Back on track

Individual Placement and Support (IPS) is a model of employment support that originated in secondary mental health services.

Following successful trials in 2018, IPS was officially rolled out across alcohol and drug treatment services in England in 2021 and it continues to show the benefits of supporting people during their recovery.

IPS Cranstoun in Sandwell was launched in April 2025, and Shaun was one of the first participants to gain employment. The IPS service here consists of myself as IPS team lead and two employment specialists, and our referrals predominantly come through our treatment team.

Shaun’s journey shows that integrating IPS with a person’s clinical treatment can help support them into sustainable employment, which is evident in Shaun’s case as he’s now 18 months into his role as a mechanic. While working with Shaun, we completed a vocational profile and focused on his preferences and skills, which initially were pointing towards being a forklift worker.

However, through discussions it became apparent that Shaun’s love was for mechanics, and we identified that we needed to work on his confidence and self-belief as he’d been out of work for eight years. It was obvious that Shaun was motivated – he was ready for the world of work as he attended appointments regularly and was actively exploring employment opportunities.

As we focused on interview questions, we discussed how his skills could be demonstrated through the knowledge and hands-on experience he’d gained on courses. It became apparent that this guidance enhanced Shaun’s capacity to successfully showcase his abilities, as he was offered the job within 24 hours. Shaun was ecstatic and in complete disbelief when he received the phone call – especially as this was his first interview in many years and he was offered his dream job as a mechanic.

As a team we shared the same celebration and excitement for Shaun’s new way of life and we bought him a job starter pack which contained a lunch box, water bottle, mug, notepad and pens nicely packed in a rucksack. We continued to liaise with his keyworker and the clinical team as Shaun started working, and were able to accommodate appointments to suit his work schedule.

Of course, the support didn’t stop there as IPS offers regular wellbeing and in-work support sessions for a further four to six months. Shaun welcomed the check-ins, and we completed the initial onboarding documents together as he talked me through his answers.

Once the forms were done and the start date was set, we identified that pharmacy pickups may prove difficult in the future, and discussed how we could eliminate barriers that might impact on his work. We managed to arrange an appointment within the week, where our clinic team discussed long-acting buprenorphine injections with Shaun. He was keen to move forward with this new medication to avoid any obstacles as he wanted this employment to work for him in the long run.

Shaun’s commitment to working and attending clinic appointments benefited his overall wellbeing as he became accustomed to this new routine and his working life very quickly. The domino effect has also helped his relationships to flourish, as he has put his recovery at the forefront of his progress. Even 18 months on, I feel honoured to have worked with Shaun and feel grateful to have been part of his recovery journey.

If you’re inspired by reading Shaun’s journey and are accessing a drug and alcohol service, speak to your local IPS team – and unlock your potential.  

Sophea Saroay is IPS team leader at Cranstoun

Making it work: Shaun’s story

School didn’t work for me. I had a poor attention span and was unable to concentrate. 

I struggled on for a while then left to embark on vocational training. I completed mechanical and carpentry training but at the age of 18 I slipped into the wrong crowd and started recreational cocaine use – the apprenticeships were paid work, and I was free to use my money how I wanted.  

I started receiving support from Cranstoun in 2017 and was in and out of service due to my ‘falling back into use’. I wasn’t ready mentally or physically to give up cocaine at the time, and over the years my use turned from powder cocaine to crack and heroin. I couldn’t, and didn’t want to, stop. It was easier to just carry on as I found the withdrawals intense – both physically and mentally.

I didn’t realise what I was doing to myself. Over an eight-year span I lost my morals and my family connections, as well as my partner and children. For a long time I was just focused on myself, and obviously I was financially unstable and sofa surfing from place to place rather than returning to family homes. I wasn’t ready.  

In May 2024 I was introduced to IPS by Sophea, the team leader at Cranstoun. We talked through things like interview skills and how to talk to people, which helped to build up my confidence.

I remember how difficult and stressful the onboarding forms were, and I couldn’t complete them alone – it alI felt like jargon to me. The IPS team completed them in my presence and even after I got the job I still had regular contact with them – the aftercare was great. 

My medication was looked at as well, as I was collecting sublingual buprenorphine from the chemist three times a week. This was going to be difficult as I obviously didn’t want to keep taking time off work to collect my medication. With IPS support I was able to see a clinician at Cranstoun to change my medication to long-acting buprenorphine, which meant I was only attending for injection every month. 

All of this is a massive achievement for me. Next April I’ll be two years in employment and my buprenorphine dose has now reduced to the lowest level, as my clinician Dave has motivated me continue to build on my recovery. 

I’m proud of my achievements and want my story to encourage other people to get into work, because it is possible. Now I want to climb the ladder in the workplace, and I’ve already completed some refresher courses. I really feel that IPS has given me the confidence to believe in myself and continue to progress in the future.