Sir Jim Mackey: Employment Support Helps Tackle the Root Causes of Ill Health

Sir Jim Mackey, Chief Executive Officer at NHS England, has highlighted the vital role employment can play in improving health and wellbeing, with new data demonstrating the impact of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) services in helping people access and sustain paid work.

More than 11,000 people who accessed severe mental illness or drug and alcohol treatment services were supported into employment through IPS services in England in the past year, according to new data from IPS Grow, the national support programme for IPS.

The figures reflect the continued expansion of IPS, where employment support is integrated into mental health and drug and alcohol treatment services, helping people find and keep paid work as part of their recovery, wellbeing and long-term participation in society.

Individual Placement and Support (IPS) is an evidence-based, NICE-recommended model that integrates employment support into NHS mental health services and addiction services.

IPS is now delivered through 303 services across England. It is helping to realise the Government’s ambition for health and employment support to work as one, as set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper [1], the Pathways to Work [2] reforms, and Alan Milburn’s [3] independent review into young people and work.

IPS also delivers on the NHS 10 Year Health Plan’s commitment to shift from sickness to prevention – by tackling one of the root causes of ill-health: being out of work. 

People with severe mental illness are over three times more likely to be out of work than the general population [4] and people with drug or alcohol dependence are over twice as likely to be out of work.  [5]

IPS is designed to change that – connecting clinical care and employment support in a single, integrated offer. 

Jamie from Kent, who was supported by IPS in an Early Psychosis Unit, said:

I’m healthier, more focused and more at peace than I’ve ever been … There is hope, and there are people who can support you. They (IPS Employment Specialists) can transform lives.

IPS is now delivered across England with 203 services supporting people with severe mental illness and 100 supporting people with drug or alcohol dependence. The programmes have been supported by £275 million of investment from NHS England, plus £73m from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to support IPS in community drug and alcohol treatment services. This backing has helped to expand IPS services across England, with further growth planned by the end of the decade. The expansion spans both NHS mental health services and drug and alcohol treatment services. 

IPS Grow, commissioned by NHS England and DHSC and delivered by Social Finance, supports the expansion and quality of IPS services across England – helping more people access high-quality employment support through mental health and drug and alcohol treatment services. 

Niall O’Reilly, Executive Director of IPS Grow, said: 

Supporting more than 11,000 people into paid work is a significant milestone and demonstrates the life-changing impact that employment can have. Every outcome represents a person being supported to achieve their goals, build confidence and move into meaningful work. It’s a real testament to IPS Employment Specialists, treatment teams and – above all – the individuals they support every day.

Sir Jim Mackey, Chief Executive Officer at NHS England, said: 

Today’s figures highlight how the NHS is tackling the root causes of ill-health. We’ve known for some time that being out of work can worsen mental health and drug and alcohol dependence, which is why offering employment support alongside local mental health care can often be a winning formula. 

NHS staff are determined to do their part in tackling the worklessness crisis, so we’re not stopping here. We’ll be expanding IPS until the end of the decade – and alongside other initiatives to intervene earlier, like mental health support teams in schools and our Talking Therapies service, which supported over a million people last year, we will ensure those struggling can be seen earlier and helped faster.

Dr Nick Broughton, National Priority Programme Director for Mental Health, Learning Disability and Neurodevelopmental Conditions, said: 

For too long, people living with severe mental illness and addiction have felt lost when trying to get back on their feet. Today’s data is excellent news – it highlights the potential of smarter, tailored employment support. 

These groups have long been much more likely to be out of employment, but behind every statistic is a person who, with the right support, wants to belong to a community, have a purpose to their day, and be financially independent. 

Today, our message is clear: the NHS is here for you if you’re struggling with work or want to get back on your feet. You can reach out to your local GP practice or speak with your local mental health or addiction support team.

Dr Adrian James, Medical Director for Mental Health and Neurodiversity at NHS England, said: 

Today’s data shows just how much targeted support can make a difference for those who often feel like work is out of reach, with over 11,000 people back in employment in the past year alone. 

Work brings real benefits – it gives people purpose, social connection and the sense of being valued. It also tackles one of the most common causes of anxiety and stress: a lack of financial independence. 

IPS is proof that with the right support, work is possible – and that recovery and employment can go hand in hand.

The milestone is made up of thousands of individual journeys, and Jamie’s is just one of them. Jamie was the owner of a successful company, but over time his mental health and substance misuse took a toll, and he found himself unemployed. 

Jamie said: “On paper, I was successful. I had my own distribution company and marketing company, but my life was dissolving and falling apart. I had fallen into a spiral of addiction and alcohol misuse. I struggled with psychosis, experienced dissociation and was completely detached from myself. I’d lost all my money, any way of making money, and my ability to communicate. 

“First, I was introduced to the Early Psychosis Unit in Medway to work through my immediate issues, and after eight months I was introduced to IPS through Shaw Trust. I had no idea what I wanted to do, but looking back, I was deeply unhappy in what I’d been doing before. 

“The service was a very different experience from anything I’d had before – the approach started with some blue-sky thinking about what I wanted to do. I realised I wanted to pursue acting, and over the next eight months, everything slowly started falling into place. Because I was doing something I enjoyed and had something positive to focus on, it helped my mental health recovery enormously. 

“I’m healthier, more focused, more content, and more at peace than I’ve ever been. So, to anyone struggling – hang in there. The right people are there to support you. Reach out to your local IPS team. The first conversation is the hardest part, but once you’ve had it, you realise they’re there to understand you. There is hope, and there are people who can support you. They can transform lives.”