About the service and what to expect
Wellbeing employment support is provided by Southdown, a Sussex-based housing, care and support provider committed to preventing homelessness and supporting people’s health, wellbeing and independence. Called ‘Work and Wellbeing’, the service provides specialist employment support for people living with mental health challenges.
We will not only support you to achieve your vocational aspirations but also explore other issues that are affecting your ability to secure or sustain employment.
Being in work can help maintain good mental health. It gives us a purpose, promotes independence and can improve the way we feel about ourselves. Southdown’s Employment Specialists will work with you to help you secure or retain a job that is right for you.
The service is provided in partnership with the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
About the support
You will receive one to one support from an Employment Specialist to create a ‘journey to work plan’ tailored to your needs and interests.
This is then followed by a rapid job search, support throughout the recruitment process and, once in work, time-unlimited support for both you and your employer.
Support is provided through an approach called Individual Placement and Support (IPS), which is recognised as best practice in supporting people with mental health challenges to secure or retain paid work.
This approach brings all parties together to ensure you get a job that suits your needs and your employer gains or retains an employee that can work effectively and contribute to the business.
Work and Wellbeing are still taking referrals from Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust (SPFT) mental health teams throughout Sussex, for individuals who are looking to secure paid employment or who need support to retain or return to an existing job.
We support people with a serious mental illness (SMI) diagnosis including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and psychosis. We can also support people with a diagnosis of emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD) as long as they are on the GP SMI register.
Further Information
For more information and to discuss accessing support that is right for you please call 0808 196 1768 to speak to a friendly member of our Central Access Point team. Alternatively, if you would prefer, you can arrange a callback.
