Dame Carol Black meets with WDP’s IPS Into Work team

We are delighted to welcome Dame Carol Black to our residential detox and rehabilitation facility Passmores House today to meet with our IPS (Individual Placement and Support) Into Work team.

Following the release of WDP’s IPS Into Work Impact Report, Dame Carol Black will be meeting with our service users, our IPS Into Work team and Kim Archer, West London Alliance Commissioner to hear more about the success of the innovative employment support scheme.

In Dame Carol Black’s second part of her independent review on drugs, she identified employment as being an ‘essential part of recovery’ and called for the roll out of IPS services across England.

Since early 2019, WDP’s award-winning IPS Into Work service has focused on achieving sustainable employment to help reduce stigma, enrich lives, boost local economies, develop additional talents, and create workforces that reflect the diversity of their local communities.

Despite a challenging year due to the pandemic, our IPS Into Work team has supported 218 service users into employment and provided over 3,700 hours of support to participants during 2019-2021.

Yasmin Batliwala, Chair of WDP, said: “We are delighted to welcome Dame Carol Black to Passmores House today to meet the IPS team following the release of our IPS Into Work Impact Report. The report demonstrates how innovative employment support can transform the lives of people in recovery and we are proud to showcase the excellent outcomes and activities delivered by our teams.”

Kim Archer, West London Alliance Commissioner, said: “It is a pleasure to meet Dame Carol Black, and to have worked with WDP to help people with addiction to maintain their recovery and rediscover the opportunities and self confidence that employment brings. I am delighted that the West London Alliance was at the forefront of expanding IPS to this group of people.”

Read the full IPS Into Work Impact Report

To find out more about our IPS Into Work service, visit our employment support page.