The Access to Work Mental Health Support Service, delivered by Maximus on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions, offers confidential, personalised, work-focused support at no cost to the individual or employer. It helps people who are struggling at work to stay in employment or return following a period of absence.
Participants receive up to nine months of tailored one-to-one support, including practical strategies, personalised plans, and advice on workplace adjustments. More than 45,000 people have already been supported to improve their wellbeing and move forward with confidence.
A creative career shaped by resilience
Emma, 34, built her career in the creative industries as a graphic designer. She was passionate about her work and highly capable, with no difficulty securing roles. However, maintaining those roles over time proved more challenging.
As Emma explains, despite her strengths, a pattern quickly began to emerge: “I’ve always been very passionate about it, and I’ve always been quite good at my job, but every single job, without fail, I would get really burnt out, really overwhelmed.”
This recurring cycle of pressure and burnout meant she rarely remained in a role for longer than a year.
Her ADHD diagnosis at around 30 marked a turning point. It helped her understand the underlying causes behind these challenges, from sensory overload in office environments to difficulty managing competing priorities.
Recognising she needed a more sustainable way of working, Emma began retraining as an ADHD coach in the evenings while continuing to work. It was through this training that she first became aware of the Access to Work Mental Health Support Service and the support available.
Hitting breaking point in a high-pressure workplace
Emma’s challenges intensified in a fast-paced start-up environment, where constant change and a lack of structure made it increasingly difficult to manage her workload. Although she was open about her ADHD, she often felt misunderstood and under pressure to repeatedly justify her needs.
Over time, burnout, emotional distress, and depression began to take hold, affecting both her work and daily life. She found herself increasingly overwhelmed, struggling to cope and losing a sense of control.
She reached a point where she struggled to see any way forward. As she reflects on that period, Emma describes how difficult things had become: “I really couldn’t see a future for myself. I just couldn’t picture anywhere in life that I fitted.”
A turning point: discovering Access to Work support
As her situation became more difficult, Emma decided to act on what she had learned during her training and self-referred for support in January 2025.
She was quickly connected with confidential, one-to-one support at a critical moment.
From the first session, something shifted. Her Mental Health Support Coach, Cherag, created a space where she felt listened to and understood.
This early experience changed how she viewed both support and her own challenges: “I started to realise I do deserve some support. It’s not all on me to make this work, and I don’t have to do it alone.”
Building confidence through tailored, human support
Unlike previous support Emma had experienced, this service was fully personalised to her needs. Each session focused on how she felt, helping her understand the causes of her burnout and build practical strategies to regain control at work.
This approach helped Emma reframe her experience. She stopped viewing her struggles as personal failures and began to recognise them as valid challenges she could manage with the right support.
Over time, her confidence began to rebuild. Through practical coping strategies and ongoing coaching, she developed greater self-awareness, learned to recognise early signs of burnout, and felt more able to set boundaries and advocate for her needs.
Reflecting on this shift, Emma highlights a wider lesson: “A lot of us go through these really difficult jobs thinking that it’s our fault and feeling trapped, but actually, there is support available, and your workplace has a responsibility to support you too.”
Moving forward with confidence: building a more sustainable future
With growing confidence and a clearer sense of direction, Emma was able to build on the path she had already started toward a more sustainable way of working. The support she received helped her move from feeling overwhelmed to having greater control over her direction, giving her the confidence to pursue a career better suited to her strengths.
She has continued her work as an ADHD coach and is now building her own business supporting others in the workplace.
As she explains, Access to Work played a crucial role in enabling this change: “It gave me the confidence to pursue my own career path supporting other people and to believe that I actually have the ability to follow what I want to do.”
Today, Emma feels more in control of her future and clearer about what works for her. She has rebuilt her confidence, better manages her mental health, and has developed a more sustainable approach to work.
“It’s the first time I’ve felt excited about life in a really long time, and now I feel like I can actually build something for myself.”
Access to Work’s Mental Health Support Service played a key role in this journey, helping Emma regain balance, build resilience, and take sustainable steps forward in her career.
