Jim Knight, Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform, has assured to help people having mental health issues by providing them with assistance so that they can continue with their work.

The mental health charity Mind has shown through the initial results of its pilots that close to 90% of those struggling with their mental health can hold on to their jobs without having to take prolonged leaves.

The pilot scheme employs specialists and assigns them to each individual with unstable mental condition. The specialists provide these people with guidance regarding practical as well as emotional issues and negotiate terms and conditions of work and other related issues with the employer on their behalf. The scheme is known as In Work Support, and it works better than other similar schemes as it is aimed directly at the individuals, making it easy for them to take their own decisions.

The success of the scheme has prompted the government to spread such services all over the country by engaging a number of service providers.

The government is also planning to come up with a publication called National Strategy for Mental Health and Employment, which would be the first publication of its kind. It will have details regarding the improvement in working conditions for individuals at workplaces from the perspective of employers, healthcare professionals, organisations and individuals.

The government has also decided to double the amount in The Access to Work fund from £69m to £138m in order to assist employees as well as employers in dealing with work-related issues involving mental health.

Jim Knight, Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform, commenting on the government’s initiatives, said that it is no secret that people with disabilities want to stay at work and that employers on their part want to retain good people. He went on to add that the help provided by the government would ensure that workers who are mentally ill don’t fall in the trap of sick leaves and finally moving into benefits. These initiatives will help workers, their employers and also the tax payers in general.

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