Cygnet Healthcare has developed a programme to support patients into work once they are discharged.
Cygnet Futures, which was piloted at Cygnet Hospital Woking, helps to prepare patients for work and increase their chances of employment. Being employed or having a regular routine can help to reduce the chance of reoffending.
A range of paid roles have been created at Cygnet Healthcare which patients can apply for, including gardener, kitchen assistant, library assistant and tuck shop assistant.
Adele Wheway, Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist for Cygnet Secure Services, explains how the programme works.
"Patients express interest in doing paid work, identify roles they are interested in and what skills and experience they have. They are then invited to complete an application form and be interviewed - to mimic real life.
"Patients work a 16-hour week and are paid the minimum wage. They are also given a contract of employment and a job description, and when they leave us they receive a reference."
Patients are also supported to study towards qualifications to increase their employability.
To improve support in the workplace for people with a mental illness, the team at Cygnet Healthcare work with local employers to offer them training and advice. They also link in with employment programmes such as the Access to Work scheme and local councils to support people who want to work.
As well as preparing patients for work, Cygnet Futures is benefiting patients in other ways.
"We had a patient who was very unmotivated when he first arrived. He didn’t want to get up or take care of basic hygiene. Then an occupational therapist told him about one of the roles we had available. Having a job to go to for a couple of days a week gave him the motivation to get up and showered each day," says Adele.
Following the successful pilot at Cygnet Hospital Woking, Cygnet Futures and is now being rolled-out across the whole company.