One in four people in the UK will have a mental health problem at some point. And while these problems will often not be work-related, they are likely to affect wellbeing and productivity in all areas of life, including at work. COPE works with a service partner to provide an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).
An EAP is a confidential and independent counselling and information service available to all employees. It is an invaluable tool for ensuring that good mental health is promoted and facilitated in an organisation, promoting employee wellbeing and ultimately minimising the impact of mental health problems on employee’s work.
The EAP provides a freephone support line giving employees access to telephone counselling, practical information and guidance for both personal and work-related issues. If appropriate, short-term brief therapy counselling can be arranged.
If an EAP is not an option for your organisation you may wish to provide short-term counselling support for your employees, perhaps while they wait for NHS interventions. COPE can help you to facilitate this via a national network of counsellors, registered with the BACP, or via our own in-house team.
Mental health issues like stress and anxiety account for 40% of all sickness absences.
While EAPs are very effective support for self-referred cases, more strategic clinical intervention is sometimes required where cases are complex or concern serious or longer-term psychological issues.
COPE works with a service partner to give you access to specialist psychological interventions:
UK workplaces are increasingly aware that their employees can be struggling to cope, and often provide support e.g., via Mental Health First Aiders or Wellbeing Champions. These individuals are often responsible for the mental health and wellbeing of colleagues, for example following a traumatic event.
COPE’s service partner provides a planned programme of
Wellbeing Support Sessions which deliver ongoing support for anyone that is working in a role where there is a risk that they could develop stress due to the nature of the role/responsibilities. The support is planned as an early intervention to help individuals consider their own support needs, coping strategies and work/life challenges.
COPE’s health and wellbeing interventions focus on keeping people healthy; aiming to engage and empower employees to choose healthy behaviours, and make changes that reduce the risk of developing chronic disease. Activities include:
COPE works with a service partner to provide workshops and training that are developed in line with organisational requirements, for example: