• Employment Services within KMPT
• Employment Services in Kent and Medway
• How to find your local employment support

In Kent and Medway employment services are an important resource for people with mental health issues. Employment services aim to make sure that people with mental health needs can access the same employment opportunities as everyone else. Employment services link with other professionals like GPs, mental health nurses and social workers to support job retention or for help in developing the skills and confidence to re-enter the workplace. They are also there to help ensure that you access the right benefits.

Employment provides people with:

• Meaning and purpose in life – a reason to get up in the morning
• Social inclusion – linking people into communities and enabling them to contribute
• An income and resources necessary to raise individuals and their families out of poverty
• Social contacts, social networks and social support

Employment Services within KMPT

If you are receiving support from a Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) in Kent and Medway, your key worker may refer you to the Vocational (employment) Adviser based in their locality. The Vocational Adviser can help you to get back into employment, and can also help you stay in employment by supporting you and your employer.

Getting Back Into Employment with Vocational Advisors - Click to expand »

Maintaining Employment with the Vocational Advisors - Click to expand »

KMPT Job Taster Programme - KMPT run a job taster programme which aims to help mental health service users gain real work experience prior to seeking employment.

What is a Job Taster?

The programme creates Job Tasters for service users, which can last up to 12 weeks. These will be in a variety of teams and services throughout the KMPT area and allow services to gain real experience within a work environment.

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Employment Services in Kent and Medway

In addition to the employment services based within KMPT there are many other employment services available locally.

How to find your local employment support

Use the new searchable database to find your local support. This is found in the right hand column at the top. Click on the Help With What search options and choose ‘work’ as shown in this picture 1 .

When you have chosen work then go to to the Where Are You? box below this and choose your local area. As shown in picture 2. Then press ‘Search’.

Picture 1 - Help With Work

Picture 2 Where Are You?