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Mental health: Pilots to help people find work launched | Mental health: Pilots to help people find work launched |
(35 minutes later) | |
The government has launched four pilot schemes to help unemployed people with mental health problems find work. | The government has launched four pilot schemes to help unemployed people with mental health problems find work. |
The voluntary scheme will see some people on Employment and Support Allowance being offered employment support and psychiatric help. | The voluntary scheme will see some people on Employment and Support Allowance being offered employment support and psychiatric help. |
The £2m pilots, all in England, will run for six months. | The £2m pilots, all in England, will run for six months. |
Ministers say they are not a precursor to forcing unemployed people with mental health problems to seek help in order to keep their benefits. | Ministers say they are not a precursor to forcing unemployed people with mental health problems to seek help in order to keep their benefits. |
Last month, the Chief Medical Officer, Dame Sally Davies, said that mental health problems are costing the economy up to £100bn per annum. | Last month, the Chief Medical Officer, Dame Sally Davies, said that mental health problems are costing the economy up to £100bn per annum. |
Nearly half of ESA claimants (46%) have mental health problems. | Nearly half of ESA claimants (46%) have mental health problems. |
The pilots are running in | The pilots are running in |
Minor adjustments | Minor adjustments |
Sam Ripley is an employment advisor based in Lewes, Sussex who is helping 34-year-old chef Andrew Simmons prepare for a job interview. | |
They have been working together for months. Andrew suffers from anxiety and has found it difficult to hold onto previous jobs. | They have been working together for months. Andrew suffers from anxiety and has found it difficult to hold onto previous jobs. |
"In some of the more pressurised kitchens, I've struggled a little bit," he says. | "In some of the more pressurised kitchens, I've struggled a little bit," he says. |
"But I'm thinking this school job, it's bulk food, you know what you've got to cook, you know it's got to go out at a certain time, there's no menu changes, so hopefully it's going to be OK." | "But I'm thinking this school job, it's bulk food, you know what you've got to cook, you know it's got to go out at a certain time, there's no menu changes, so hopefully it's going to be OK." |
Sam talks him through what his potential employers are likely to ask him, preparing and calming him in equal measure. | Sam talks him through what his potential employers are likely to ask him, preparing and calming him in equal measure. |
She's arranged mock interviews for other clients and has helped Andrew with his job search as well as updating his CV. | She's arranged mock interviews for other clients and has helped Andrew with his job search as well as updating his CV. |
She specialises in helping people with psychiatric problems into work and, occasionally, talking to employers about how they can help someone with mental health issues stay in work. | She specialises in helping people with psychiatric problems into work and, occasionally, talking to employers about how they can help someone with mental health issues stay in work. |
"A lot of the adjustments have been really minor, low cost - flexible working, working from home, having a buddy or mentor", she says. | "A lot of the adjustments have been really minor, low cost - flexible working, working from home, having a buddy or mentor", she says. |
"All these things are very minimal, so going in and explaining that can be really beneficial for employers. | "All these things are very minimal, so going in and explaining that can be really beneficial for employers. |
"The cost of losing a valuable member of staff and then recruiting someone new is really high in comparison to providing a little bit of support to keep someone in work." | "The cost of losing a valuable member of staff and then recruiting someone new is really high in comparison to providing a little bit of support to keep someone in work." |
'Always there' | 'Always there' |
The government has rewarded Sam's employer, Southdown Housing Association, for its approach. They have been chosen for a pilot project aimed at getting unemployed people with mental health problems into work. | The government has rewarded Sam's employer, Southdown Housing Association, for its approach. They have been chosen for a pilot project aimed at getting unemployed people with mental health problems into work. |
The Department of Health and the Department for Work and Pensions have each put £1m into the six month programmes in four pilot areas, combining employment support with directing people, where appropriate, towards psychological therapies. | The Department of Health and the Department for Work and Pensions have each put £1m into the six month programmes in four pilot areas, combining employment support with directing people, where appropriate, towards psychological therapies. |
Lorraine, who suffers from depression, hasn't had paid work for years and has been on the pilot programme for a month having been referred to Southdown by the job centre. She's already applied for 2 jobs. | Lorraine, who suffers from depression, hasn't had paid work for years and has been on the pilot programme for a month having been referred to Southdown by the job centre. She's already applied for 2 jobs. |
"The support is amazing," she says enthusiastically. "In a sense they're there 24 hours a day because I can email umpteen times and always get a reply, never told we don't have time for you now. | "The support is amazing," she says enthusiastically. "In a sense they're there 24 hours a day because I can email umpteen times and always get a reply, never told we don't have time for you now. |
"This is now a big step towards reclaiming a part of my life that I've lost." | "This is now a big step towards reclaiming a part of my life that I've lost." |
Lorraine will have her assessment for psychological therapy next week. | Lorraine will have her assessment for psychological therapy next week. |
She's fortunate. While the pilots can get someone onto the waiting list for help, they can't push them to the front of the queue. | She's fortunate. While the pilots can get someone onto the waiting list for help, they can't push them to the front of the queue. |
As waiting times for the therapies are lengthy in many areas, some people could come to the end of the pilots without having received any psychiatric help. | As waiting times for the therapies are lengthy in many areas, some people could come to the end of the pilots without having received any psychiatric help. |
Nonetheless, the care and support minister, Norman Lamb, says the pilots are worth investing in. | Nonetheless, the care and support minister, Norman Lamb, says the pilots are worth investing in. |
"As soon as the individual is referred from job centre plus, the individual can get help with their employment search straightaway, building their self-confidence," says Mr Lamb. | "As soon as the individual is referred from job centre plus, the individual can get help with their employment search straightaway, building their self-confidence," says Mr Lamb. |
"Then the psychological therapies can come in. It's crazy that someone is languishing on benefit at a cost to the state whilst they could be getting back into work getting their life back together again with appropriate funding." | "Then the psychological therapies can come in. It's crazy that someone is languishing on benefit at a cost to the state whilst they could be getting back into work getting their life back together again with appropriate funding." |
But he denies there is any move to make it mandatory for unemployed people with anxiety and depression to seek help in order to keep their benefits. | But he denies there is any move to make it mandatory for unemployed people with anxiety and depression to seek help in order to keep their benefits. |
The minister says that no matter how successful these pilots are, they won't lead to sick people being compelled to seek help. | The minister says that no matter how successful these pilots are, they won't lead to sick people being compelled to seek help. |
"It wouldn't work," he says dismissively. "In order to make psychological therapies work, the individual has to want to sign up to it. | "It wouldn't work," he says dismissively. "In order to make psychological therapies work, the individual has to want to sign up to it. |
"The idea of forcing, frogmarching someone into therapy is a nonsense so I've no interest in compulsion. I want to help people get back into work but it has to be on a voluntary basis." | "The idea of forcing, frogmarching someone into therapy is a nonsense so I've no interest in compulsion. I want to help people get back into work but it has to be on a voluntary basis." |
Since I met him, Andrew Simmons has had his interview. He starts a job trial on Monday - all being well, the job is his. | Since I met him, Andrew Simmons has had his interview. He starts a job trial on Monday - all being well, the job is his. |