Phone: 0300 3030 700
Fax: 0300 30 30 900
Email: [email protected]
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm

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What we do:

Mental Health Matters are working in partnership with Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust to provide employment related support to individuals who are accessing the NHS Northumberland Talking Therapies service.

The NHS Northumberland Talking Therapies service is part of this government initiative to provide easily accessible, evidence based treatments for people experiencing common mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. The aim of the NHS Talking Therapies service is to help people across the county to be able to access psychological therapy and social care support, to help them achieve better psychological health and wellbeing, enabling them to gain or remain in employment and to participate in daily living activities.

We are a team of dedicated Employment Specialists, working alongside the NHS Northumberland Talking Therapies service helping people who are experiencing mental health problems to achieve their employment goals. We provide personalised support to suit your individual needs. This support includes:

Pre-employment support

• A personal Employment Advisor acting as one point of contact to plan and monitor your progress towards your job or training goals
• Supporting you to overcome barriers preventing you from progressing
• Finding out what support is available externally and signposting where appropriate
• Help with job searching
• Support with application forms both paper and online
• Contacting employers & linking with local supportive employers and presenting yourself confidently and positively
• In-work benefit calculations
• CV feedback and creating new CVs with covering letters
• Developing and improving interview skills
• Disclosing information to employers including health conditions and criminal convictions where needed
• Agency awareness - how to utilise recruitment agencies effectively
• Additional sessions can be formulated specific to individual requirements

In-work support

• Setting realistic goals whilst off work
• Support in maintaining existing employment
• Engaging with employers to design a & graded return to work plan
• Support to prepare for and attend meetings and reviews in the workplace
• Advice and support with reasonable adjustment options within the workplace
• Assistance with Access to Work applications
• Dispute resolution/mediation/mutually acceptable resolutions
• Signpost to supporting organisations i.e. ACAS, Citizens Advice Bureau
• Keeping healthy and productive at work

We can also help plan a range of other activities including:

• Voluntary work or work experience
• Training courses
• Appointments with other agencies for additional specialist support

Who is the service for?

This service is available to people who are currently on the waiting list or receiving treatment from the NHS Northumberland Talking Therapies service. Whether you are recently out of work or have been unemployed for some time, we can help you to find suitable and sustainable employment. We can also help if you are in work and require support keeping your job.

How to access support:

You can refer yourself to the NHS Northumberland Talking Therapies service in a few different ways, by:

• Calling the NHS Northumberland Talking Therapies team on 0300 3030 700;
• Visiting your GP and asking them to refer you to the service.

If you are already receiving treatment from NHS Northumberland Talking Therapies, you can discuss with your therapist whether you would benefit from talking to an Employment Advisor.

You can be referred at any stage of your therapy journey from initial assessment, during and before completion of your therapy (ideally minimum four weeks before discharge).

All referrals come to us directly from Talking Therapies, an Employment Advisor will contact you directly to arrange a 30/45-minute initial assessment of your support needs. We offer confidential telephone and face to face appointments.