DWP Work Coaches to go into MH wards

[Rinoachicken]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c98y09n8201o

so when you are at you absolute lowest and most unwell (which they are if they are an inpatient as bed are so scare), possibly lacking capacity, lacking cognisance function to understand and retain information, suicidal, psychotic - some tick box Jo, who’s only knowledge of mental health was a half day online course a couple of weeks ago, is going to come along and chat about your CV?!

If you are wanting to support people who are mentally unwell back into work, those acutely unwell in a hospital setting wouldn’t be my first priority - I’d be trying to increase the support AFTER discharge once stable, to those in the community and at primary care level first surely??!!

The DWP should have NO PLACE on a mental health ward imho - where the ONLY considerations and objectives should be stabilising people’s mental health.

That’s shocking. I have anxiety and always believe work helps your mindset but if you’re in hospital you’re there to rest and get better not be hassled about work.

If this were to happen , it would not be your typical job coach undertaking this work . Perhaps they may visit someone who wants to get back into work . Some people can be acutely unwell at times and then work in between.

As usual they are ignoring the mentally unwell aspect of mental illness and thinking a fucking glowing CV is going to make a difference.

I'm mentally ill, a CV won't make me better.

I’ve been in hospital on a psych ward multiple times. There is no way I would have been able to discuss the possibilities of anything to do with work on any of those occasions. It’s a ridiculous idea. I really wish that “those in charge” would spend time in mental health units to see the reality of life within them.

I think this will cost a lot & my feeling is, if you want to work you will & if you don’t, you won’t.

Lots of people in MH wards are out of work temporarily & full intend & want to return, regardless of a work coach. Others won’t.

Also, my friend who loves work has been an inpatient & she was very unwell. No way would she have wanted to talk
about work.

@StarDolphins

I think this will cost a lot & my feeling is, if you want to work you will & if you don’t, you won’t.

Don't be so ridiculous. There are plenty of mentally ill people who would love to be able to work, but can't. This isn't a choice.

I expect they will be similar to the lovely job coach who worked with DS1, last year rather than the sort who make sure you're meeting your tick box quotas.

It says could ,happen, think its highly unlikely they are going to be allowed on wards when someone is acutely psychotic ,or in a manic episode etc etc
I used to be a mental health nurse, the staff and management wouldn't allow it
They may allow it on some wards ,where people are recovering from longterm mental illness ,substance abuse ,etc etc and things are more settled..

Do you think the place for that is in a mental health ward though? Surely not

This is fucking appalling. Have they any idea of the condition someone is in to be admitted as an acute mental health inpatient. Why not send Olympic coaches onto fracture wards? How about gymnastics coaches on maternity wards? FFS

It say ‘Could’ get visits. Which means the paper is stirring you up with click bait

Exactly my point. Lots want to & will (even without a coach). There will be ones that don’t.

@StarDolphins

Exactly my point. Lots want to & will (even without a coach). There will be ones that don’t.

You said if people want to work they will, as if mental illness doesn't prevent people from being able to work, even if they want to.

If you have capacity to give consent and don't consent to this, they won't be able to see you. And if you don't have capacity, they won't be able to see you either. I think people have very worrying ideas that someone will just come in and inflict CV-checks on people. This is not how hospitals work. There are people who very much want to discuss returning to work, vocational rehabilitation etc. At the moment, this job either falls on nurses and OTs or there is no support whatsoever because there is one OT per 7 wards and nurses are too busy with other tasks. If the system is set up correctly, I see it as a positive. If you are a patient and you don't want to engage, then don't engage. But there will be people for whom this support is a welcome change from the current offer.

Wanting to work, and being able to work are completely different things.

My ocd was a fucking nightmare at work. After years of various counselling, therapy and medication, it's now just a nightmare. Anytime I tried to go back things just got worse. How is a work coach going to change that?

This is based on a trial which suggested it was helpful and improved health.

Do it to the wrong person, with the underlying threat of removal of benefits and you risk sending someone over the edge.

Jesus Christ. I don't know what I'm going to hear next. It seems that the country is going backwards after making strides to appreciate mental health.

The only positive that could come out of this is if the DWP visitor developed a greater understanding of the implications of mental health issues and could see why people may struggle to work.

Exactly ,not quite the same thing but when ì was a mental health nurse, we had an independent welfare right ,s worker thst regularly came on the wards to discuss housing, benefits etc with patients he obviously chose his moments, and didn't go steaming into a situation ,with a floridly psychotic patients etc.

There is already so much amazing work being done in the community to support people with poor MH into work, usually done by charity organisations and peer support workers. This should absolutely form part of someone’s discharge plan if they would like it.

I feel very strongly that hospital is not the place for this work - it should be a refuge, a safe place away from the stresses and pressure of the world.

They would not remove the benefits for someone in a mental health hospital .

And I acknowledge that my views on this are probably very much influenced by the fact O have ZERO faith that these DWP staff will have sufficient training, based on my experience of DWP.

I think that's a pretty fair fear though.

I wouldn’t be so confident - I have supported more than one person applying for PIP who have been declined even though they were sectioned in a psychiatric hospital at the time.

Maybe not, but what about when they are discharged? Will they be expected back to work within a small time frame?

It’s obscene. They’re out-torying the Tories. Liz Kendal obviously has never met a psychiatric in-patient.