Following an external review, Norfolk and Waveney Mind’s Individual Placement and Support (IPS) service team have become the first IPS Service in the East of England to achieve exemplary status for providing routes to employment for people with severe mental health conditions.
Working in partnership with Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Trust, this exemplary service helps local people to gain sustainable employment, or retain their existing job, to assist with their recovery. Alongside mental health professionals, employment specialists provide intensive, individual support, a rapid job search, followed by placement in paid employment, and time-unlimited in-work support for both the employee and the employer.
Pete Boczko, CEO, Norfolk and Waveney Mind said: “Our Routes, IPS Service is an important, supportive addition to the wide scope of mental health services offered locally by our charity.
“The quality of our IPS service is monitored by IPS fidelity reviews which involve external reviewers conducting interviews with clients, referrers, and staff, along with observations and a review of the outcomes achieved by the team. Our service has been externally audited a number of times and graded 'Exemplar.'
“This is an incredible achievement which highlights the hard work and effort made by everyone in the team. I am very proud to see that our IPS team are setting the standard as part of a high performing Norfolk and Waveney Mind team”
Tracey Bleakley, CEO of NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board said: “We know that a job can benefit many people’s mental health. But also recognise that employment can be a source of stress and worry for people.
“We’re proud of the exemplary work the Routes team carries out. The team recognise the challenges people face and offer targeted, therapeutic support to help them return to work. It's fantastic for them to be recognised for their commitment."
Stuart Richardson, CEO of Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are delighted to be part of this important service. Supportive and sustainable employment can be life-changing for people with severe mental health challenges. Meaningful work can encourage a positive sense of self-worth and aid recovery.
“I am especially pleased to see the team’s care and dedication recognised in this way. They can be justly proud of their achievement.”
Included in the report were testimonials from people accessing support from the service:
"I am very grateful to this service and the support of my Employment Specialist. The weekly telephone conversations were invaluable. My Employment Specialist understood me, never pushed or forced me to do anything I didn’t want to do. She was always encouraging, reassuring and honest. For her this was not just a job, she really cared about me as a person – not a target to be achieved. She always had time for me and I never felt rushed or wasting her time. My opinions mattered. All the qualities and skills I believed I’d lost; she helped me to rediscover them. I am proud of myself and the progress I have made since joining this service. I guess at the end of the day, you get out what you put in. It’s a two-way thing. I have been through a lot, but with the right support, life can get better. I am proof of that!"
Whether you’re managing a mental health problem, or supporting someone who is, you'll find useful information and resources on the Norfolk and Waveney Mind website, including information on there Routes, Individual Placement Service.