The scale-up of the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model in drug and alcohol treatment teams is one of the biggest public policy successes of the last 30 years.

From a trial in 7 sites across England less than 10 years ago, IPS employment services are now available to over 97% of people accessing support to overcome substance addiction. Previously dismissed – quite wrongly – as ‘too hard to help,’ 51% of these individuals now find meaningful, paid employment. That’s more than twice the rate prior to the roll-out of IPS.

Given the health and unemployment crisis our nation faces – conservatively costed at a £212 billion negative impact on our economy each year and growing – the success of IPS matters. It provides not just cause for optimism that we can do something for a generation of jobseekers we’re currently failing but a roadmap for how we set about doing so.

That’s why I’m so delighted we’re able to share, in Alcohol Awareness Week, an inspiring new video bringing the success story of IPS in drug and alcohol teams to life. The video features Dame Carol Black, whose 2016 review of drugs, alcohol, obesity and employment played a pivotal role in identifying IPS as a solution for those seeking work while overcoming substance addiction.

At the heart of the video – as with the IPS model – is the client. This is Makayla’s journey; a moving, personal narrative of how she overcame a personal and family history of alcohol addiction with the support of her IPS Employment Specialist, Christine.

I love the video for several reasons:

  • We see how Makayla, the IPS client, drives the journey into work based on her strengths and interests. Christine, her IPS Employment Specialist, provides a steer. She gives practical help with job search and applications. She reminds Makayla of all she has to offer an employer. But she’s not grabbing at the wheel or manoeuvring Makayla into work based on her own agenda. As Makayla says, “I know I’ve done a lot of the hard work but Chrstine didn’t need to stick by me. And she did.”
  • We see the huge impact that moving into work can have not just for the IPS client but for their family and loved ones. I readily confess to a tear in my eye when Makayla recounted how her father had told her how proud he was and what it meant to have his daughter – who’d felt so lost in alcohol addiction and unemployment – come back to him before he passed. IPS is the best-evidenced employment support model in the world and produces huge returns for the Exchequer. But some impacts are so important that they go beyond mere pounds and pence.
  • We see the positive ripples to the community when we create an inclusive economy that realises the potential of all its residents. Makayla gives back and inspires other women on their journey back from addiction and unemployment. Makayla’s manager remarks that “Not everyone has the skills in the way that Makayla does. I’ve seen lots of the women go to Makayla instinctively first when they have something they want to talk about because they find her easy to talk to and approachable.” Makayla describes it as work that touches her heart. I hope it does the same for you when you watch the video.

What’s missing from the video is the incredible work of Paul Anders and the team at the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID). Without their active leadership, and laser-like focus on outcomes, the successes of IPS in drug and alcohol services would not be possible. At IPS Grow, we’re proud to partner with OHID to ensure IPS in drugs and alcohol services are delivered with high fidelity and the outstanding results clients deserve.

If you’re interested in IPS – or solutions to our economic inactivity crisis more generally – please do take the time to watch this video and check out the information and resources on the IPS Grow website.