Military charity celebrates second award this year

Military charity Walking With The Wounded (WWTW) has been named as an IPS Centre of Excellence for Veterans by the Centre for Mental Health for the second time this year.

This time WWTW has been recognised for the IPS service it provides in Manchester, reaffirming its title as the first veteran IPS service in the UK to be given this status.

The award is in recognition of the employment service provided to veterans by WWTW in Manchester in partnership with the Military Veterans’ Service, which sits within Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust.

WWTW began working within the Manchester veteran’s mental health team in January, 2016, supporting those ex-servicemen and women who are seeking support for their mental health and are unemployed, underemployed or at risk of losing employment. 

Since then WWTW has successfully got 59 veterans into sustainable employment and secured 71 paid outcomes. 

WWTW uses an Individual Placement and Support approach (IPS). IPS supports people with mental health difficulties into employment.

It involves intensive, individual support, placement in paid employment, and time-unlimited in-work support for both the employee and the employer.

Furthermore there is overwhelming international evidence that IPS is much more effective than traditional approaches (such as vocational training) in successfully getting people into work.

Where people have found meaningful employment evidence shows that this can; minimise the harmful effects of long term sickness absence, improve quality of life and wellbeing, lead to better health outcomes, promote recovery and aid rehabilitation.

Gary Lamb, North West Regional Lead, Walking With The Wounded, said: “We are extremely proud to have achieved the IPS status for the North West.

"We have been working to achieve this status for over a year and the end result has been down to the determination and professionalism of all involved.”

John Henstock, Military Veterans’ Service, Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, added: “I am delighted that WWTW and Military Veterans’ Service has achieved Centre of excellence status.

"The WWTW employment advisor, who is embedded within our specialist NHS Veterans mental health service has developed excellent relationships with local employers and other agencies to support our veterans into meaningful paid employment.”

All WWTW Employment Advisors embedded across the UK have been trained in the principles of IPS.

Where the charity is embedded in Mental Health teams, WWTW is pursuing the Centre of Excellence recognition.

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