Why a robust mental health and wellbeing strategy is important

A robust mental health and wellbeing strategy is more important than ever, explains Sophie Wardell, HR director at Higgs & Sons.

The Covid-19 crisis has brought about new challenges, particularly for those now working remotely, which has exacerbated matters for some. People need to be supported through these unprecedented times.

Given the pressures and demands of working in the law, the legal sector is starting to be more proactive in addressing mental ill-health concerns and we’re proud to be stepping up and taking positive steps towards a healthier workforce.

Crucially, we have recently expanded our team of trained mental health first aiders to 14 – and that has been communicated widely within the firm.

The training was carried out by a Mental Health First Aid England specialist and involved people at all levels at Higgs & Sons, including partners.

Everyone was given the opportunity to volunteer for the training and, for us, it’s important that our first aiders represent all areas of the business and that mental health is championed at the most senior level.

Adrian Cutler is the partner champion for mental health and wellbeing. It’s great to have an experienced lawyer involved.

The training is designed to enable people to identify potentials signs of mental ill-health at an early stage and offer non-judgmental support.

It’s critical during these uncertain times that our employees and partners have a group of people they can reach out to if and when they need to.

There is still a stigma around mental ill-health and some people may feel that they don’t want to speak to a supervisor or HR in case it appears as if they can’t cope. Having a network of mental health first aiders goes some way to addressing that problem.

Higgs & Sons also intends to launch informal virtual interaction groups. These ‘hubs’ will not purely be about mental health but will involve our mental health first aiders who can signpost people in need of support. The sessions will be about remaining connected with colleagues and the firm’s culture.

Working from home can mean you only tend to speak to your immediate team. These groups ensure we are facilitating the need for people to interact with colleagues right across the firm.

Everyone at Higgs & Sons is offered private medical healthcare and our provider is great at providing effective pathways for people struggling with mental health. We also have an employee assistance programme, which is widely promoted within the business.

Our leaders and heads of department have been offered half-day mental health awareness training. You can treat symptoms of mental ill-health, but I believe prevention is better than cure. As such, we are planning a series of bespoke resilience workshops as part of our core skills programme to arm people with the ability to respond effectively to challenges and setbacks.

All this positive activity around mental health is underpinned by the firm’s wellbeing policy, which aims to ensure our employees always receive genuine care and support.