Work Well is a free, personalised support service that helps people across the county to manage mental health challenges while staying in work, reduce sickness absence, or return to work with confidence after time out. 

The service brings together emotional support and practical workplace guidance in one place to provide a complete support programme. This includes open conversations, practical advice, and simple strategies that can be applied straight away.  

Because everyone’s experience of mental health is different, Work Well takes a flexible approach, offering support that fits around each individual. This can include: one to one sessions, tailored strategies and wellbeing action planning, and support that adapts as needs change. A key strength of the service is its dedicated caseworker model. People receive consistent support from trained professionals who understand both mental health and employment.  

I like to help people to look at different options and ideas and see where that takes them.

Nicki is a qualified integrative counsellor who has worked at Suffolk Mind for over 7 years as a Case Worker for the Work Well service. She describes it as a “safe, confidential space where people have the opportunity to talk about whatever’s going on for them.”  

“It's tailored to every individual,” she explains. “That's really important to know and to remember. It's about listening to what people are saying about struggles that they have to make a life that works,” she says. “It might be a problem within work or an issue in their personal life that's having a major effect on their work. Or they might want to take the next step but they're a bit anxious about it, or there’s a barrier of some form that's just getting in the way. I like to help people to look at different options and ideas and see where that takes them. My role is all about having empathy and compassion and just being that non-judgmental human being.”  

The Work Well service has supported many people over the years, but one person who really stands out to Nicki is Martyn. 

Martyn used Work Well when he was facing a tough time both at work and personally, and credits Suffolk Mind with saving his life.  

Nicki supported Martyn for over a year in his workplace, helping him to secure the outcome that he needed to feel comfortable returning to work.  

When he retired, Martyn started volunteering at Suffolk Mind as he wanted to give back to the service that had helped him so much. He has now gone on to become an ambassador for Suffolk Mind, representing the charity across the county, connecting with other people struggling with their mental health in the workplace, and helping to champion the charity’s bold mission to make Suffolk the best place in the world to talk about and take care of mental health.