Meaningful May

Celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month: iBC’s Commitment to Employee Wellbeing

As we reflect on Mental Health Awareness Month, iBC is proud to reaffirm our commitment to making our workplace a supportive and nurturing environment. The well-being of our colleagues is paramount, and we are dedicated to ensuring that every team member has access to the resources and support they need to thrive both personally and professionally.

This is why we introduced IBC+, by recognising the importance of discussing mental health, and resources are readily available. Our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) iBC+ is a cornerstone of this commitment. This comprehensive benefits package covers a wide range of personal and work-related challenges, ensuring that help is always within reach.

Caregiving roles can be incredibly stressful and emotionally draining, especially when supporting those with complex needs and challenging behaviour. Prioritising our colleagues mental wellbeing helps ensure that they feel supported, valued, and capable of managing the emotional toll of their work. This leads to better overall well-being, reduced burnout and maintaining our offering of high quality care and opportunities to those we support.

“This observance is a crucial opportunity for us to prioritise conversations, resources, and support around mental health in our workplace and beyond. Mental health matters, and it’s essential to prioritise it.”

Alveera Lakhani, People & Culture Advisor

iBC+ offers free and confidential access to professional counselling 24/7, complemented by the My Healthy Advantage app, which provides wellbeing tools, resources, and trackers.

Services Available Through iBC+:
  • Counselling and Therapy: Professional counselling services for emotional support and structured therapy sessions.
  • Legal Information: Guidance on legal matters, including debt management and disputes, that may cause anxiety or distress.
  • Bereavement Support: Qualified counsellors to help cope with grief and legal advisors for related matters.
  • Medical Support: Advice on various health-related issues from qualified nurses.
  • Online CBT: Self-help tools, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy modules, fact sheets, and advice videos.
  • Confidential Helpline

However, it doesn’t stop there. We understand how other personal issues and worries can be a primary result to effecting someone’s mental health. With iBC+, this supports colleagues in broader aspects of their personal life to ease and uplift their mental health. Here are other ways it supports:

Women’s Wellbeing

iBC stands by you through pregnancy loss and unsuccessful fertility treatments through enhanced bereavement or annual leave, offering free period products, health food shop and pharmacy vouchers to support menopause wellness and HRT prescriptions reimbursement. We also provide enhanced leave allowance for fertility treatments and enhanced maternity payments.

Financial Wellbeing

We focus on your financial health by ensuring you have the resources and support needed to manage your financial wellbeing effectively.

Physical Wellbeing

Our colleagues enjoy daily fruits at work to fuel your body and stay healthy, participate in our Bike to Work Scheme to commute in an eco-friendly and healthy way, and unlock exclusive savings with the Blue Light Card, which offers over 15,000 discounts from online and high street retailers. Additionally, we provide free access to Udemy courses to enhance your skills and learning.

Emotional Wellbeing

We understand the challenges of family bereavement and offer compassionate and enhanced parental bereavement leave to provide the necessary time, space, and support to heal. iBC+ includes compassionate leave, enhanced parental bereavement leave, and payment support for pregnancy loss and unsuccessful fertility treatment. Experience our enhanced paternity payments to support your family stress-free.

Empowering a Supportive Workplace

Our initiatives to foster a happy and supportive workplace are designed to empower all employees to #Doamazingeveryday. By embracing personal journeys and challenges with compassion and understanding, we create an environment where everyone can succeed.

“Our efforts to nurture an understanding and compassionate workplace, supporting life’s ups and downs, reducing stress, and prioritising our colleagues’ mental wellbeing, are in support and advocacy of Mental Health Awareness Month.”

Ebony Staite, Referrals & Partnership Manager
Join the Conversation

Throughout Mental Health Awareness Week, we encourage everyone to engage in conversations about mental health and utilise the resources available. Whether it’s through resources available or simply speaking with a colleague, prioritising mental health helps us all to maintain the amazing work we do. To help initiate this, take a look at the Meaningful May calendar below on ways to improve your own wellness and those around you.

A Future of Wellbeing

As we move forward, iBC remains dedicated to the mental well-being of our team. By prioritizing conversations, providing essential resources, and fostering a supportive environment, we ensure that everyone at iBC can continue to excel and feel valued.

Let’s make Mental Health Awareness week a time of reflection, support, and growth. Together, we can create a workplace where mental health is prioritized, and every colleague feels supported in their journey.