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?
- Wanting support to look for employment
- Unemployed and wanting to find work OR employed and looking for a new job
- Have a serious/complex mental health condition(s)*
- Have the right to work in the UK
- Of working age
- Ready to start exploring job opportunities within 30 days of working with an IPS Employment Specialist
If you answered yes to the above, you can make a self-referral to our service using this link.
Clinicians can refer service users directly to us via email.
* 'Serious/complex mental health condition’ covers a range of needs and diagnoses, including but not limited to: psychosis, bipolar disorder, personality disorder, eating disorders, severe depression, and mental health rehabilitation needs –some of which may be co-existing with other conditions.
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.
Yes, if you meet the eligibility criteria you are able to be supported by our Employment Specialists. Please refer to our information on 'who is eligible', and complete a self-referral using this link.
If you’re receiving support from an IPS Employment Specialist, our Wellbeing Short Course could help you to improve your confidence, self-esteem, and prepare for finding employment.
How to access this course:
During your vocational profiling discussions with your IPS Employment Specialist, let them know you’d like additional wellbeing support, and they will make a referral to the course for you.
What does this course cover?
Working Worries to Working Wins: Managing Job Search Anxiety
Exploring the feelings of nerves, anxiety, and apprehension that are felt when looking for work and the reasons for them. Managing your job search expectations and developing helpful tools to keep a positive mindset.
Unlocking Your Potential by Recognising Your Skills
Looking into why you may lack confidence in your abilities by exploring what confidence means to you. Recognising the skills and abilities you have through activities, and building your personal confidence and the tools to keep it going.
Boosting Self-Esteem and Cultivating Self Care
Tackling how you feel about yourself and your self worth by reflecting on challenges that have negatively impacted your self-esteem. We’ll work through activities to promote positive self-esteem and self care.