We brought together leading mental health charities, a Labour Peer and a government minister to explore the vital role mental health services play in supporting more people into work, at our roundtable event at the Labour Party conference.

Chaired by 麻豆原创 Vice President and Labour Peer Baroness Berger, the panel discussed the mental health barriers that prevent so many, particularly young people, to successfully find and retain employment - as well as sharing practical solutions.听听听

The roundtable was held in partnership with UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) and British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC).

Addressing the panel Sir Stephen Timms, Labour MP for East Ham and Minister of State for Social Security and Disability at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), highlighted progress the Government has made and said he was interested in understanding where counsellors and psychotherapists could supplement access to work services.

Keeping people out of work

Dr Lisa Morrison, our Director of Professional Standards, Policy and Research, said: 鈥淥ur members see daily how mental health conditions keep people out of work or make work unsustainable 鈥� we know accessible therapy changes that trajectory for many people.

鈥淔or too long, employment support has focused on 鈥榮kills鈥� or 鈥榡ob-readiness鈥� while the mental health barriers to work have remained mostly unaddressed. There's been a longstanding failure to recognise the complex, bi-directional relationship between mental health and employment.听
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鈥淯nemployment can lead to declining mental health, while existing mental health problems can create barriers to securing or staying in work.鈥澨�

Mental health support cannot be an afterthought

Lisa welcomed the commitments from the Government鈥檚 Get Britain Working white paper but urged it to go further by including counselling in WorkWell pilots, in Access to Work, and wider employment support. 听

鈥淚f we鈥檙e truly committed to tackling economic inactivity, mental health support cannot be an afterthought.听

鈥淐ounselling and psychotherapy are proven, cost-effective interventions. Embedding a wider choice of therapy in employment support and through NHS talking therapies by utilising the counselling workforce will not just help move more people into employment, it will help people thrive in work.鈥澨�

The panel also heard from UKCP CEO Jon Levett and BPC Registrar Dr Sally Beeken, as well as people with lived experience.

The key recommendations will be summarised in a joint statement and shared with the DWP and other political parties.