Employment and mental health: new Government publications

In December 2009, a raft of publications set out a new cross-government approach to mental health and wider issues around social inclusion, specifically regarding work.

These were launched together and should be read as a set of joined up plans, showing that relevant government departments are coming together to address big issues around mental health and work. These publications are:

• Realising ambitions: better employment support for people with a mental health condition - this is a report concluding a review of worklessness of people with mental health problems by Rachel Perkins. You can see the full report here: Realising Ambitions: better employment support for people with a mental health condition (783 kb)
• Working our way to better mental health: a framework for action - this is a Government strategy setting out what action will be taken to better support people with mental health problems in work. This strategy is the final part of a review of health in work by Dame Carol Black. You can see the full strategy here:Working our way to better mental health: a framework for action (1634 kb)
• Work, recovery and inclusion: employment support for people in contact with secondary mental health services - this is a plan produced by the Social Exclusion Task Force within the Cabinet Office which sets out specific actions to support people in contact with mental health services into work. You can see the full plan here: Work, Recovery and Inclusion plan (1478 kb)

For a quick overview of the key points in each of these publications, see our briefing: 

These three publications were produced alongside a wider vision for the future of mental health called New Horizons. You can find out about New Horizons here: New Horizons: the Government's vision for mental health