Co-creating a digital mental health support solution for people with barriers to employment

SBRI Healthcare Competition 27

There is a mental health crisis among working-aged adults in the UK. Nearly 3 million people are out of work and 2.2 million of them blame poor mental health (ONS, 2023). The problem is particularly acute for younger adults; 16 to 34-year-olds with poor mental health are 4.7 times more likely to be economically inactive than their peers (Gov, 2024). 

The Government is aware that economic growth is dependent on getting people back to work. As a result, they have pledged to increase access to effective support for people with mental health issues. Access to Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies has been increased and the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) programme for people with more severe mental health illness has been expanded. 

However, with 2.2 million economically inactive people struggling with their mental health (ONS, 2025), 1-2-1 support models are never going to meet demand. 

Work Coaches in DWP Jobcentres are not trained to provide mental health support. Nor do they have the time to help clients develop the mental health self-management skills, resilience and confidence that are necessary to get, and keep, a job. Digital solutions are the obvious way to increase access to support which is why, in October 2024, SBRI Healthcare launched a competition to specifically identify work-related digital innovations for individuals with poor mental health. 

Tellmi are one of nine organisations that have been chosen to pilot their innovative digital mental health support solutions around the country. Working with human-centred design agency Mima, Oxfordshire NHS and a cohort of unemployed people, Tellmi will design, develop and deliver a scalable, easy-to-access and personalised support service that will support people aged 16-34 with mental health challenges that make it harder for them to get jobs. 

The digital programme will allow unemployed people to talk safely and anonymously with other people who have experienced similar mental health difficulties or shared the same life challenges. They can access crisis support and have 1-2-1 sessions of text-based therapy to improve confidence and identify goals. 

As well as national, specialist and 24-hour support services, a personalised and localised resource directory will provide everything from practical information and guidance on CV-writing to useful tips on how to reduce anxiety during interviews or remain motivated while job seeking.  

The programme will be deployed with the support of Work Coaches, who will receive training from Tellmi so that they can confidently signpost clients to an evidence-based, practical and emotional support solution. The East Midlands Health Innovation Network will evaluate the 12-month programme.  

If you’d like to hear more about the Tellmi Employment Programme and be the first to hear news about the programme’s launch, contact info@tellmi.help