Individual Placement and Support

Supporting Your Journey into Work — Your Way

Individual Placement and Support service (IPS) helps people living with mental health conditions to find and keep paid employment that suits your individual needs. Whether that’s 4 hours or 40 hours a week, our support is tailored, confidential, and completely free.

We work in partnership with individuals, employers, and health services to build meaningful and sustainable working relationships.

What We Offer:

We understand that starting or returning to work is a big step. That’s why we’re with you every step of the way:

💬 Confidence-building support to prepare you for employment
🤝 Matching you with the right employers based on your interests and strengths
📝 Help with writing CVs and job applications that stand out
🎯 Job interview coaching to help you feel ready and confident
💼 Support with speaking to employers about mental health and workplace adjustments
💷 Advice about employment-related benefits and how work may affect your income

Please note: this is not a crisis service.

For urgent help for you or someone you know, please contact your GP, visit A&E, call 999 or 111, or visit our Help Directory for more options.

Who is IPS for?

IPS is available to those who:

Are aged 18 or over
Have the right to work in the UK
Are ready and motivated to start work as soon as possible
Are living with a serious mental health condition, such as:

A diagnosis of psychosis, bipolar disorder, personality disorder
Or where mental health significantly impacts daily life
Or those receiving or awaiting support from a Community Mental Health Team.

Refer via Norfolk and Waveney Mind

How do I get started?

Self refer

Fill out a referral form

Start by filling out our referral form via the button.

Self refer here

We'll be in touch

You’ll receive a welcome email and be contacted by your personal Employment Specialist.

We build your journey together

Your Employment Specialist will support you to create a return-to-work plan, connect with employers, and find the right role.

Support continues even after you start work

We’re here to help with any challenges you face in your new job.

As a zero-exclusion service, we are committed to ensuring that everyone who is eligible can access support to achieve their employment goals. If you are unable to complete our online referral form for any reason, please get in touch by email or phone, or visit one of our Rest Hubs. Our team will be happy to help you complete a referral and access the support you need.

Self refer here

Suffolk Work Well

If you are not eligible for IPS, you may still be able to access Suffolk Work Well’s support.
Suffolk Work Well is a free service run by Suffolk Mind that supports you to sustain, retain and/or gain or regain employment (or education, training) and build confidence and self-worth. Our case workers become your support team to help you with your empployment or volunteering goals.

More about Suffolk Work Well

Working in partnership

Individual Placement and Support Service is delivered in partnership by Suffolk Mind and Norfolk and Waveney Mind.

Referrals go through to Norfolk And Waveney Mind for this service as their specialist teams will be working with you.

Suffolk Mind services

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Delivered in partnership between Suffolk Mind and Mid and North East Essex Mind.

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Counselling

Anyone in Suffolk who is 18 or over can easily access our counselling service for one-on-one support from our counsellors. Counselling provides you with the opportunity to talk about issues and any challenging emotions you have in a private, secure setting.

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Frontline Partners

Thanks to a grant from The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust and the Ministry of Defence, we are proud to offer dedicated support to the spouses and partners of serving Armed Forces personnel living in Suffolk.

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GreenCare

Our GreenCare allotment projects help participants to improve their physical and mental health through outdoor activities, while working alongside others. We have allotments in Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Haverhill and Felixstowe which offer you the opportunity to learn about gardening and contribute to the creation of a thriving growing space that benefits everyone.

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Menopause & Me

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We also help employers in local businesses to support their teams, and provide employment support for those struggling with the (peri)menopause at work.

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Open Space

Open Space is a number of health and wellbeing groups run by trained staff and supported with volunteers. It has been developed with the involvement of participants and provides social activities and mental health and wellbeing related discussions.

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REST Hub, Ipswich

Our new REST Hub in Ipswich is a welcoming community space where anyone can access free mental wellbeing support in a safe, friendly, and non-clinical environment.

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Suffolk Night Owls

The Suffolk Night Owls Telephone Support Line is available to anyone in Suffolk (excluding Waveney) who needs emotional support, including those with complex emotional needs and anyone struggling with loneliness, depression or anxiety.

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Suffolk Work Well

Suffolk Work Well (SWW) is here to help you gain, regain or retain employment. We know that appropriate work, combined with the right support, is good for people’s mental health.

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Supported Housing

Our aim is to provide single supported housing to ensure a successful tenancy for those that have suffered mental illness. Our housing services embrace recovery approaches for mental health and wellbeing; a holistic, enabling, person centred approach to mental distress, disadvantage and social exclusion.

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Waves

Waves is an innovative service for people with a diagnosis of, or traits of, Borderline personality disorder (BPD). It offers weekly sessions that provide a safe, supportive and empowering environment.

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We value your feedback

If you’d like to let us know your experience of using a Suffolk Mind service, including ways we can improve, please complete this form.

Our team regularly reviews feedback to help us improve the support services that we offer.

Get in touch

Looking for more info about something?
Why not reach out.

Stuck in a rut?

Feeling terrible can be, well, terrible. If you need urgent help or are experiencing a crisis, click here to find some useful links and helplines we can vouch for.

Help directory

Individual Placement and Support

Please note: this is not a crisis service.

Who is IPS for?

How do I get started?

Working in partnership

Suffolk Mind services

We value your feedback

Get in touch

Stuck in a rut?

Accreditations & Awards