Celebrating Success

As our gaze turns towards the end of the year, it feels like a good opportunity to press pause and reflect on what we have collectively achieved over the last 12 months. So, with a little input from all our teams, here’s a snapshot of some of the amazing things we have done so far.

Enfield

Enfield IPS team saw its highest performance ever across all KPIs in Q1 23, with job starts increasing by 100% since the previous quarter. Currently the team is achieving 48% of all engagements converting to job starts – the highest conversion rate the team has witnessed so far.

Enfield has also made huge strides in diversifying their referral pathways. Having previously relied on referrals from 3 Enfield-based mental health teams, the team is now supporting clients from 10 different teams, as well as referrals from Disability Employment Advisors based at local job centres. Equally, Enfield’s work with the 18-35 Transition Team has been instrumental in ensuring service users moving from child to adult services do not fall off the radar and miss out on crucial support.

Clearly Enfield has had a successful year – a great team effort. And a special thanks to the Employment Specialists for their commitment to delivering an outstanding service.

Kingston

Kingston IPS team has brokered a new relationship with EnhanceAble, a local charity dedicated to supporting people with disabilities. To date, 6 clients have started volunteering at the Click Café, based at EnhanceAble’s day centre. Clients have found the café an incredibly supportive environment and a great place to help build their skills and confidence before securing paid work.

Kingston has also seen a 28% increase in volunteering starts since last year and has supported 39 service users into paid work. Importantly, 17 clients have achieved the 26-week job sustainment milestone, up over 13% on last year.

At the same time, Kingston has moved into their new office space at Princess Court. The local John Lewis branch has recently donated £800 to the team, enabling the purchase of ear defenders and fidget toys for clients to use when meeting the team in the new office.

Kingston should be proud of their new and exciting relationship with EnhanceAble, their overall performance and sound fundraising skills. And long may you enjoy your new home!

Tower Hamlets

Tower Hamlets IPS team had their fidelity review earlier this year and successfully achieved ‘Good’ Fidelity as well as being awarded the Quality Mark. The review highlighted the team’s exemplary clinical integration as of one of the best examples IPS Grow has seen.

The team has supported 115 individuals into employment, 89 of which were first job starts for clients since accessing support.

This summer, the team held a Business Planning Day which focused on service improvement strategies to ensure the provision of a first-class service to clients.

Even though Tower Hamlets has witnessed some staff changes, we can all agree that team members have worked incredibly hard to demonstrate their effectiveness and delivery of IPS.

Upskill

It has been an incredibly busy year for the Upskill team, who smashed their referral target by 100% during this quarter. The team has worked flat out to keep waiting lists to a four-week period, a huge achievement in a time of increasing demand.

At the same time, the team has continued to foster relationships with over fifty organisations including Age UK and the Bow East West Initiative. Working in partnership with Age UK, Upskill is currently providing summer activities for isolated older residents in the Bow borough.

Upskill has also continued to develop a strong rapport with GP Social Prescribers and Community Mental Health Teams. Its partnership with Mind in Tower Hamlets and Newham, and the presence of a Mind staff member based within the Upskill team, has greatly enhanced the exceptional service provided to clients.

Staff training remains a key priority, with several staff completing, or in the throes of completing, Level Two qualifications in Children and Adolescent Mental Health, Understanding Dementia and Peer Work.

It has undoubtedly been a challenging but rewarding year for Upskill performance-wise. Their ability to manage relationships with diverse organisations along with their commitment to staff personal development is inspiring.

On a final note, a huge thank you to everyone at Working Well Trust for their dedication and teamwork over the last 12 months. Sometimes organisations fail to celebrate their wins or share their success stories. We want you to know that your work does not go unnoticed or appreciated and we remain in awe of your commitment to providing an exceptional standard of support to those accessing our service