Provider and location Somerset: Somerset Partnership Trust
Who will benefit?
The Employment Support
Service aims to offer a bridge between the mental health service users in Somerset who would like
paid work, local employers and other agencies such as JobCentre Plus.
Key features;
Individual Placement and Support, Centre
of Excellence (IPS).
The award has a
fidelity model that has been signed up to within the application process. These
terms can be seen here.
The scheme has underpinning it 7 principles and clear data gathering protocols.
Doing What Works can be accessed here, to
see the full detail of them all. This is
the only patch within the South West that has been granted full accreditation
with this scheme.
They will use the
key Performance Indicators, network and share best practice across all the IPS
sites. The work is linked into the Somerset Local Economic
Strategy. More detailed information
can be found here
How they are being delivered.
The team supports service
users to access open employment, on a full- or part-time basis, in the local
job market. The service has adopted the Individual Placement and Support model,
the key principles of which are:
- a clear focus on competitive employment;
- active job search;
- integration with mental health care (county-wide Community Mental Health Teams);
- responsiveness to user preferences, continuous and comprehensive assessment;
- time-limited support.
There is a strong
evidence base to the Individual Placement and support Scheme, which can be
found on the SCMH. Click
here to access.
The service works closely
with partner organisations such as Jobcentre Plus, Westcountry Training and
Consultancy Services, the Condition Management Programme, Adult Learning and
Leisure and employers in the county, to actively promote the interests of
service users who have experienced mental health difficulties and who wish to
work.
They also offer the Pathfinder
programme. This programme supports service
users to find paid work within the Partnership Trust or the local health and
social care community. The programme represents an opportunity for the Trust
and statutory sector employers to demonstrate a commitment to employing mental
health service users and demonstrating their ambitions to become an exemplar
employer. Grahame Milroy also works with
carers who wish to return to work, or to balance their work and needs as a Carer,
if they are in work and finding it difficult to manage both roles.
What is unique about this service?
The only service in
the South West that is true to the Individual Placement and Support fidelity
scale and as a result has gained full accreditation.
The Trust have also
published a good
practice compendium to celebrate and spread the news of some of the
services they are proud of.
Somerset
are set to publish their economic assessment by April 2010 as part of their Economic Strategy
for the County.
From
April 2010 all unitary and county councils will be legally required to carry
out an economic assessment of their area. This new duty will underpin a
stronger future role for councils in economic development and in shaping their
local economies.