Improving mental health, supporting disabled people to work

A digital tool to help manage anxiety, depression and stress was co-designed with people with lived experience, with the aim of supporting disabled people to enter or remain in meaningful work.

Our team managed a structured approach in which a public advisory group was embedded throughout, shaping what was built – and how it felt for users.

The final version of the Be Mindful Workplace programme provides extra flexibility and accessibility and is now available nationally via licensed partners, including the NHS.

How the tool was developed

Supported by a Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) innovation programme, digital therapeutics specialists Wellmind Health set out to adapt an existing clinical-grade digital mindfulness-based cognitive therapy intervention into something that could support disabled people in preparing for, entering, or remaining in work.

At the heart of this work was a Public Advisory Group of 11 people with lived experience of different disability and mental health challenges, recruited by Evenbreak, a company linking people living with disabilities with inclusive employers.

For nine months, this group worked closely with Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber and Wellmind Health in a series of co-design sessions.

Another 296 people were engaged to test the co-designed programme, providing further insight into usability, accessibility and early impact. This combination of co-design and broader testing ensured the solution was based on lived experience.

Monitoring and evaluation is ongoing by Wellmind Health.

Key insights

People with lived experience highlighted that traditional mindfulness approaches can sometimes feel inaccessible or even uncomfortable, particularly when mainly focused on the body.

For some, this created a barrier rather than a benefit. Alternative ways of engaging were needed, allowing individuals to choose what felt right for them.

Flexibility was another critical theme. People wanted to be able to pause, skip, or return to content without pressure.

An important feature for the public advisors was that use of the tool was combined with human oversight and additional care.

Accessibility needed to go beyond compliance. It meant clear, plain language, plus features such as British Sign Language interpretation, Easy Read formats, and adaptable playback. Importantly, it also meant emotional accessibility, giving people the ability to understand when content might be intense, and the choice to engage with it on their own terms.

Underlying all of this was a consistent message. Support must feel human. It must recognise the individuality of each person’s experience.

Impact of co-design process

The final product offers a more flexible and enhanced user-led experience. People can tailor how they engage, choosing from alternative exercises, adjusting pace, and navigating content in a way that works for them. Clear signposting allows users to make informed choices about emotionally sensitive content, while accessibility features are embedded throughout rather than added retrospectively.

And what began as a structured intervention became more supportive, more relatable and more empowering.

Learnings and recommendations

This project demonstrates that co-design is not an optional enhancement, it is fundamental to creating services that give people what they need.

Working with people with lived experience leads to solutions that are more accessible, more trusted, and ultimately more impactful.

It highlights that accessibility must be considered in its fullest sense, including technical, emotional, and experiential. Flexibility, choice, and clarity are essential components of effective support.

It is important to complete the feedback loop. Showing people how their input has shaped outcomes builds trust, strengthens engagement, and creates a sense of shared ownership.

Linda’s story

Public Advisory Group member Linda Cole lives with both physical and mental health conditions. A former individual placement and support employment specialist, mother of three and dog owner, she was motivated to join the group as an opportunity to help others.

“It was a very positive, enjoyable experience being part of a diverse group of people in a well-structured series of meetings in which every voice was heard.

“Questions were provided in advance so we could collect our thoughts; meetings were arranged at lunchtimes to fit into everyone’s lifestyles; and the discussions were wide ranging about our experiences accessing websites and apps and in receiving support in the workplace.

“We were co-creating a new version of the programme; it wasn’t something being rubber stamped, so we felt we were really making a difference.

“One example was the physical mindfulness part – half of us loved it and half of us hated it, so Wellmind Health made it possible to skip it; and they also made background music optional as that was challenging for some people.

“The great thing about the Wellmind Health tool is that it taught you techniques which you could use without the tool and which will be useful for different situations in the future.

“It also has a ripple on family, friends and work colleagues because it helps you to function better in all areas of life – you might be able to take the kids on holiday for the first time in a while because you are earning again; and you might become a more productive colleague.

“It meant a lot that Wellmind Health and Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber closed the feedback loop, telling us what impact our input had. It made it feel very worthwhile and gave me a fuzzy feeling knowing we had made a tangible difference.”