Vocational rehabilitation in mental health services: evaluating the work of a social and therapeutic horticulture community interest compay

Purpose This paper reports on an action inquiry evaluation of the Natureways project, a time-limited collaboration between an NHS Trust vocational service (NHSVS) and a voluntary sector horticulture-based community interest company (CIC). Design/methodology/approach Natureways produced positive employment outcomes and an action inquiry process – based on co-operative inquiry with trainees, staff and managers – explored how these had been achieved. Findings Natureways’ efficacy was based on features of the setting (its supportiveness, rural location, and workplace authenticity), on its embeddedness (within local care-planning pathways, the horticultural industry, and the local community), and on effective intersectoral working. The inquiry also generated actionable learning about creative leadership and adaptability in the changing landscape of service provision, about the benefits of the CIC’s small-scale and business ethos, about the links between trainees’ employability, social inclusion and recovery, about horticulture as a training medium, and about the role of action inquiry in service development. Research limitations/implications not applicable (not research) Practical implications The inquiry highlights how an intersectoral CIC can be an effective model for vocational rehabilitation. Originality/value This case study suggests that action inquiry methodology is not only well-suited to many practitioners’ skill sets, but its participatory ethos and focus on experiential knowledge makes it suitable for bringing a service user voice to bear on service development.