Southwark, Lambeth and Lewisham IPS

Aiding speedier, more sustainable recovery by getting people into meaningful jobs and supporting them to progress within them.

Who we are

We have launched our first ever London employment-focussed drug and alcohol support service in collaboration with the borough councils of Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark. Individual Placement and Support (IPS) services work with service users and various employers to get those in need of support back into work at the start of their recovery to give people purpose, money and a future.

IPS provides intensive, personalised support, starting with a rapid job search to help people find and choose the right job for them and stay in the role. By using a personalised approach to support people, IPS helps people find paid jobs that suit their skills and interests within just weeks of being referred to the service. A key component of the Humankind IPS model is the ongoing support provided to ensure that once a service user enters the workforce, they are supported to stay in their role and build a life around it.

One of our service users from South Shields, Christine, who was supported through the IPS scheme said: “All of this has changed my life for the better. I’m busy now and I’m making my own money and learning new skills. I love interacting with the residents in the care home and I feel good knowing that I’m helping others.

The support I received once I started work was really useful as without it, I may have ended up quitting because of any small stress factor. I’d definitely tell anyone to get help from IPS as the support is ongoing and unlimited so you’ll be more likely to get and keep a job.”

Review some of our effective case studies from our IPS services in other areas of the country:

Case Study FLT Driver

Lee’s Story

Download our launch press release for more information about the service:

Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham IPS Launch Release

We take your privacy seriously. Please read our Privacy notice for the London IPS service

What our employment partners have said

Wallace Mews Care Home:

Working with Insight (IPS) has been useful for my business, it helped speed up the recruitment process and to identify suitable candidates.
In the beginning, I had several chats with Danielle about the kind of employee I was looking for, experience and skills were not the most important thing to me, and it was more important to find a person who was willing to learn, could offer flexible working and had a genuine passion for care.
Danielle put forward a few suitable candidates and sent me across their CVs. I trusted her because I know she had a good understanding of our recruitment needs and more in-depth knowledge of the candidates.
I invited one lady for an interview, and from our first conversation I knew she was going to be a good fit for our team.

I have since offered her bank hours with room to increase this to a permanent contract within the first 3 months. Danielle has been there to offer my new employee support with her DBS and references, and this has taken some pressure off me. It is nice to know Danielle will still be there to offer her continued support whilst my employee settles into her new role. I would certainly use Insight again to help with my recruitment”.

Optimum Skills:

“Working with IPS has been a fantastic experience with great communication and support. They have also supported us with our traineeship, delivering workshops to our learners around the topic of drug and alcohol abuse.”

PGS Law:

“When we worked with Humankind to find an assistant for one of our departments, we were pleased with the efficiency of their response and the quality of the candidate they put forward. We employed the candidate, and they have settled well into their role. I would work with Humankind in the future when looking for similar roles.”

Medigold Health:

“We create occupational health and wellbeing solutions for employers across the UK.

We are looking forward to working with IPS to recruit and retain valued members of staff. We believe that employing those from diverse backgrounds aligns with our core values.”

Meet the team

Caroline Lall, Senior IPS Employment Specialist:

Caroline has worked on several projects in a variety of roles such as Lone Parent Advisor, Minority Ethnic outreach advisor and Employment Specialist & Trainer. Her last role was Work Match Lead Business Engagement Officer for Richmond & Wandsworth Council, which involved building relationships with businesses and acting as a broker in order to find employment for local residents. Her role included supporting people in recovery to get though every day issues that inhibit reaching career goals.In her new role, she aims to develop a service that is accessible to those who are currently going through a recovery programme to empower and support them into sustained employment that will be of benefit to the community.

In her spare time, Caroline enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, going to the gym and maintaining a good work/life balance.

Sophie Harris, IPS Employment Specialist:

Prior to this role, Sophie worked in corporate recruitment. She was drawn to this sector because it’s about putting the needs of the individual first, rather than a business’ needs. Having grown up on a council estate in Middlesbrough, Sophie knows how aspects like employment can be a great tool to help with mental health, drug, and alcohol recovery.

One of Sophie’s main aims is to break down stigma around recovery and to be a cheerleader for people we work with. Ultimately getting them into meaningful work.

In her spare time, Sophie DJs and spends time cooking with friends. She also enjoys socialising and dancing.

Ian Diggens, IPS Specialist

Ian has worked in the employment sector since 2008, assisting hard-to-reach customers back into work. This has involved the whole journey, including direct IAG, employment support, finding placements and job brokerage. Before that time, he worked in other sectors such as finance/accounts, education and customer service which has given him a more well-rounded and comprehensive understanding of the employment field and how to assist service-users. Ian was drawn to this sector as he enjoys direct in-depth interaction with service-users and assisting them end-to-end. He derives immense satisfaction from helping them improve their lives and recognise the importance of meaningful and fulfilling work in contributing towards this aim.

Ian’s aims for the project are to access service-users in-need of support, establish strong and beneficial relationships and move them into suitable employment. He hopes to provide key support and an end-to-end bespoke service to help service-users with all aspects of their employment journey, with a view to positively change and transform their lives for the better. An important aim for Ian is also to form great working partnerships with colleagues, co-workers and other organisations that are mutually beneficial and help achieve shared goals.

In his spare time, Ian enjoys spending quality time with his family, especially going for walks in the countryside, exploring nature, wild-swimming (when possible & safe) and other outdoor pursuits. Film photography is also an interest of Ian’s. Music is also a very important part of his free-time, as Ian’s partner is a dance-teacher and he often gets involved in some performances.

Elior Evron, IPS Employment Specialist

Eli was drawn to this sector by a profound passion for improving mental health. She therefore obtained a degree in Psychology. After working in diverse mental health facilities, Eli evolved candidate personality evaluation and match for the right job. She later graduated with masters qualification in Organisational and Social Psychology, a collaboration of her two interests. She believes this sector allows her to actively contribute to enhancing individuals’ well-being and serves as one of the solutions to improving mental health- a cause she is very passionate about.Eli’s aim for the new South London IPS is to create a positive impact on people’s lives by fostering meaningful changes. She aspires to be a supportive figure, offering help, advice, and moments of joy, striving to become a trusted colleague within the community.

In her free time, Eli enjoys reading, going to the movies (mostly for the popcorn!), visiting museums and art galleries and traveling with family & friends. She also enjoys anything creative, such as photography or anything in the world of digital art.

Aliya Hussain, IPS Employment Specialist:

Aliya was a dancer for almost 22 years, mostly Bollywood, before working for 6 years as a senior sales negotiator for Nuliving a subsidiary of Swan Housing Association, selling Luxury New Builds, with the profits going back into the Housing association. Her favourite part of the job was Shared Ownership, helping people who couldn’t afford a big deposit to get onto the property ladder and have a better quality of living, in their dream home.

Having volunteered at various rehabilitation centres, food banks and recovery charities over the last 3 & a half years, being privileged enough to be within proximity of individuals in all stages of recovery & addiction, learning about the struggles and stigma they face. She is honoured to be part of this revolutionary and inspirational initiative of IPS. The prospect of helping people change their lives for the better is euphoric to a massive empath like Aliya.

Her free time consists of playing / chilling with and spoiling my Dog (he’s my child) Theodore Hussain 🐶❤. She also love volunteering at various rehabilitation centres, food banks & recovery charities. Aliya likes to Knit (only knit scarves🤣). Love to cook and love poetry & sometimes attempt to write her own. She also loves going to the theatre and all types of music and has an eclectic taste ranging from heavy metal to classical.

Patricia Pollock, IPS Employment Specialist:

Patricia is an ambassador for positive change for individuals in the local community. She feels growing up, living, and working; primarily in education and as being part of Youth Offending Teams provided her with a bird’s eye view of the endless opportunities in London. In contract, Patricia has also experienced her own significant barriers to learning and employment, resulting in choosing the path of encouraging and motivating vulnerable members of the community.

Patricia’s role supporting “forgotten and vulnerable” individuals with one message to:
“Find your Passion!” Additionally, Patricia adores her new role as an Employment Specialist and says she has a vision of assisting many marginalised individuals across London to find their passion and secure competitive employment opportunities.

Patricia believes this can be achieved when building excellent collaborative community
relationships and being part of an already strong, London IPS Employment Specialist team.

Pretty Paris

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