EJ remembers the day he hit rock bottom: “I was really struggling with who I was, where I was going, who I am in myself. When I left Plymouth and went to university, I went a bit off the rails. I already had my issues with my mental health, and that made it worse because I didn’t have the restrictions of my parents.”
EJ at the Plymouth Foot Locker Store
EJ suffered a severe mental health crisis. He came back to Plymouth and received emergency care from the Home Treatment Team at Livewell Southwest. This specialised service is an alternative to going into hospital, where psychologists and other mental health professionals visited him at home. After four months of support, he felt getting a job would help further his recovery. And that is when he was referred to the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) team.
The IPS team is made up of employment specialists who help people find a job after experiencing mental health issues. They work closely with clinical teams within Livewell Southwest and skill match potential candidates to jobs with a wide range of employers across Plymouth. This includes retail, hospitality, nursing and legal services.
Employment Specialist Stevie Jarvis
EJ met Stevie Jarvis who helped him carry out what is known as a rapid job search. This means finding out what skills people have, helping with CVs, confidence coaching and then introducing them to potential employers which have already been approached by the IPS team on their behalf.
Stevie said: “Some people are stuck when we meet them and just to give them that sense of purpose again to be able to say to them, you can do this. It is such a rewarding job. To see people’s lives change is quite amazing.”
EJ recalls “Stevie was brilliant. Without her, I didn’t know where to start. When we first met, we talked about my love of fashion, and she suggested a job at Foot Locker. I came in for a chat with the manager Carl and I loved it straight away.”
Carl Domachokski, Plymouth Foot Locker Store Manager
Carl Domachokski, Manager at the Plymouth Foot Locker store said: “Within a couple of minutes, I knew he was going to be great for the culture of what we have within our store. His confidence has grown, and he has just come on leaps and bounds.”
EJ now manages the stock room and has been voted ‘Team Member of the Month’ three times in his first year.
Carl said: “We can only take people on face value. Although sometimes you have concerns, it is no different for me than anybody walking in off the street and having an interview. The two boys I have taken on through the IPS team have been head and shoulders above quite a lot of other staff members in the past.
“Recruitment can be one of the trickiest things to get right within retail. It is the most important as well, because if you can build a great team, you know you are going to succeed. They won’t just send anybody our way if they don’t think it is going to be right. Both parties have got to win in this.”
In 2024, 181 people were supported by the IPS team at Livewell Southwest. Most said employment was key to their recovery.
National studies for IPS Grow show:
- Unemployment is strongly linked to the development of mental health problems. Suitable work can be good for people’s health. While 93% of people who use mental health services are unemployed, many want to work and see working as key to their recovery.
- Returning to employment has been shown to reduce health service usage, with fewer days spent in hospitals and reduced rates of re-admission.
- Compared with traditional support, IPS has been proven in numerous studies to help more people with severe mental illness back into work more quickly. On average, people receiving IPS keep their jobs longer, earn more, and spend less time in hospital.
You can find more information about the IPS team in Plymouth on our website.
