Our priority outcome: to increase in the number of people in education, training, volunteering or employment.
A sense of purpose is central to good mental health and many people get this from studying, work or volunteering. The Living Well Network Alliance works with partners to help people develop themselves as well as get into and sustain meaningful work and training.
Context and key challenges
People with serious mental illness (SMI) are far less likely to be employed than the general population. A 2023 study by King’s College London showed that eight out of ten people with SMI were unemployed, compared with less than one in ten of the general population. The same study also revealed that two thirds of those with SMI also have a disability (compared with less than a fifth of the general population) and 6 out of 10 with SMI suffer poor health (compared with six out of 100 of the general population). [1]
[1] Bringing data together to understand employment, disability and health among people with severe mental illness | Feature from King’s College London (kcl.ac.uk)
The situation for those with severe mental illness (SMI) is far worse, with less than one in ten (8%) being employed according to NHS England (Community Mental Health Services, 2023).
We reviewed a number of our existing employment support contracts, involving people who use our services in this process, and concluded that they were not providing value for money. We ended these contracts and will use the money saved to reinvest in support for adult mental health in Lambeth.
What we offer
The Living Well Network Alliance provides a range of support to help people find jobs, and for those in work to keep their jobs. We also offer talking therapies, psychiatric and other day-to-day support to keep people well so they have the best chance of staying in training or employment. In addition, we provide some jobs themselves and access to jobs.
Individual Placement and Support (IPS) service
Our main employment support service is the new Individual Placement and Support (IPS) service, which was launched in summer 2022. This service works with anyone who we support that wants to work or stay in their job.
Employment Placements
We also provide a number of work placements with our close partner Mosaic Clubhouse. Known as Transitional Employment Placements (TEPs) these part-time, paid roles provide skills, references and above all, confidence for those looking to get into, or back into, paid employment.
Our impact
In 2023/24 the IPS service worked with 274 people with serious mental illness to seek employment, successfully supporting 64 of these people into paid employment, in roles including nursing, marketing and engineering. All the jobs we support people into are things that they are interested in and pay at least the London Living Wage.
Our next steps
We will continue to develop our IPS service, supporting more people into paid employment and more people to stay in employment.
We will also continue to employ people though Mosaic’s TEP programme. These provide important experience, skills and confidence to get people into, or back into, paid employment.
We will explore how we can introduce entry level jobs so that we can ‘grow our own’, developing and training people on the job.
Case study: Mosaic Clubhouse
Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Service case study: Ken
“I’ve been 36 years in mental health, in hospital (1988, 1990 and between 1994-2002) and feel I’ve learned to manage. I never used to take my medication for psychosis, which made me very unwell, now I manage that, my diabetes, I eat better food and feel I will be happy for the rest of my life.
“I started volunteering for Lambeth Vocational Services at Beale House (South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust) in December, after Mark reached out to me at the COIN* website launch.
“I’d been involved with Timebank there and they were really kind and give me the run of the place. I work on reception.
“I started to recover by taking my dad’s offer to move into the spare room above his shop in north London. Then getting a home (social housing in Clapham), help with benefits, to get a freedom pass, support from day centres… I’m so happy here and have had some good doctors and psychiatrists – getting my depot, talking therapy, health checks – blood, diabetes, thyroid tests via my GP.
“Above all my vocation setting up the BMX track/Club, Brockwell Park, has been my salvation. I was awarded a British Empire Medal in 2023. I met King Charles at The Royal Garden Party and he asked me ‘how did you get your medal’ and I said ‘in the post’, and he said ‘what for’? and someone shouted ‘for 40 years’ service”.
Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Service case study: Gavin
Gavin’s support from Vocational Services helped his goal of turning his lived experience into a meaningful career. After struggling with his own mental health for many years, Gavin is now well on his way to becoming a Mental Health Nurse. He received ten distinctions in his Access in Health and Science exams and was awarded one of just five prestigious Student of the Year Awards from Morley College.
Along his journey, he explained that peer support from others was at the heart of his recovery. “It was the first time in my life that someone else was speaking my language – and I’m thinking, they’re telling my story.”
“I’ve just finished the second year of my mental health nursing degree, which was challenging and inspiring, particularly as I’ve had work placements at SLaM (South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust). At the moment, I’m on an eating disorders placement.
“Imagine me? Seven weeks on an acute ward… it’s interesting how the place I experienced some of the most challenging times personally would become so significant on my own academic journey. You couldn’t make that up!!
“I’ve also done a six-week placement with the Lambeth Early Onset Community Team (LEO). It means a lot to give back to my local community that I’ve got so much from.
“I’m valuing learning about the hospital’s different aspects of care, and thankful that my life was turned around as a result of going through the ‘new front door to mental health’ (then the Living Well Network Hub, now Living Well Network Alliance) rather than going back into hospital.
“Receiving an award was the ultimate confirmation that the path I’ve taken was the right one. I can finally say I’m no longer stigmatised by my mental health and can speak out.”