IPS – Humankind

Tag: IPS

Humankind chosen by Year 7 students for community giving award nomination

Jasmine Rocks

Monday’s Year 7 assembly at St Gabriel’s College in Camberwell, London saw groups of pupils present their chosen charities to a panel of judges who picked an overall winner to receive a £1,000 donation.

This was part of a programme funded by the First Give organisation which works to ‘inspire and equip young people in secondary schools across England and Wales to tackle social issues’.

Representatives from Humankind, Sonia Bunger, Assistant Director for London and Gareth Samuel, Marketing Communications Officer for London, were invited to attend the assembly and listen to presentations that were given by Year 7 classes.

Pupils had worked throughout the autumn term to research and understand the remit of their chosen charity as well as design and execute a social action of their own to support the charity.

To compete for the donation, the students had to select and research a charity which works to have a transformative effect in local communities. We run an Individual Placement and Support (IPS) programme in Southwark which is integrated into substance use services and aims to support people to find and retain employment. Our Being Human strategy is centred on people: the people who use our services, their families, and the communities they are part of.

Judges scored each presentation on the depth of research, quality of presentation and the social action of the pupils. In the end, the donation was awarded to Lives not Knives, a charity which works to tackle knife crime in various communities across London. The pupils which represented Humankind were highly commended for their presentation and research and we are very grateful to them for selecting us.

Programme Leader and Deputy Head Teacher, David Toyloco, said: “For the First Give project, the whole of year 7 needs to look into social responsibility charities. Some of the pupils might have personal experiences with the charity.

“We run the programme in an extra-curricular capacity. I think this project broadens the horizons of our pupils. It opens their eyes and gets them to think of what they can do an individual. We find it a great programme and helps pupils to develop presenting skills, taking them out of their comfort zones.”

Sonia Bunger, Assistant Director for London at Humankind said: “It was such a great event to be part of. The idea that children as young as 11 are learning about the importance of social responsibility and being part of a community very much aligns with our values. We didn’t win the donation, but that wasn’t the point. We would like to thank St Gabriel’s College and Mr Toyloco for involving us in such an inspiring programme.”

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Humankind opens its first employment focussed drug and alcohol support service in South London

Jasmine Rocks

An image of Humankind's Individual Placement & Support team in front of Humankind's London regional office

We have launched our first-ever London employment-focused drug and alcohol support service in the boroughs of Lambeth, Lewisham, and Southwark.

Individual Placement and Support (IPS) services work with people recovering from drug or alcohol dependence and local employers to help those in need of support back into work at the start of their recovery. In addition to a wage, work can support recovery and can give people purpose and the opportunity to build new friendships and connections that can help them move away from drug and alcohol use.

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, 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 our 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. Our IPS staff also work alongside employers, helping them to meet their recruitment needs and offering ongoing support throughout the employment period.

Cllr Jim Dickson and Cllr Marcia Cameron, Lambeth’s Cabinet Members for Healthier Communities, said:
“We are pleased to welcome the Individual Placement Support initiative to Lambeth. It is an important investment in our communities and we believe is the right way to make a real difference in the lives of those suffering the often hugely damaging impacts of addiction.
“Substance abuse not only damages individuals’ lives but also harms families and our wider communities. With specialist and trained workers in place, we will be able to now support some of our most vulnerable residents into employment which will help sustain their recovery and make positive change in their lives.”

Christine, one of our service users 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 so you’ll be more likely to get and keep a job.”

Now district councils from Southwark, Lambeth and Lewisham have all teamed up to tackle drug use and alcoholism in South London by commissioning us to provide a new service. We have extensive experience and a track record of producing excellent long-term results through other IPS schemes in various areas of the country including Leeds, Gateshead, and Cumbria.

Our Director of Operations for London, Lyndsey Morris, said:
This is an exciting new opportunity for people that use our services in Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark. Having employment can be a key part of the recovery process, providing a reason to get out of bed in the morning and boosting confidence, motivation, and financial independence. We have seen the transformative effect that IPS has had in other areas and our own fantastic team of trained employment specialists are looking forward to delivering this programme as part of an integrated approach to people’s recovery journey.”

Seamus Costello the borough Lead for Lambeth Addictions Consortium for South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust said:
“As part of our Consortium’s ongoing commitment to deliver excellent treatment and support for our clients, we are delighted to share Humankind’s ambition to ensure all service users have the opportunity to flourish in their communities, with help from Humankind’s introduction of an exciting new IPS programme across three South London boroughs.”

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Likewise launches to support people in Sheffield with drug and alcohol issues

Jack Keery

Two people talk to each other. The Likewise logo is placed on top of the image in dark red colour
A new service aiming to support people who have issues with alcohol and other drugs across the city of Sheffield will open its doors on 1 August 2023.

Likewise, which has been commissioned by Sheffield City Council, is a partnership between national charity Humankind and Project 6. The service will provide free, confidential, and non-judgemental support to people who need it.

Likewise is the second service Humankind has launched in partnership with Project 6, after New Vision Bradford opened its doors across the Bradford District in April 2023. Project 6 has been providing support to individuals and families affected by substance use and experiencing multiple disadvantage in Sheffield for over 40 years.

The newly established Likewise and New Vision Bradford represent a significant extension to the support Humankind has been providing to people across Yorkshire for many years, through other services like Barnsley Recovery Steps, Calderdale Recovery Steps, Forward Leeds, North Yorkshire Horizons and The Greens.

Every Humankind service across the country that has been inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has been rated either ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Good’, including its services across Yorkshire.

Greg Fell, Director of Public Health, Sheffield City Council said: “Sheffield City Council are delighted to be working alongside Humankind to deliver the new service Likewise, which will play a vital role in supporting individuals and communities in Sheffield impacted by drug and alcohol use.

We have seen the impact Humankind have had regionally and nationally and are very excited to be in partnership with them to deliver the goals set out in the National Drug Strategy ‘From Harm to Hope’.”

Emily Todd, Humankind Regional Director, said: “We are proud to be increasing the support Humankind offers to people across the country and in Yorkshire.

“With the local expertise of Project 6, feedback received from people we will be supporting and our workforce, and the extensive preparation that has been put in to launching the new service, we know we are in a strong position to make an incredibly positive impact on the overall health, wellbeing and safety of the Sheffield community.”

Vicki Beere, Project 6 CEO, said: “We are very pleased to be working alongside a partner in Humankind, with a track record of delivering exceptional services across our region. We look forward to this opportunity to build upon our years of experience developing community-rooted projects to ensure more people across our city have access to support and recovery services when they need them.”

Likewise will offer a range of support including harm reduction, recovery navigation, clinical and therapeutic interventions. The service will also provide support for family members and continue to work with people in longer term recovery to help them create a healthy and meaningful life.

From 1 August, you can contact Likewise for free and confidential support or advice about your drug or alcohol use, call 0114 308 7000, email info@likewisesheffield.org.uk or visit www.likewisesheffield.org.uk.

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“I am so happy to be back at work and in a job I love” – employment support scheme in the spotlight

Jack Keery

A scheme which supports people in recovery to find permanent employment was celebrated last week in South Tyneside and Gateshead.

The Individual Placement and Support (IPS) programme provides support to people over the age of 16 who have experienced issues with drugs and alcohol. Finding meaningful employment can significantly help with a person’s recovery from drug and alcohol use, so this innovative programme is a great addition to local services and an integral part of a person’s recovery journey.

Sitting within the commissioned Substance Misuse Treatment Service of South Tyneside and covering both South Tyneside and Gateshead localities, Humankind’s South Tyneside and Gateshead IPS scheme is the first of its kind in the UK to be hosted across two local authorities.

Since it was established in October 2021, the service has worked with 154 people providing dedicated, tailored support and advice in their search for rewarding employment. The team also offers in-work support for both employees and employers to ensure that the employment can be sustained.

Dame Carol Black, whose landmark Independent Review of Drugs led to the publication of the cross-government drug strategy ‘From Harm to Hope’, attended the celebration event. Also in attendance were Councillor Anne Hetherington, Lead Member for Adults, Health and Independence at South Tyneside Council, and Alice Wiseman and Tom Hall, Directors for Public Health for Gateshead and South Tyneside respectively.

Dame Carol Black’s review highlighted that, alongside treatment, meaningful activity makes an important contribution to sustaining recovery from drug use. There is considerable evidence that employment can improve treatment outcomes, reduce the frequency and severity of relapse, and reduce re-presentations to services.

The Gateshead and South Tyneside programme has been described as “one of the standout teams among the new areas.”

A person who has been supported by the service said they would “highly recommend this programme to anyone accessing services, who is looking to work and maintain employment in the future. The advice and support I have been given has made me realise that change is not impossible and with the right encouragement and help pointing you in the right direction a positive change can be achieved.”

Another said that “the support I have received has been phenomenal… I am so happy to be back at work and in a job I love.”

Councillor Hetherington said: “This programme is an absolute trailblazer. Providing support to help people find and stay in employment is an integral part of the recovery journey and I’m delighted that people who want to work are being given this opportunity. This fits well with our vision of helping people in South Tyneside to live healthy, happy and fulfilled lives.

“It is fantastic that Individual Placement Support is giving people confidence and motivation. As a result of this project, more people can now look forward to even brighter futures.”

Gateshead’s Director of Public Health Alice Wiseman said: “This event is about celebrating the successes of the amazing recovery community that we have in our local area. The IPS programme plays a key role in equipping individuals with the skills and self-esteem needed to secure rewarding roles, which helps people stay well in their recovery as good employment improves health and wellbeing in many ways. Obviously having an income and financial stability is important, but good work also offers more social interactions and a sense of identity and purpose.

“Celebrating these successes both shows people who are struggling with addiction that there is light at the end of the tunnel, as well as helping to tackle the stigma surrounding addiction, which is one of the biggest barriers to people seeking support.”

To support recovery and the movement from treatment into work, the government is investing a further £21 million to roll out IPS for people in drug or alcohol treatment across England by the end of 2024/25. This brings the total funding for this new programme to over £39 million across the next three years.

After initially launching as a Government pilot project at Humankind’s service in Staffordshire, we have now been commissioned to deliver the programme in South Tyneside and Gateshead, Durham, Cumbria, Leeds, Bradford, Calderdale and Barnsley.

For more information Humankind’s IPS services, please visit our IPS webpage.

You can also read Christine’s story to find out more about the benefits of IPS.

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Humankind expands successful IPS service

Jack Keery

A worker lifts boxes onto a shelf in a warehouse

Funded by the Department for Work and Pensions and Department of Health and Social Care, and backed by Public Health England, the Humankind STARS (Staffordshire Treatment and Recovery Service) was one of the first areas to deliver IPS (Individual Placement and Support) in community drug and alcohol treatment, from 1st April 2020 – 31st March 2021. Humankind has subsequently been awarded new contracts to deliver IPS in Leeds, South Tyneside and Gateshead, and Cumbria, while continuing our work in Staffordshire.

IPS is a ground-breaking employment programme which provides people with intensive support to find stable employment tailored to their individual needs.

STARS oversaw 87 enrolments into the IPS service during this time, with 55% of those subsequently finding suitable employment, despite the extra challenges faced by jobseekers throughout the pandemic.

While warehouse logistics and customer service/retail positions comprised the majority of those obtained by STARS’s IPS participants over the last financial year, job starts also spanned industries like health and social care, driving, administration/legal, production, trade, and cleaning.

The Staffordshire scheme even secured a stable self-employment route for a participant who needed to fit working hours around their family life after years of being paid in beer and food working in the “grey economy” with no permanent address.

It is hoped that the successful rollout of the IPS scheme within Humankind’s drug and alcohol services in Leeds, South Tyneside and Gateshead, and Cumbria will have a transformative impact on our ability to provide employment support to people who access them, while underlining the need for a multifaceted approach to treatment.

Humankind CEO, Paul Townsley, said:

“The success of STARS’s IPS work embodies Humankind’s mission to help people tackle their drug and alcohol use, not just through treatment, but also by paying attention to the social and economic factors which may hamper their road to recovery.”

Rosanna O’Connor, Director of PHE’s Alcohol, Drugs, Tobacco and Inclusion Health Division, said:

“We’ve seen over the last few years the transformative effect of helping people into jobs that they want to do. This can include financial independence, improved health and wellbeing, and the chance to develop supportive social networks.

“The expansion of Individual Placement and Support will enable more people to access this intensive, skilled but, above all, client-led form of employment support.”

Minister for Welfare Delivery, Will Quince, said:

“We know that drug and alcohol users in existing treatment, along with other disadvantaged groups, can face additional barriers when looking for work.

“The IPS scheme clearly shows people’s prospects of finding work can be improved, which in turn can lead to sustained recovery from drug use.

“We are delighted to be working with Humankind STARS to increase the availability of this highly personalised and intensive employment support in Staffordshire, and across the UK.”

IPS has eight key characteristics that distinguish it from most other forms of employment support:

  1. Paid employment secured in the competitive job market is the goal.
  2. It is open to all those who want to work.
  3. It aims to support people to find work that matches their preferences and interests.
  4. Job search and contact with employers are initiated quickly, within 4 weeks.
  5. IPS is embedded in and integrated with the treatment services.
  6. The IPS specialists engage directly with employers, building relationships to benefit their clients.
  7. It provides individualised unlimited support to the participant and their employer.
  8. Participants are given expert advice around welfare benefits to enable them to make informed decisions about work.

If you are a jobseeker or an employer who wants to hire one of our IPS participants, read more about our IPS offer.

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