Mental health team awarded centre of excellence

A team from the local mental health and learning disabilities trust has been awarded centre of excellence status.

Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust’s (LPFT) Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Employment Service underwent an external fidelity review by the Centre for Mental Health and the result was that they retained the prestigious centre of excellence status.

The IPS Employment Service supports people with mental health problems to find and retain paid employment. Seven employment specialists are based in each of the Adult Community Mental Health Teams in Boston, Sleaford/Grantham, Lincoln North, Lincoln South, Gainsborough, Louth, Skegness and Stamford/Spalding.

The service is available to people who are being supported with their mental health in the community. The Community Mental Health Team make a referral to the IPS service if a service user expresses an interest in finding paid employment. The Employment Specialist then works with the individual to provide personalised support to help them find appropriate paid employment. This valuable support continues after an individual has gained paid employment, through liaising with the employer to ensure reasonable adjustments are made and that the person is supported in retaining their job.

Polly Blaydes, Trust Allied Health Professional Lead and Recovery Services Advisor, who manages this team said: “I’m really pleased for the team who have all worked very hard in preparation for this review; they deserve this recognition and reward.”

Centre for Mental Health is a charity that provides life changing research, economic analysis and policy influencein mental health. The independent review includes, examining documentary evidence, interviewing clinicians, service users, employment specialists, team leaders and NHS senior staff, to quality assure the organisation and delivery of the IPS service.

Employment services that achieve a good or outstanding IPS fidelity score may be invited to be an IPS Centre of Excellence. The Centres of Excellence share their experience and best practice with new start-up services.

Anita Lewin, Interim Director of Nursing, Allied Health Professionals ad Quality said: “To receive a good score, is a significant and valuable achievement for LPFT and the IPS team.

“More than half of the IPS staff started last year, so it’s great to see they have settled in quickly and developed themselves and the team to become established and very successful in what they do.”

The score the service received was increased on the last time they were reviewed and the Centre of Excellence status will run from 2019 – 2022 with interim internal self-reviews.