Work Well

In 2022/23, we ran a 12-month pilot of a community employment support line for people with mental health problems in Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark.

Run by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, the Work Well Advice Line provided free and confidential advice about employment to anyone who needed it. 344 people received support from the Work Well Advice Line, leading to service referrals and information provision. 24 per cent of callers were signposted to NHS Talking Therapies, formerly known as Improving Access to Psychological Therapies, IAPT.

Many users were positive about the service provided, with feedback from callers reflecting high levels of satisfaction. The helpline was able to support people who would not otherwise have accessed any kind of mental health service, providing tailored advice for people in difficult situations, predominantly related to employment. The total advice line usage was lower than hoped – with challenges around marketing, promotion and awareness of the service, which were made more difficult with the short length of the pilot. However, the learnings from this pilot have informed the development of a wider employment offer being rolled out across South London and the Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

“There isn’t really any other service like it where you call up and get advice on the spot and get signposted to other services that can help.”

“It was needed. Especially for people who have no connections with mental health services, so they know it’s there and I try to talk to them about, you know, there’s no stigma, there’s no shame in trying to seek help, whether you’re in work or out of work.”

Quotes from Work Well Advice Line callers