Produced in early 2021, this helpful resource and information booklet contains all the key nuggets an individual needs to navigate their own job retention case. Originally put together by Lorraine Looker as a way of ensuring those clients too well to gain support from her service, could still benefit from this resource, the Booklet has also become a bit of a 'practitioner's bible'. It is also proving useful to pass on to clinicians, who can offer the Booklet to their IAPT clients as a Tier 1 resource, sometimes alleviating the need for a direct referral to an Employment Specialist.
Free Resources for Practitioners, Employees and Employers
This section contains descriptions of and links to various publications, tools and resources that may be of help, whether you are a practitioner in job retention, an employer looking for useful resources and signposting, or an employee experiencing difficulties at work, and looking for advice on best practice. This section will continually be updated and added to, so please check back intermittently.
The Job Retention Practioner's Handbook
Now 10 years old, The Job Retention Practitioner's Handbook was an attempt to distill the skills and knowledge of the Job Retention Training Course into print. Although the employment law section may need updating, the rest still holds good, and is a useful guide to the road map and terrain that constitutes thorough job retention good practice.
Building the Business Case for Workplace Wellbeing
Essential reading for any HR Manager or Business Owner, wondering about the ROI of investing in Health Promotion initiatives at work. This paper, published by Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, sets out the persuasive business case for doing so: it's not only good for staff wellbeing, it's also taking care of the bottom line too.
Download Building the Business Case
Line Manager's Resource
The Line Manager - their knowledge, attitudes, competencies and confidence in managing their staff's wellbeing, knowing how best to support them, and assist in return to work planning after an episode of psychological or physical illness - has been proven to be the most crucial element in what ultimately determines whether an employee's experience of their employment is healthy or toxic. This Line Manager's Resource is a key bit of reading for any manager wanting to get it right.
Job Retention Flow Chart
Visual infographic, setting out the complete Job Retention Process in a diagram.
Download the Job Retention Flow Chart
Strain Audit
Complete a simple Strain Audit to identify significant stressors in your work.
Download the Strain Audit
Menopause in the Workplace
Menopause is often referred to as the invisible health challenge in the workplace. Affecting half the workforce at some point in their working lives, the menopause can play havoc with mental and physical health, and it's important for Job Retention Practitioners to know how to respond appropriately. Channel 4 broke new ground by being one of the first employers to produce a Menopause in the Workplace Policy. Here's some further information on the topic.
Download Menopause Guide for Managers
Channel 4 Menopause Policy
Dealing with Long Covid
Some 390,000 people in the UK are thought to be experiencing symptoms of long Covid, with many unable to return to work full-time. The Society of Occupational Medicine has published new guidance on return to work planning for recovering workers.
SOM Guidance for Return to Work following Long Covid
An Employer's Guide to Bipolar
Published by Bipolar UK, this booklet sets out useful advice around how best to support an employee with a bipolar condition.
Download Bipolar Guide for Employers
Stress at Work
HSE and ACAS Publication setting out good guidance around managing Stress at Work.
Download Stress at Work Guide
Autism Reasonable Adjustments Passport
Developed by members of the Thames Valley Network, this tool can be helpful for employees with Autism to clarify benefical workplace adjustments with their manager/employer. Please trial and provide any feedback to Shelley Monahan shelley.monaghan@oxfordheath.nhs.uk
Autism Reasonable Adjustments Passport
Work Challenges for Employees with Aspergers & Autism
Challenges at work and potential solutions for employees with Aspergers and Autism.
Challenges for Employees with Aspergers
Individual Stress Risk Assessment
Developed by Caroline Jepp, an Employment Specialist from NHS Talking Therapies Hampshire, this tool is ideally completed by both the staff member and their line manager. It aims to identify risk and protect staff members from harm, in line with the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (1999).
Individual Stress Risk Assessment Tool
Phased Return to Work Plan
Kindly shared by Caroline Jepp, this agreement plan helps clarify the phased return to work schedule for an employee and their line manager.
Role of ACAS - Presentation
A recent helpful presentation given by Jen Lobley, Senior Advisor with ACAS, to the Midlands Job Retention Network, about their role and what EA's need to know to help their clients receive excellent support from this organisation.
Events Timeline Template
Developed by Caroline Jepp, an Employment Specialist with NHS Talking Therapies Hampshire, this template serves as a tool to capture significant conversations and events in the workplace, should employees feel the need to begin to create an orderly log for future reference.
Events Timeline Template
The LIFT Model
This short document explains the LIFT Model of adopting a stepped approach to delivering job retention support in an employment service. It is a way of maximising capacity, and helping to prevent EA's from becoming overwhelmed in busy services.
Domestic Violence at Work
Advice and considerations you can suggest to an employer to help them play their part in keeping an employee safe, should they be experiencing any form of domestic violence.
The What If's of Job Retention
This document contains many helpful answers and solutions to tricky situations sometimes encountered, such as 'what if the employer refuses to talk to you?' It is a living document, and is intermittently added to, incorporating creative practice and solutions found by us all, and shared for the benefit of all. Currently being updated, but this four year old version still holds good!
Using AI in Job Retention
A PowerPoint Presentation on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Job Retention, given by Gaz Barclay Bowen from SLAM Trust to the London JR Network in February 2025, together with useful prompts to use with Chat GBT.
Supporting Staff Through Disciplinary Processes
Best Practice Advice and Guidance for Managers to ensure they are providing support for staff who are going through disciplinary processes. Shared from Solent Mind.
