Funded by the Scottish Government's Employability Innovation and Integration Fund, Delivering Differently (DD) commenced in October 2017 as a cross-partnership 18-month 'strategic implementation' project working with partners, providers and people with lived experience of mental health problems to improve employment outcomes for people in Fife who are experiencing mental health issues.

In April 2019 the team received continuation funding from See Me Scotland to continue the programme of work with a shift in focus to personal outcomes and challenging mental health-related stigma in key sectors.

The project is coordinated and delivered by Fife Voluntary Action, the Third Sector Interface for Fife and reports to both the Fife Health & Social Care Partnership (H&SCP) and the Opportunities Fife Partnership (OFP). It employs a small team of staff.

The DD project vision, below, was updated and refined in the light of the project findings between October 2017 and March 2019.

Our vision is that people with mental health problems in Fife are supported to aspire in life and work and can easily access appropriate support as and when they are ready to make the journey (back) into work.

Main outcomes:
  • People will have greater ownership of their journey: they are part of the solution rather than the cause of 'a problem' and the voice of lived experience is evidenced at all levels;
  • Staff across sectors will know how the mental health and employability system(s) work and where to go for specialist support;
  • Employers in Fife will know how to create mentally healthy workplaces and feel confident to support staff who experience mental health problems.

During the first 18 months Delivering Differently hosted a series of joint workshops and funded nine short test of change pilot projects.

Delivering Differently launched the Final Report for the Scottish Government funded part of the programme on 15 May 2019 with over 160 participants the event generated further conversation about what needs to happen next in Fife.

See the panel on the right to read the report and related annexes.