Centre for Mental Health

Sainsbury Centre welcomes government commitment to 'Doing what works'

21 May 2009

"The Government has today signalled its commitment to offer a better future to people with severe mental health problems," Sainsbury Centre employment programme director Dr Bob Grove said today.

Bob Grove said: "We are delighted that Dr Rachel Perkins will be leading a government review to find better ways of supporting people with mental health problems into work. Rachel is a pioneer of Individual Placement and Support in the UK. Her trust, South West London and St George's, leads the way in offering people with severe and enduring mental health problems the chance to achieve their ambitions and fulfil their potential.

"There is no doubt that benefits, employment and health and social care services need to work together more effectively. Too many people's prospects are limited by services that fail to offer the right support and the right time to help them to make their own lives better. If the Government commits to doing what works, it will improve the life chances of some of the most excluded members of our society.

"The recession makes this move more important than ever. Without it, we risk creating another lost generation of people whose hopes and dreams are written off because they are not seen as having the potential to get the jobs they want.

"As long time champions of Individual Placement and Support, the team at Sainsbury Centre looks forward to getting what works into common practice across the country. We are beginning work now to develop a network of Centres of Excellence in employment support. The Centres of Excellence will use the Individual Placement and Support approach to support people with severe mental health problems into sustainable and fulfilling work."

James Purnell, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, today announced in a speech at the RSA that Dr Rachel Perkins would lead an independent review of how to support people with a range of mental health problems into employment.