Shadow Health Minister calls for employers to show greater care for those with mental health issues

Anne Milton, Conservative MP for Guildford and Shadow Health Minister visited Careers Development Group’s Guildford centre on 15 January and told staff that the third sector has a valuable role to play in enabling people to find work.

Milton visited the centre in advance of this year’s general election to see for herself how CDG helps long term unemployed people gain qualifications, add to their skills and, ultimately, find work. CDG’s Winnie Mudachi-Ball, who manages the centre, said: “Anne showed a great interest in what we do, and even took time to speak to customers, sharing her own experience in what employers are looking for in a CV.”

Commenting on the benefit of work to mental well-being, Anne Milton said “There is no doubt that getting back into work is a significant factor in the recovery from mental illness. A lot of the people I have spoken to feel that there is not enough support available and not enough flexibility from employers. Lying behind the issues experienced by people with mental health problems is a lot of stigma. That is a big barrier with employers, although I think it’s getting better."

Corporate social repsonsiblities includes helping long-term unemployed and those with mental health issues
“Companies are now far more aware of corporate and social responsibility, and often they meet those objectives by supporting charitable organisations, but we need to look to companies to fulfill their social responsibilities by employing people who have been long-term unemployed or have had mental health conditions – that is the way companies can do their bit. “I don’t believe that people with mental health problems want tokenism but they want to be given the chance” she concluded.

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