A Middlesbrough military veteran has returned to paid work after years of unemployment and worsening mental health, following tailored employment support from a local NHS service.
Mark Hughes, 50, a dad of two who served for three years in the Army Reserve, told Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust that repeated job rejection had left him isolated and struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression. After seeking help from his GP, he was referred to the trust’s Individual Placement and Support service, known as IPS.
Support built around finding work
IPS is designed for adults receiving care from community mental health teams who want to move into paid employment. Rather than separating treatment from work, the model brings employment support into mental health services and focuses on helping people find ordinary paid jobs that match their interests and circumstances.
Mark worked with employment specialist Nicky Logan on his CV, job applications and interview preparation. TEWV says the support eventually led to an interview for a security role at a chemical plant. Mark secured the job and, when the trust published his story on 24 August, had been in the post for four months.
He described getting the offer as a turning point after a long period in which unemployment had damaged his confidence. Mark had previously worked in several roles, studied criminology at university and gained a qualification to teach English as a foreign language. He later worked abroad and in security before returning to the UK, where a series of temporary jobs was followed by another difficult period out of work.
A model used across the NHS
The support Mark received is part of an established NHS approach rather than a one-off employment scheme. NHS England describes Individual Placement and Support as an evidence-based model for people with severe and enduring mental health problems, and says it has consistently outperformed other tested forms of employment support for that group.
TEWV’s service operates across Teesside and the wider trust area. It offers help with job searching, CVs, interviews, discussing health with employers where appropriate, benefits and budgeting, followed by continued support after somebody starts work. The trust says more than 2,100 paid jobs have been secured through its employment support programme since 2019.
Some of the outcome figures in TEWV’s account come from the trust’s own service data. It reports that 71% of people who remain in work for at least six months are later discharged from mental health treatment, while 93% remain well enough not to need further support. Those figures describe the trust’s reported outcomes and do not, on their own, prove that employment caused the improvement.
Turning experience into encouragement
Mark is now using his experience to encourage other people, particularly men and military veterans, to seek support rather than dealing with mental ill health alone. His account is a personal example of what sustained, practical help can look like when employment and mental health support are joined together.
People already receiving care from TEWV treatment teams who have severe or complex mental health difficulties and want paid work can contact the IPS service directly or speak to their treatment team. TEWV lists the service as open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm.