Waltham Forest CCG - Mental Health Employment Services

The employment service will deliver person-centred support to adults with mental health problems to gain paid employment. It is however, recognised that not all people with mental health problems will be successful in achieving this and in such cases the aim of the service will be to facilitate engagement with other vocational opportunities, such as training, education and volunteering. Therefore the overall aim is to increase the confidence, self-esteem, personal resilience and life outcomes for people with mental health problems.

Services will be provided on the basis that each person using the service is an individual, with their own strengths, needs, life experiences, beliefs, aspirations, friendship and support networks. Therefore, to establish an effective relationship, services must be person-centred and outcome-focused. Assumptions should be avoided, as should taking a ‘one size fits all’ approach when considering how to engage with individuals or how to offer or deliver support. The approach will give consideration of gender, race disability or sexuality and depends on organisational culture. Staff should be supported to ensure they have the appropriate training, and approach towards the people they are supporting.
The objectives of the service are to:

• Support people with mental health problems who want to work by providing education and training to develop job seeking skills and employability while supporting their job search and placement
• Develop skills and capability within employers, employment services, other settings such as voluntary organisations, colleges and mental health services to better understand mental health and employment issues so they can more effectively support people with mental health problems
• Develop partnership working between public, private and voluntary sector organisations to work together to support people with mental health problems, building whole system capacity
• Lead by example as an employer of people with lived experience of mental health problems

The service will offer an open, flexible and responsive range of opportunities to people who have mental health problems. A wide range of approaches and interventions will be offered by the successful organisation.