West London Works

How will West London Works support me?

Using the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model, a dedicated Employment Specialist will work with you and your Health and Social Care Professional.

We will provide you with a bespoke service tailored to your preferences and choices, and help you to identify employment goals and create a realistic employment plan.

Through your journey on the programme, you will be supported by the Employment Specialist, who will create a personalised approach with you to help you gain paid employment and then provide ongoing in-work support, including what adjustments and assistance you might need from an employer. This will help your new job role to be successful, to develop you in work and enable you to maintain your health and wellbeing.

Your Employment Specialist can also help you with retaining an existing role that you may have started to find challenging. They will help you to explore your options and plan for your future in that organisation

Individual Placement and Support. The Eight Principles

1. Focus on competitive paid employment

2. Open to those who want to work

3. Job search is consistent with individual preferences

4. Rapid Job Search

5. Co-location/partnership working with clinical teams

6. Develops relationships with local employers

7. Provides ongoing, individualised support once in work

8. Provides benefits advice

Individualised in-work support

We understand that once you find employment, the journey doesn’t stop there.

Managing the demands of a job can be challenging if you have mental or physical health barriers, or if you run into any other types of difficulties that may affect your ability to remain in employment.

This is why we will check in with you regularly to see how things are going and we will always encourage you to let us know if you are finding things difficult. We can talk through options with you, help you write or speak to your employer, weigh up alternatives with you or just listen.

We understand that workplaces can be difficult, especially if you are in situations where you feel like you can’t talk to your employer. You are not alone and there are always options available to you.

What happens now?

Once referred onto the programme, you will meet with one of our highly trained Employment Specialists who will:

• Get to know you

• Create an employment action plan based on what you want to do

• Prepare your CV / practice for interviews

• If required, support with how to positively disclose your mental health condition to an employer

• Job search and engage with employers

• Ongoing in-work support Individualised in-work support