We are excited to share a recent study led by Miles Rinaldi, Rachel Perkins, Robert Baxter, Paul Dorrington, and Kat Saville, which explores the duration of employment support, reach, and equity in outcomes of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) in routine clinical practice. Conducted at South West London & St George’s Mental Health NHS  Trust, the research offers valuable insights into how IPS services operate in real-world settings.

South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust provides mental health services across five London boroughs (Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Sutton and Wandsworth), serving a population of 1.1 million.  A retrospective analysis of routine cross-sectional anonymised administrative data was performed for all people who had used the IPS service between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023, with a follow-up period until 27 February 2024. Recent findings reveal that:

  • The research found no significant differences in employment outcomes by ethnicity within IPS programmes, demonstrating that it’s a robust, inclusive model that works well across diverse groups.
  • Nearly half of service users successfully find or retain employment or receive support in education.
  • On average, people secure jobs within four months of starting the programme.
  • Most participants do not require long-term support, with assistance typically lasting nearly five months.
  • We’re celebrating how programmes like IPS contribute to dismantling employment barriers for underrepresented ethnic groups and showcase progress in mental health equity and economic empowerment.
  • While these findings are based on one service, they highlight the impact and promise IPS holds for supporting individuals with mental health conditions on their employment journeys.

Click here to download & read the full paper