nhs.uk
St Helens
Email: IPS-STHelens@merseycare.nhs.uk
Are you?
- Currently unemployed
- Of working age
- Under the care of a community mental health team
- Motivated to find work
- Wanting a little bit of extra support
- Ready to start exploring job opportunities within 30 days of working with an IPS Employment Specialist
If you answered yes to the above, ask your mental health clinician for a referral to the IPS Employment Service.
Clinicians can refer directly to us via email.
Service users should be ready to start exploring opportunities for work within 30 days of working with an IPS Employment Specialist. This could be looking at jobs in the type of industry you'd like to work in, based on your skills and interests.
IPS Employment Specialists will work with an individual for up to 12 months.
We will support the individual and their employer after starting work helping them to feel comfortable in the role, for up to 6 months.
If you are not under the care of a community mental health team and feel that you would like to take the first steps into paid employment, need help to remain in work, or would like to change your job, The Life Rooms Pathways Advisors can give you the help and support you may need.
They can signpost you to Learning courses to help improve confidence, improve your IT skills, or understand conditions like anxiety which may help you feel more positive about applying for jobs. Pathways Advisors can also direct you to support for CV writing and interview preparation so that you feel more prepared, and benefits advice to help with the practicalities of managing money whilst returning to paid employment.
Dan had never been in paid work, but had done some work experience placements and volunteering while studying at university. For a number of years following university, Dan had been struggling with his mental health and was unable to take part in any placements or volunteering.
Dan was referred to the IPS Team and through completing vocational profiling with his IPS Employment Specialist, Dan identified working with animals as a core goal, which differed significantly to his educational background and work placements. Although Dan had transferable skills, he did not have direct experience which was a challenge in identifying paid roles.
While the Employment Specialist was completing face to face employer engagement at a dog kennels on Dan’s behalf, they met with a dog groomer who offered the opportunity of a work trial. Dan supported the salon with their dog grooming needs for 4 weeks. His confidence in his ability to find work in animal care has increased, and he shared how much he enjoyed every shift. A vacancy for 10 hours a week became available a few months later and Dan was offered the role.
Ongoing support: Dan wanted support with disclosing his mental health status and requesting reasonable adjustments to the employer. The IPS Employment Specialist spoke about this with the employer and Dan in a joint meeting, and an In Work Support Plan was developed. Dan continued to meet regularly with the Employment Specialist to share his successes in the role and how he is learning new skills and developing each week.
This case study demonstrates the steps a service user might take on their employment journey:
- Anthony was referred to the IPS service by his community mental health team.
- IPS receive the referral for triage, and Anthony was allocated to an Employment Specialist within 24 hours (Monday to Friday).
- An Employment Specialist contacted Anthony within 48 hours (Monday to Friday) to arrange an appointment.
- Anthony's first appointment focused on skills, aspirations, work preferences, barriers, and interests.
- Details of the support offered by IPS are visible on RiO (a clinical system) to Anthony's clinical team.
- Through 4 weeks of vocational profiling, it was clear Anthony's passion was to work with people e.g. in a carers role.
- Options for caring roles were discussed between Anthony and the Employment Specialist.
- Rapid Job Searching started. Anthony and the Employment Specialist visited local care companies to seek further information.
- A role at a local care home was identified, the pros and cons of working in this environment were discussed, and Anthony decided to apply for the role.
- The Employment Specialist supported Anthony with the application and updating his personal statement.
- The Employment Specialist contacted the employer for more information on the company and its policies in supporting its employees.
- Anthony was successful in applying for the role and was offered a permanent part-time role.
- Anthony and the Employment Specialist met with the employer before the start date to discuss reasonable adjustments.
- Anthony's Employment Specialist supported him and the employer while he settled into the role.