Promoting a Positive Employment Culture (PPEC)
Supporting people with severe mental illness and psychosis into employment
Help shape better employment support
At South London and Maudsley NHS trust, we believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to find and succeed in meaningful employment. This project aims to make that a reality for people living with severe mental illness or psychosis. In partnership with Maudsley Learning, we are developing virtual reality (VR) training programmes for clinicians, including doctors, nurses and care coordinators, to enhance how employment support is provided for service users. To make this training realistic and effective, we are inviting service users and SLaM staff to share their experiences and insights. Your input will help shape authentic training scenarios, ensuring we gain a deeper understanding of real challenges and deliver more person centred support.
Take part in the phase 2 VR training content development
We are running focus groups and interviews with staff and service users to develop a new VR training course that supports clinical staff in helping people with severe mental illness gain and sustain employment. We invite colleagues from inpatient, community and crisis services, IPS and employment teams, and clinical and non‑clinical leaders across all SLaM boroughs to share their experiences and shape the training content. For more information or to speak with the research team, please contact mlresearch@slam.nhs.uk. Your input will help create realistic training scenarios and strengthen person‑centred employment support across South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
Now Recruiting VR Champions
We are now recruiting VR Champions to support an exciting new Virtual Reality training rollout focused on promoting a positive employment culture across SLaM. This is a fully funded opportunity open to both clinical and non clinical staff, with training, equipment, and certification provided. No technical experience is required, just enthusiasm to support colleagues, share feedback, and help shape the future of this innovative initiative . If you are interested or would like to find out more, please contact 📧 mlresearch@slam.nhs.uk .
About the Project
The Promoting a Positive Employment Culture project is a £300,000 South London and Maudsley Charity funded initiative. It aims to strengthen referral pathways into employment services and build a culture that supports employment across the Trust.
This project is delivered by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and supported by Individual Placement and Support Team Leads, Borough Directors and Clinical Leads across all four SLaM boroughs.
Project Goals
We aim to improve employment opportunities for people with severe mental illness and psychosis by:
- Raising awareness of Individual Placement and Support
- Strengthening referrals to employment services
- Embedding a positive employment culture across services
How We Will Make a Difference
- Conducting surveys and focus groups across the four boroughs
- Developing training scenarios and virtual reality training
- Identifying and supporting virtual reality champions
- Creating e learning and Train the Trainer resources
- Delivering face to face virtual reality training
- Monitoring progress and evaluating outcomes
Project Timeline
| Phase | Research Activities | Participant Group | Timeframe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 – Data Collection | Training Needs Analysis (TNA) | Crisis, Inpatient and Community teams across each borough, senior leaders | December 2025 to February 2026 |
| Phase 1 – Data Collection | Focus groups and interviews (TNA; validation of measurement tool) | Borough Directors, Deputy Directors, General Managers, Clinical Service Leads, Crisis, Inpatient and Community teams | December 2025 to February 2026 |
| Phase 1 – Data Collection | Recruitment of VR champions | Clinical teams | December 2025 to February 2026 |
| Phase 2 – Content Development | Content development focus groups and interviews | Borough Leadership, Clinical Leads, IPS Leads, Care Co ordinators, Clinical Team Leaders, Psychiatrists, IPS Team Leaders, Service Users | December 2025 to April 2026 |
| Phase 3 – VR Training and Evaluation | Recruitment of participants (via champions, no comms required) | Training participants, VR champions | August to November 2026 |
| Phase 3 – VR Training and Evaluation | Observational analysis | Training participants and VR champions | August to November 2026 |
Employment Support at South London and Maudsley
Our Individual Placement and Support (IPS) teams help people with severe mental illness or psychosis to find and maintain employment.
They work closely with NHS services and local employers, focusing on recovery, inclusion and long-term stability.
Resources, Downloads & Related Links
Project Updates
8/12/2025 – Phase 1 of the PPEC project has begun with the start of data collection.
• Training Needs Analysis survey target: 200 participants (50 from each SLaM borough: Lewisham, Lambeth, Southwark and Croydon)
• Interview and focus group target: 50 participants in total (12 to 13 from each borough)
3/12/2025 – Capacity and Capability approval confirmed by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
11/11/2025 – Health Research Authority approval granted
IRAS project ID: 348442 REC reference: 25/WM/0198
Contact Us
If you would like to learn more about the Promoting a Positive Employment Culture project or explore opportunities to collaborate, we would be pleased to hear from you. Please contact us at: