Employment Retention Service
Helping people who experience mental health issues to stay in work, or return to work following a period of absence.
What does the service offer?
The employment retention service in the Black Country can help support people who are currently in employment and accessing secondary mental health services by providing advice and support to clients to help them retain their jobs.
How the team can support individuals in secondary care:
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Help you understand your rights and employment law.
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Open conversations with your employers to discuss your mental health if you consent to this.
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Discuss reasonable adjustments.
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Attend workplace meetings.
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Negotiate and support return to work plans.
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Advice on how to leave with dignity if too unwell.
Who is eligible for the service?
Anyone under secondary care can be referred to the employment retention service. By secondary care, we mean:
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Specialist services provided to support individuals with their mental health examples include: hospitals such as Dorothy Pattison Hospital and Bloxwich Hospital.
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Individuals under the care of a psychiatrist, psychologist or a care co-ordinator such as a community psychiatric nurse or an occupational therapist.
Contact us
Suzi Wint / Michelle Ward
Telephone: 07825 843741 / 07909 936845
Email:
Want to know more? Check out our leaflet here
Thrive into Work 
Do you have a health condition and would like support to retain employment?
The Thrive into work team can offer one to one support to suit your needs and employment goals. The team supports those who are in work but are at risk of losing their job or are on a period of sick leave.
The service is for people with a mental/physical health condition, who are registered with a GP in Dudley and are aged 16+ at the time of referral. We also support people with mild learning disabilities
If you want to join the Thrive into Work service, you will get:
- One-to-one support to suit your needs and employment goals
- Support from your health care team to help you manage any difficulties
- Advice on benefits
- Continued support in your job
- Help talking to your employer about your needs at work
- Regular and ongoing support online or by phone
You can get this support if:
- You are currently out of work, or at risk of leaving work due to sickness
- You are aged 16 or over
- You have problems finding work, or staying in a job, because of your health. This can be your physical health or your mental health.
- You are registered with a GP in Dudley or Walsall
For more information please contact the team on:
Telephone: 01384 324645
Email:
If you would like to make a referral to the service, click here.
Talking Therapies Employment Service
The NHS Talking Therapies Employment Service provides support across the Black Country to individuals who are looking for a job, or need help staying in their current employment.
Who can access this service?
We support individuals who are currently receiving support from an NHS Talking Therapies team across the Black Country.
How can the service help you?
Our employment advisors will provide you with one to one tailored support for your employment journey, including:
- Job hunting
- Staying employed
- Getting back to work
We can support with help with CVs and applications, job search and interview preparation. Our employment advisors can create wellness action plans, discuss workplace adjustments, support with return to work plans and much more.
For more information please contact the team on:
Email:
Telephone: 07584 509177
WorkWell
WorkWell is a new initiative set to support thousands of people across the Black Country with health conditions and disabilities to find or retain employment to boost their wellbeing.
The Black Country is one of just 15 places around the country chosen as a pilot area to deliver the WorkWell scheme which will provide early intervention to people who are experiencing barriers to gain or retain employment due to health conditions or disabilities.
Who can access this service?
WorkWell is available for anyone who is:
- 16+ years old
- Lives or is registered to a G.P.or local Jobcentre Plus falls anywhere within the Black Country
- Has the right to work within the UK
- Anyone experiencing barriers to employment due to health conditions/disabilities
WorkWell will support those who are in work, need support returning to work or are out of work up to 6 months who require early intervention due to facing health related barriers, however, we also link participants needing more complex support to return to work who have been out of work longer with services who can provide longer term support.
How can the service help you?
WorkWell is a service designed to support anyone with a health condition or disability to either:
- Return/Remain in work
- Find and Access work
- Refer or signpost into various services available in your local area.
This service provides a team of trained Work and Health Coaches who will provide short term, light touch support to help individuals with their support needs to return, remain or succeed in work.
WorkWell will help individuals to build a personalised support plan based off their current needs, health conditions/disabilities and additional support that may be needed and then work together with organisations across the Black Country to provide joined up support for that individual.
How to refer?
You can refer into the service using our eReferral form.
For more information please contact the team on:
Email:
Telephone: 0800 952 6955
You can also find out more about this service by visiting www.blackcountryhealthcare.nhs.uk/workwell