27/07/2016 - Permalink

New joint venture to help veterans with mental health needs back into employment

Related topics: Adult social care / Health / Partner organisations

Shropshire Council’s supported employment service, Enable, has teamed up with training education and employment charity, Walking with the Wounded,  to embark on a specialist service to assist armed forces veterans with mental health needs back into employment.

The Supporting Veterans into Employment project offers individualised support in finding the right job for each person, as well as time-unlimited assistance in the job, to both the veteran and the employer.

The scheme will help veterans to gain the skills and qualifications necessary to develop new careers outside the military – providing long-term security for themselves and their families.

Enable is a Centre of Excellence, recognised by the Centre for Mental Health for delivering Individual Placement and Support (IPS). The IPS approach enables one to one help for individuals in their efforts to achieve steady employment in mainstream competitive jobs. This is the first time that this method has been applied to veterans.

Councillor Lee Chapman, Cabinet Member for Adult Services said;

 “Enable is working closely with Walking with the Wounded and the Veterans Mental Health Network NHS in the Stafford area to offer support to veterans who are struggling to find paid employment.

“It’s great to see that Enable  is fully supporting this project to help as many veterans as possible to gain meaningful, paid employment with local, supportive employers.”

Chris is an Employment Officer at Enable but originally came to the organisation as a client. Chris himself is a Veteran who has faced mental illness and claims that going back to work has saved his life.

Chris said;

“This job is the best thing I’ve done in years. I’m helping to change people’s lives and you can’t get any better than that. I feel excited to get to work in the morning and when I get a call telling me that one of my jobseekers has got paid employment it’s the best feeling ever. I’m living proof that IPS works.”

The project will initially run for 12 months, covering Shropshire, Telford and South Staffordshire and is being delivered through two highly trained and experienced Enable employment specialists.

Enable is a member of the Armed Forces Covenant partnership in Shropshire. The Covenant is a national written and publicised voluntary pledge from communities, businesses and charitable organisations who wish to demonstrate their support for the armed forces community.

Councillor Tim Barker, Shropshire Councillor responsible for the Armed Forces Covenant partnership in Shropshire added;

“I’m delighted that Enable and Walking with the Wounded are offering support for our most vulnerable veterans.  I would strongly encourage businesses to come forward and find out more how they can support veterans with mental health issues to gain employment.”

If you are interested in employing a veteran, or if you would like any more information please contact Leanne Morrissey on 01743 276900 or 07990 085 334 or email enable@shropshire.gov.uk

For more information visit Enables website here.

Further information

Enable

Enable is a specialist organisation, designed to support people into work. Enable’s main focus is to assist individuals with disabilities and mental health needs to find the right job that suits them. Enable delivers positive, individualised recruitment, as well as a comprehensive package of ongoing advice, guidance and support to both the client and the employer.

Enable works with employers to find good quality staff. With over 20 years of experience, the organisation has a proven track record of ensuring that clients find a career path that suits their interests – helping them to remain motivated. Enable is a Centre of Excellence recognised by the Centre for Mental Health who encourage Individual Placement Support (IPS). This provides the framework to support people in their efforts to achieve steady employment in mainstream competitive jobs.

Enable firmly believes that employment improves health and builds self-worth, as well as bringing financial and social independence. This is something that the organisation works closely with each of their clients to achieve. With the help of innovative employment schemes and approaches, Enable constantly strives to perform above the national average.

Research published in 2015 by the King’s Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR) and King’s College London shows that symptoms of anxiety and depression appear to be twice as frequent in the UK military as in the general working population. Ed Parker, Co-founder and CEO of Walking with the Wounded said of the report:

“The findings from this report by KCMHR clearly identify the significant number of men and women in the military population, present and past, who need our support as result of being disadvantaged by their service.”

Walking with the Wounded

Walking with the Wounded (WWTW) was established in 2010 to raise funds for the re-education and re-training of our wounded servicemen and women. WWTW helps fund training and education to help them find a career, so that they can support themselves and re-build a life in the civilian work place. Without just focusing on those leaving the services today – the lack of awareness of the impact of physical and mental injury dates back to the Falklands and Northern Ireland. WWTW aims to provide a support network to all injured veterans.