Since its commissioning in September 2024, Lincolnshire Recovery Partnership (LRP) IPS team, delivered by Double Impact, has quickly established itself as a beacon of excellence and innovation in supported employment. Their impressive early achievement of a 47% employment outcome rate is testament to the power of strong leadership, collaborative teamwork, and a relentless commitment to quality improvement.

At the heart of this success story is the leadership of the Senior Employment Specialist Danny, whose belief in IPS and ability to communicate strengths and challenges with stakeholders has set a clear direction for the team, fostering a culture of high expectations and continuous learning. Under his guidance, the IPS team has not only met but exceeded early performance benchmarks, rapidly building trust with both service users and partner organisations.

Visible support for IPS from treatment service senior executives and active encouragement from treatment team leaders has been instrumental in the success of this IPS team. By actively championing the IPS model, these leaders have ensured that IPS is recognised as a vital component of recovery. Their encouragement for staff to refer clients to IPS has led to strong referral pathways and seamless integration with treatment services. This collaborative approach has enabled more individuals to access meaningful employment opportunities, supporting both their recovery and independence.

Commissioner, Simon Gladwin comments; 

As the Lincolnshire commissioner I’ve seen how the IPS service, delivered through the Lincolnshire Recovery Partnership, has quickly become a vital part of an integrated treatment and recovery model. By embedding employment support directly into the recovery pathway, the IPS team has offered individuals a meaningful route to rebuild purpose, confidence, and independence. This person-centred approach has led to real, measurable outcomes. The Senior Employment Specialist and the IPS Team have worked proactively to promote IPS across the system — internally to staff and externally to employers and stakeholders. A dedicated IPS web page, tailored leaflets, and a powerful video case study have all helped raise awareness.

LTP Operational Manager Stephen Bunting added; 

The Lincolnshire IPS team bridges the gap between clinical treatment, recovery, substance use support, and meaningful employment. Embedding IPS specialists within local teams has significantly increased opportunities for individuals to engage in the world of work and all the accompanying positive psychological and social benefits. Vocational aspirations form an integral part of recovery plans helping people to develop self-directed lives of meaning and purpose. This approach reinforces values, agency, commitment, personal responsibility and strengths. As a lived experience recovery organisation (LERO) we understand these to be the foundations of a successful recovery journey.

To raise further awareness of the service, the IPS team are hosting a regional Employer Conference on the 15th August with special guest speaker, former footballer Paul Merson. Paul brings lived experience to the event and indeed, part of the team’s success is the integration of a Lived Experience Recovery Organisation. This has proved crucial to engaging service users effectively and with authenticity. 

LRP’s early achievements provide a strong foundation for future success. Their model of strong leadership, engaging stakeholders for support, and a culture of quality improvement offers valuable lessons for other services aspiring to deliver high-fidelity IPS. We congratulate the LRP team on their outstanding start and look forward to seeing even greater impact in the months and years ahead.