East Kent IPS Employment Service
Employment and training
IPS Employment support helps people with any kind of mental illness to find and sustain paid employment. The support is individualised, person-centered, trauma-informed and time unlimited.
What does the service do?
IPS Employment support helps people with any kind of mental illness to find and sustain paid employment. We do not provide support for accessing volunteering.
The support is rapid with job search starting within four weeks, even if a person has been off work for years.
The support is individualised, person-centered, trauma-informed and time unlimited.
We provide support in person or via whatsapp, email, text, phone and video calls.
We can provide support in the evenings or weekends if needed on a pre arranged basis, for example to fit in around work commitments.
We accept referrals from other organisations and we also accept self referrals from people who want to contact us direct.
You can download our publicity materials here
You can also download our referral form.
We deliver this service as part of Live Well Kent and Medway (LWKM) which is delivered on behalf of Kent County Council and the NHS by Porchlight and Shaw Trust. Our East Kent IPS Employment Service is a Live Well Kent and Medway service provided by Rethink Mental Illness on behalf of Kent County Council and the NHS.
Who is the Service open to?
A free employment support service for people aged 16+ who have any kind of mental health issue (diagnosed or undiagnosed) who live in the East Kent areas of Thanet, Folkestone, Hythe and Romney Marsh areas.
How can you help me?
The first few sessions of support we provide for you, will involve us creating a Vocational Profile with you looking at employment history, job preferences and strengths and skills. This will lead to a Vocational Action Plan.
121 support will then include:
- Benefits support and better off in work calculations
- Support to create targeted CV’s
- Support to complete application forms and cover letters
- Support with job searching and registering with jobsites or agencies
- Interview techniques and mock interview practice
- Support to discuss your mental health / gaps in CV with employers
- Support to access permitted work while retaining benefits
- Support to apply for Access to Work funding
- Support to create a Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) focussed on the workplace
- Support for the transition into the workplace including managing day one and ongoing anxieties
- Support with managing travel and social demands of being in work
- In work wellbeing support with 6 monthly reviews
- Signposting to other organisations to help you with other areas of your life
In addition to the 121 support, we also provide weekly Job Clubs co-facilitated by staff and Peer Volunteers. These groups are safe spaces for support with barriers and triggers in the workplace and self management tools and peer support.
How do I contact your Service?
You can call us on - 07483 332505
You can email us at - eastkentips@rethink.org
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Useful Resources and Factsheets
We have collated information on a range of useful factsheets about employment and benefits
This includes
- Work and Mental Illness
- What's reasonable at work?
- Criminal Records Checks
- Criminal Convictions
You can view them by clicking here
Useful Links to Job websites
- https://www.indeed.co.uk
- https://www.gov.uk/find-a-job
- https://www.kent-jobs.co.uk
- https://www.jobsinkent.com
- https://www.totaljobs.com/jobs
- https://www.hrgo.co.uk
- https://www.morganjones.net
- https://www.reed.co.uk
