Minister of
Health Rosie Winterton
visits Horizon House
On the 10th of October 2006, which was World Mental Health Day,
Rosie Winterton, Minister of Health, visited Horizon House to
launch a new initiative encouraging employers to improve the way they deal
with mental health in the workplace.
The "Town Hall" meeting in progress
In a 'town hall' style meeting , Ms
Winterton met working members and three supervisors from Marks and Spencer
and GAP Clothing, employers who work closely with Horizon House to offer
employment opportunities for members who want to address their challenges to
returning to work.
The lively discussion, which continued
45 minutes beyond the planned time, highlighted the successful
accommodations made by employers and the unique nature of the circumstances
of each member in balancing their desire to work, their mental health
condition and the pattern of their disability benefits.
Robert White tells the minister about his job
Robert White, currently working at M&S in a Transitional Employment
Placement, told the Minister
that the new initiative aimed at employers is sorely needed given his
experience of applying for jobs after a period of unemployment due to mental
illness.
The minister, Geraldine Strathdee (Oxleas Psychiatrist) and Natalie Attwood see the lighter side of stigma
Natalie Attwood, also working at M&S, spoke about how the
encouragement of Horizon House members and staff had given her the
confidence to return to work. David Martin, a bookkeeper now working
full-time, described how difficult it had been for him to negotiate the
complicated benefits system as he progressed to longer hours of employment,
and that with out the help of Horizon benefits specialist Irene Cotterell,
he would have not been able to handle the complexity.
The official launch of the Action on Stigma initiative
More details of the visit and the new initiative, 'Action on Stigma', can be
found through the following links:
Oxleas press release (PDF)
Government News Network release
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