Extra support at work for mental health suffers
Thousands of people with mental health problems will get extra support to manage their condition and stay at work, the Government has announced. *
Pilots run in conjunction with the mental health charity Mind were aimed at helping those with fluctuating mental health conditions to remain in their jobs.
Early indications have shown that the trial has been 90 per cent successful and the Government is now looking to extend the support nationally.
Jim Knight, Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform, said: “I know disabled people dearly want to stay in work and their employers want to do everything they can to keep good staff. Our plans to offer the right help early on can end the downward spiral of people falling out of work into sick leave, and onto benefits. We are all agreed that helping people stay in work is good news for them, their bosses and for the taxpayer.”
Other measures introduced by the Government include a first National Strategy for Mental Health and Employment, a new network of dedicated mental health experts across Jobcentre Plus coordinating support for people with mental health conditions, a consultation on ‘Right to Control’, giving disabled people greater choice and control over how public money is spent, and an increase to the Access to Work fund from £69 million to £138 million over the next five years.
Fay, 29, from London, took part in one pilot. She said: “The support was great and l wish it had been there when l was previously off sick from work. I found it particularly helpful in the way it kept me in contact with my employer while I was off – I never felt completely isolated from work.”
Sophie Corlett, Mind’s Director of External Relations, said: “People with mental health problems want to work but are often failed by employers who lack the understanding or the skills to provide the necessary support. We welcome the Government's increased investment in mental health, particularly during these difficult economic times, when now more than ever people need the support and understanding of their employers.”
Westfield Health recognises the importance of providing help for those with mental health issues.
Most of Westfield’s plans include a 24-hour freephone counselling and advice line, which enables employees to speak to a trained counsellor, lawyer or medical adviser at any time of the day or night.
Some corporate-paid plans also offer up to six face-to-face counselling sessions, which give employees the opportunity to talk through issues in person.
To find out more about Access to Work, visit www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/
More information about Westfield Health’s cash plans is available on this website.
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