Beacon Counselling

NOTE: THIS SITE IS NOW AT

www.beacon-counselling.org.uk

(Registered Charity No. 1109545)

Disability Stockport – a partnership service

Overview
Towards the end of 2010, the managers of Beacon and Disability Stockport (a registered charity based in Stockport for 30 years) had a series of discussions around mental health and unemployment, and recognised that poor mental health was a block to employment for many people in Stockport. Within this, depression and anxiety were the top 2 reasons for poor mental health. This links in with research findings and national evidence, that being unemployed for more than 3 months increases your chances of experiencing depression, and that this becomes much more likely the longer you are unemployed.

It was decided that, by improving mental health and well-being, people would not only benefit from improved mental health and well-being, they would be more ready to engage in return-to-work services. A service has been piloted with 6-months, then 12 months funding, and the success has shown that people do benefit in these ways, with a number of people accessing training, starting volunteering, becoming more sociable, and a few gaining employment after being long-term unemployed.
The development of this project reflects Beacon’s and Disability Stockport’s attitudes towards collaborative working, which is that they enable partners to achieve their own goals more easily, and that the results are better outcomes for service users. This project is envisaged as the beginning of a long-term partnership.

Outcomes
People who have used the service benefit from reduced levels of depression and anxiety, reduced psychological distress, and increased levels of well-being (as measured by the PHQ-9, GAD-7, CORE-10, and WEMWEBS monitoring tools respectively).

Funding
Initial funding was obtained by Disability Stockport, with follow up funding from Awards for All. Applications are currently being made for further funding, with the intention of making this a part of the standard menu on offer to the unemployed in Stockport.

Disability Stockport