PEOPLE in Worcestershire with mental health problems are being helped back into work.

The Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust – which provides mental health services throughout the county – spoke at a business expo at Malvern’s Three Counties Showground last week, telling employers about the benefits of taking on someone with a mental illness.

Representatives from the trust spoke about its Individual Placement and Support scheme – which helps people with mental health problems back into work while also providing employers with support – at the event on Wednesday, March 5 run by the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce.

The scheme has helped people get jobs in sectors including catering, teaching and engineering and has been accredited as one of only 13 National Centres of Excellence by the Centre for Mental Health.

Pete Jordan manages the programme and described it as: “like a recruitment agency without the fees which has a host of dedicated and motivated employees who are ready for work”.

“Many of the people we work with have previously held down good jobs and then started to have mental health difficulties,” he said.

“What we do now is to have an employment worker based in each of our mental health teams.

“They work alongside the clinical staff to help rebuild people’s confidence and target potential employers, as most jobs are not actually advertised.

“Once we have placed somebody within a job we also provide on-going support to both the employer and the employee to ensure that everything runs smoothly and both parties are able to see the benefits.”

Employers can find out more about the scheme by calling 01905 734 546 or emailing vocational@hacw.nhs.uk