News
21 October 2021
WDP & West London Alliance win MJ Award
WDP’s IPS into Work service and the West London Alliance (WLA) have won the ‘Transforming Lives’ award at the 2021 MJ Awards.
The MJ Awards celebrate local authorities’ delivery of services and showcase the hugely important role they play in communities across the UK.
The IPS (Individual Placement and Support) model used by WDP is designed to support our service users into sustainable jobs, with a focus on finding meaningful work tailored to their interests. The programme is managed by Mental Health and Employment Partnership (MHEP) with support from Social Finance and provides up to 12 months of support to ensure service users are supported to sustain their employment.
The IPS model impressed the MJ Awards judges due to the impactful outcomes produced by the programme. The judges said the IPS model is not only changing perceptions of drug and alcohol problems but also changing mindsets and empowering people to move into work by providing wraparound services through a cross-partnering approach. Read the full judging comments here: https://awards.themj.co.uk/winners/2021-winners/
Yasmin Batliwala, Chair of WDP said: “Helping the users of our services to find work can be an essential part of their recovery and wellbeing. This is what makes our work with the West London Alliance so special and this programme so important. It is therefore gratifying that the programme has been recognised for the excellent work it does by receiving this award. Transforming people’s lives in this way does indeed make that essential difference”.
Kim Archer, Programme Lead at West London Alliance said: “I am delighted that the WLA-commissioned IPS into Work service won the ‘Transforming Lives’ MJ Award. It recognises the quality service WDP staff have provided to their clients to overcome some of the challenges of the last 18 months. This should really encourage people with a history of substance misuse to put themselves forward for the IPS programme. IPS can change lives.”
Find out more about our IPS into Work service.
Pictured left to right: Ed Balls, Rebecca Odedra (WDP), Anna Whitton (WDP), Kim Archer (WLA), Harj Bansil (WDP), David Lillicrap (WLA), Chris Luck (Shaw Trust). In front: David Francis (WLA)