Last week I posted a blog expressing my disappointment about the way mental health is still viewed by some employers, and explaining that in light of increasing demands the importance of workplace support in this area is greater than ever. So I was heartened to hear that a government funded workplace mental health pilot has now become a national initiative and will be available for the next three years to support individuals with mental health conditions to retain employment. The new service was launched in December 2011 and is being delivered by Remploy. It is fully funded through Access to Work (a Jobcentre Plus scheme) and therefore comes at no cost to the individual or employer – welcome news in the climate of ongoing cut backs and austerity measures.
The emergence of services like this, alongside the continually increasing recognition of mental well-being as a business critical issue hopefully means we’ll soon see an improvement in the number of people with mental health conditions who report feeling well supported at work.
To find out more about this welcome new service, you can contact the team at Remploy on 0845 146 0520, email vocationalrehabilitation@remploy.co.uk or visit their website for more details.
