Employment Support

You can ask for a referral once your treatment In NHS North Cumbria Talking Therapies begins. Employment support is provided alongside appointments with your Practitioner. This ensures we meet both your mental health and employment needs.

We provide online, confidential information sessions while you wait for your treatment. These sessions offer help and advice on Finding Work or Wellbeing at Work.

You don’t need to actively take part – just join the session and listen to an Employment Advisor’s advice.

Talk to your Practitioner if you want to learn more about employment support. They can refer you to an Employment Advisor.

Your Practitioner and Employment Advisor will support you in reaching your employment goals. We focus on listening to the type of work you want and how it affects your mental health. If your treatment hasn’t started, join our online information sessions while you wait.

We want everyone to enjoy work that makes them feel valued and fulfilled. This is important for your mental health and wellbeing.

Our employment support sessions are non-judgmental. They are delivered at a pace that helps you make choices towards your final work goal.

We can help you with:

• careers advice and guidance about your future work options
• creating or updating a CV
• finding and applying for jobs that match your skills, interests, and qualifications
• preparing for job interviews

We can help you with:

• discussing reasonable adjustments with you and your employer
• assessing your job role and recommending changes
• managing your health and wellbeing at work
• giving you and your employer strategies to manage how you feel at work
• helping you to deal with difficult relationships at work

We can help with:

• identifying solutions to improve your wellbeing at work
• facilitated discussion with your employer or line manager
• supporting you in accessing occupational health advice
• providing advice to you and your employer about reasonable adjustments

We can help with:

• getting new skills through training
• exploring voluntary work as a first step towards paid employment
• advising about new career pathways
• making a plan when you are ready to consider paid work

We promise to use your information in accordance with local and national laws. You have the right to know how we use your information. You can ask for a copy of the information we hold about you at any time.

Our Talking Therapies Practitioners and Employment Advisors work in partnership. They provide integrated employment support and will have shared access to your information.

NHS North Cumbria Talking Therapies
Elmwood
Tynefield Drive
Penrith
Cumbria
CA11 8JA

Employment Advisor: 0300 123 9122

If you want to make a comment, suggestion, compliment or complaint you can:

• talk to the people directly involved in your care
• ask a member of staff for a feedback form, or complete a form on the Trust website www.cntw.nhs.uk/contact/complaints
• telephone the Complaints Department on 0191 245 6672
• email [email protected]

We are always looking at ways to improve services. Your feedback allows us to monitor the quality of our services and act upon issues that you bring to our attention.

You can provide feedback in the following ways:

• the quickest way for you to do this is to complete our short online survey at
  www.cntw.nhs.uk/yourvoice
• complete a Your Voice survey, available on wards, reception areas or from staff
• other options for sharing your feedback and experience www.cntw.nhs.uk/yourfeedback

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
PALS provide confidential advice and support, helping you to sort out any concerns that you may have about any aspect of your or your loved ones care.

We act independently when handling patient and family concerns, liaising with staff, managers and, where appropriate, relevant organisations, to negotiate prompt solutions. If necessary, we can also refer patients and families to specific local or national-based support agencies.

North Cumbria
Telephone: 0800 032 0202
Email: [email protected]
Post: FREEPOST PALS

9.00am to 4.30 pm, Monday to Friday
An answerphone is available at all times for you to leave a message. A member of the PALS team will aim to return your call as soon as possible.

Further information about the content, reference sources or production of this leaflet can be obtained from the Patient Information Centre. If you would like to tell us what you think about this leaflet please get in touch.

This information can be made available in a range of formats on request (Braille, audio, larger print, easy read, BSL or other languages). Please contact the Patient Information Centre on 0191 246 7288

Published by the Patient Information Centre
2026 Copyright: Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust

Ref: PIC/863/0226 February 2026 V4
Review date 2027

Website: www.cntw.nhs.uk