First aiders were trained to support colleagues with mental health concerns
Coinciding with the annual Mental Health Awareness Week, several lenders have announced their respective initiatives to provide mental health support to colleagues, such as training people to become mental health first aiders.
Specialist lender OSB Group reported that one year on from the launch of its initial mental health support program for colleagues, there are now 38 qualified mental health first aiders spread across its locations.
OSB said that alongside its team of volunteer mental health first aiders are a variety of courses that colleagues can sign up to and that range from ‘Every Mind Matters’, ‘Stress Management Techniques’, and ‘Wellness Action Plans.’
“Mental Health Awareness Week is a great opportunity to highlight available support and encourage conversations to flow, but it’s also important to ensure our colleagues feel supported all year round as they are the key to our success at OSB Group, and their health and wellbeing is a central focus,” Jon Hall, group managing director of mortgages and savings at OSB Group, said.
“Helping colleagues when they need it most is critical, and I am extremely proud of the range of support OSB Group offers.”
Meanwhile, short-term lender Hope Capital has announced that its people manager’s team has qualified as mental health first aiders.
The team carried out their training with the support of Evolving Mindset, a local organisation which provides mental health wellbeing courses and training for individuals, groups, schools, and businesses in Merseyside and around Liverpool.
Before successfully completing the course a few weeks ago, nine members of the Hope Capital team underwent extensive training around mental health and personal wellbeing with a holistic approach, which will be instrumental in supporting the wider team in the business moving forward.
“As it’s Mental Health Awareness Week at the moment, we thought what better timing to make our announcement,” Kate Cowan, chief financial officer at Hope Capital, stated. “With so many of us now qualified as mental health first aiders, it’s really reassuring to know our team can reach out to whoever they feel most comfortable with.
“The course was extremely insightful, covering numerous important topics, which now enables us to have the knowledge and confidence to guide colleagues to the appropriate professional support if needed.”
Bridging and development lender Roma Finance has also developed its own mental health first aid team with six mental health first aiders, who have been trained with the purpose of proactively supporting colleagues and giving them the confidence to speak out if they need help with anything at work or behind the scenes.
In addition, Roma is now running the Employee Assistance Program, which gives people the chance to speak to someone in confidence and receive free counselling if they wish.
“As a mental health first aider, I strongly believe in prioritising mental health in the workplace, especially since the wake of COVID-19,” Jenny Gillies, people and change assistant at Roma Finance, stated in an article posted on its website. “From an HR perspective, it’s essential to support colleagues in improving their overall wellbeing, increasing engagement and job satisfaction.
“Also, when it comes to attracting new talent, people are prioritising companies that are open and forward-thinking when it comes to mental health.”
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