Employ-Ability is the working name of Ideas Plus, a specialist employment support charity working with people experiencing mental ill health.

The core aim remains the same, to reduce the barriers to finding and retaining employment faced by our clients; we also seek to work closely with employers to make this aim possible. Our Employment Specialists work on a 1-1 basis with our clients on all aspects of job search, in-work support and job retention.

IPS is a model of supported employment which has developed to meet the needs of clients who have severe mental health conditions and are being supported by mental health services. Employ-Ability provides IPS services to, and works in partnership with, the North Essex Partnership Foundation Trust (NEPFT) and we have Employment Specialists based within the 4 Community Mental Health teams in West Essex.

The ES will work with their clients on a 1-to-1 basis to work out what type of job and environment suits them best. They will then work through the job search process, including contacting employers on the client’s behalf. To ensure effective workplace induction and retention of jobs staff will provide all necessary in work and on-going support to both employer and employee.

Who can be referred and how to do it? – This service is for people who are being seen by the mental health services and if you are a service user then ask your care coordinator to refer you to our service