Centre for Mental Health

Evidence-based supported employment conference, 3 March 2011

This joint Centre for Mental Health and Mental Health Network one day event built on the energy and momentum generated in recent years for increasing access to employment support for people in touch with specialist mental health services.

Recovery and whole life outcomes are placed at the centre of the new mental health strategy.

Supporting people to retain or gain work is vital to people's wellbeing and their potential to improve their life chances. But the challenge is to ensure that all organisations which provide employment support interventions use evidence-based approaches which work.

You can view the presentations and listen to some of them below. They will be uploaded over the next few days.

Dr Bill Gunneyon

Ministers in DWP are interested in mental health - Chris Grayling, Minister for Employment is keen to improve outcomes for people with mental health problems and Lord Freud's interest is not just in improving work outcomes but improving mental health for the population as a whole. The Government has asked Liz Sayce to review specialist disability programmes and the report will be published summer 2011.

IPS: what is it and how do you flog it?!

Rachel Perkins Freelance consultant and Author of Realising Ambitions: Better employment support for people with mental health conditions

Employment is important for personal identity and as a source of friends as well as improved income and the benefits this brings. Individual Placement Support (IPS) must deliver the 7 principles of evidence-based employment e.g. we must focus on real employment not voluntary work. The combination of clinical support alongside employment support is vital and we must retain the opportunity to work with anyone who wants to give it a try.

IPS in practice: the partnership experience in Sussex

Martin Dominy, Head of Supported Employment, Southdown Supported employment and Kate Bones, Director of Occupational Therapy, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Getting employment specialists established in clinical teams

Lynne Miller, Vocational Services Manager, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Commissioning IPS: the role of local partnerships

Jonathan Allan, Disability Services Manager, Shropshire Council

Is IPS value for money? Research update

Professor Eric Latimer, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry; McGill University, Canada