Trust Hosts First Maudsley Careers Fair: Opening Doors to Recovery and Opportunity
Friday 11 April marked a significant milestone, as the Trust hosted its first Maudsley Careers Fair at the ORTUS. With more than 390 free tickets registered, the event was a resounding success and a testament to the enthusiasm and collaboration across our community.
The event was lead by Work Well’s Shellyanne Selwyn-Graham, Southwark IPS Employment Team Leader and Jack Ives, Communications and Engagement Officer, with support from a steering group including Work Well employment specialists, clinicians and service user representatives.
Planning for the event began last September following a successful application to the Maudsley Charity’s Change Makers programme in partnership with Listening into Action.
The Maudsley Careers Fair brought employers, training providers, Trust teams and other organisations that can support people to find or stay in work from across South London together, offering service users, carers, and volunteers the chance to explore a range of exciting employment and vocational opportunities.
Attendees were also able to sign up to one of six workshops on a range of different work and mental health topics. All six workshops were fully booked, and feedback from participants was excellent.
What made this event unique is that all employers and providers present are committed to supporting people with mental health conditions as they embark on their career journey.
Gemma Fox, Employment Engagement Manger at Good People, said: “It has been a good and busy day. I met a lot of candidates that are very keen to either change roles or progress into full time, or even get a job for the very first time.”
Feedback from attendees has been overwhelmingly positive, with many describing the event as a welcoming and positive one.
An attendee said: “Everyone was very open and approached you in a way that made you feel like you belonged – an amazing experience to get information even when you have anxiety.”
The fair provided a vital platform for service users to plan for a future beyond treatment, creating a space for meaningful conversation around skills and potential career paths. For many, it was an opportunity to engage with employers’ face-to-face in a low-pressure environment, marking a crucial step towards long-term recovery.
One attendee said: “The event was a really good opportunity to leave the ward, open up to new ideas, and meet interesting people.”
Trust colleagues and senior leaders showed strong support for the event.
Sue Smith, Chief People Officer, said: “The fair was amazing. It's fantastic to think we are offering our service users a chance to get back into employment and supporting them the whole way. I am proud to have attended the event and see how well we are working as a system.”
Rebecca Davies, Occupational Therapist, said: “It was great to be a part of the first Maudsley Careers Fair at the ORTUS today. There was a wonderful atmosphere at the venue and an excellent turnout of patients and staff from across the Trust, as well as lots of employers who took time out to spend the day at the Fair."
Thanks to the event planning team for making this such a great success and for being so creative in what was on offer.”
A huge thank you goes out to the Careers Fair planning leads, Jack Ives and Shellyanne Selwyn-Graham, and to all the volunteers for making this event a meaningful and successful experience for all involved.
Working towards long-term recovery
The Maudsley Careers Fair was a huge step towards supporting our service users towards their long-term recovery goals.
While the event was a first in the Trust, it will not be the last, as the Careers Fair planning team already have high hopes for future events.
Jack Ives, Project Co-lead said: “We are thrilled with the success of the first ever Maudsley Careers Fair.
“Our vision for the event was to create a safe and supportive environment for attendees to explore a range of career opportunities, and from the overwhelmingly positive feedback from employers, attendees, and staff, it sounds like we achieved this.
“We’d like to thank everyone who was a part of the day for their support and hard work to help make sure the event ran smoothly.”
Shellyanne Selwyn-Graham, Project Co-lead added: “The first ever Maudsley Careers Fair completely exceeded our expectations – we are so proud of everything we have achieved.
The popularity of this event shows just how significant employment can be during someone’s recovery from mental ill health.
“We understand that work may not be right for everyone, but it’s clear that many of our service users want to work. It’s really important that those who have identified finding or staying in work as a personal goal get the support they need.
“We hope to announce plans for future events soon. In the meantime, our employment specialists continue to offer tailored one-to-one career coaching for Trust service users. To find out more, please speak to the employment specialist in your team if you have one, or email WorkWell@slam.nhs.uk.”
Work Well supports service users to achieve their career goals through coaching sessions, career advice, and more.
Their services are available throughout our boroughs and more information can be found on their page: Work Well - South London and Maudsley.
