News that 120,000 NHS mental health patients are being kept on “hidden” waiting lists for their second appointment is worrying – EAP providers have a duty to provide top-notch support wherever they can

Waiting times for second GP appointments for UK patients seeking help with their mental health are missing national targets in the tens of thousands, an alarming story in The Independent has revealed.

The article tells how figures have revealed that 122,000 patients had to wait more than eight weeks to see a GP again after their first appointment in 2018/9.

The nationally set waiting time is six weeks.

The patients in question were part of the Improving Access to Pscyhological Therapies (IAPT) scheme, which has been credited for cutting waiting times for first appointments.

But the new research reveals that while the first appointment for these patients might not take too long, they are being forced to wait far longer for their second. In the worst performing areas, it was taking up to 15 weeks for people to see a doctor again after their first visit.

These waits were described as a “hidden sucker punch” for vulnerable people who have made the brave step of asking for help in the first place, leaving them feeling at a low ebb.

EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell says the new figures are “concerning” for those asking for help with their mental health problems.

But, he says, they also mean that employers duty of care the for mental health of employee has to be met, and timely access to support via an  EAP offers them fast and caring support at a time when they really need it.

“These figures show that when it comes to mental health, the NHS is doing its absolute best, but it is very far from able to provide an ideal service,” he says. “That’s where employers continue to have a real duty to step in and ensure that for their staff at least, they have access to an EAP which will not keep them waiting between appointments and will offer them the best of advice and support.

“Our NHS is one of the pillars of Great Britain, it really is, and our doctors and nurses and physiotherapists and all staff working for this fabulous institution are working so hard day in, day out, to make it that way. But it is not a limitless resource. Sometimes, cracks begin to show. That’s where employers can help boost our country by offering superb EAP services to take some of that strain away.”

Stressed about Brexit? It’s up to employers to create an environment in which their staff are actively encouraged to use their EAP – not just rely on it as a last resort, says EAPA chair in national publication.

EAPA chair Eugene Farrell recently wrote a thoughtful article for theHRDirector outlining why EAPs are being under-used when it comes to mental health.

EAP is an “important Brexit safety net for employees”, our association chair Eugene Farrell has said.

In an article written for theHRDirector, a monthly publication aimed at HR directors and senior practitioners, Eugene said that despite mental health services being a key part of the EAP offering, they were being under-used and this was especially critical at a time when large parts of the UK workforce were being put under greater stress due to Brexit.

In the article, which you can read here, Eugene pointed to clear evidence that Brexit is indeed causing considerable mental health problems in the UK.

A study by the LSE (London School of Economics) has highlighted a growth in numbers of UK people reporting mental health problems since the 2016 referendum result, while another survey has suggested there has been an increase in prescriptions for antidepressants since the result.

All of which has made it all the more surprising – and worrying – that despite the fact nearly half of the UK workforce is covered by an EAP, offering confidential support services 24/7, access to help seems to be low on take-up when it comes to mental health.

Eugene says: “As I tried to make clear in the article, the difference between an EAP and other forms of counselling is generally that it tries to help people deal with any mental health issues they may be struggling with earlier so they don’t then become bigger problems that are harder to deal with.”

Eugene argued in the article that employers need to first of all be aware of exactly what their EAP services offered to staff, and make sure this was widely and properly communicated, rather than positioning EAP as a last resort.

He says: “Brexit stress has clearly added to the nation’s mental health problems and I would really urge employers to ensure their employees are taking advantage of the help they can get through their EAP. We all know that many people struggle to ask for help when they are suffering mentally – it’s really up to employers to create an atmosphere in which asking for help is not just enabled, it’s positively encouraged.”

Diary date: EAPA branch meeting, 17 September, 2019, Linnean Society, Piccadilly

The next EAPA branch meeting will take place next week on September 17 at the Linnean Society in Burlington House, London. The meeting will start at 11am with business including reports from the chair and treasurer plus a progress report on the ROI project.

Then, at 11.30am, we are pleased to announce that we will hear from guest speaker Elizabeth Sillitoe, partnership marketing lead for Public Health England (PHE). Elizabeth will be talking on how to empower people to enable greater individual responsibility for mental health.

PHE launched their Every Mind Matters campaign in October 2018 with the aim of encouraging people to have more self-awareness of their own mental health. The inititative is fully supported by EAPA and both we and PHE are inviting our members to find out more about its objectives.

The campaign is promoting a range of self-care actions with the aim of encouraging people to feel more confident in taking action to look after their mental health. EAPA members are being invited to find out how to take advantage of the opportunities that the campaign makes available. In particular, PHE would like to provide focus as to what EAPS can do to help people with common mental health issues at work. This is the government’s first mental health campaign and PHE will be providing a variety of tools and resources that EAPA members can share with clients to help promote mental wellbeing in the workplace. EAPA members are encouraged to bring one colleague as a guest for the presentation, due to end around 1pm.

Please email info@eapa.org.uk to confirm your attendance

Free new EAP support for an entire sector of workers is announced – but it should not simply be a ‘tick box’ exercise, says EAPA chair

Carers have a tough job. One in four social care staff leave the profession every year. The Kings Fund has reported that there are around 110,000 unfilled vacancies at any one time in the home care sector. In 2017, the Health Foundation reported that some 37 per cent of staff had been ill in the previous 12 months due to work stress.

Which is why the announcement in August from care matching service Care Sourcer that it is launching a free health and wellbeing EAP support programme for employees of ALL UK care providers will, we are sure, be very welcome.

With the programme there to support more than 800,000 care workers, it’s a big, bold gesture that recognises the strain put on those whose job it is to look after others … often to the detriment of their own mental and physical health, leading to them taking time of work due to stress, depression, anxiety and sickness.

Care Sourcer says the EAP programme will provide a support network offering expert advice and compassionate guidance 24/7, “covering a range of issues including mental or physical stress, bereavement of clients or residents they have formed close bonds with, money worries, and general low morale”.

Funded for the first 12 months of its operation by Legal & General, Care Sourcer says the new EAP support will improve staff retention.

Our EAPA chair Eugene Farrell says that while the move is certainly a good one, attention should also be paid to the broader wellbeing of care-workers, who are often doing demanding jobs for not very much financial renumeration.

“The care sector has many challenges: staff shortages, pay and benefits, work stress amongst them,” he says. “As demand grows for more social care, then this demand for more workers will increase and pressure too will increase, especially if roles are not filled. Brexit too is going to have a further negative effect upon the sector which relies upon recruiting EU workers. I don’t think I’ve seen an entire sector getting EAP support in this way, and maybe it’s a sign of things to come. Whilst this is really good to see and will have clear benefits to staff, it’s going to be a challenge. Communicating with a diversely spread workforce will be a real challenge and getting workers to understand the role and benefits of having an EAP support is key to attaining a good utilisation level.

“In identifying common themes and issues, how are further support and additional programs going to be done and supported? What is likely to change as a result of having an EAP? It shouldn’t be used as tick box to say: ‘There you go, you have support, now get on with it.’ Organisations need good work and good management in order to survive and thrive. I hope this is also part of the plan.

“The broader wellbeing of workers is also something that needs consideration. Mental health is one part of overall wellbeing. I hope that as part of this undoubtedly welcome initiative, there are plans to assist these essential and valuable workers to attain better health and wellbeing, in its broadest sense.”

More than one in ten calls to 7,000-strong organisation’s EAP provider made outside working hours, study finds

When it comes to how staff access the EAP provided for them by their employer, usage statistics reported by warehouse, distribution and transport organisation Culina Group make interesting reading.

The group employs 7,000 people in the UK and Ireland and reports some fascinating findings after launching an employee benefits platform in 2016, followed in 2019 by an app that allows staff to access benefits via their mobile phones – useful for HGV drivers, for example, who may not get to a computer regularly.

As well as enjoying spending more than £600,000 on retail discounts as a result of the employee benefits package, the company’s research shows how the EAP service is used by staff.

Culina Group offers a 24/7 EAP helpline to support employees, and has found that more than one in ten of calls were made outside traditional working hours.

Breaking down the statistics further, the group reports that just under a third of these calls were to do with mental health, and around another third focused on legal support. A small number of calls were made to discuss finances and just over 10 per cent were about relationships.

EAPA chairman Eugene Farrell says: “These findings from Culina Group provide a really helpful steer to all of us in the EAP industry, that these types of benefits are genuinely valued by staff.

“Culina offers its 7,000 employees a 24/7 EAP helpline and it’s clear that staff have enthusiastically used this as a means of discussing a range of issues in their lives. It’s particularly interesting that the highest proportion of the calls to the EAP service – 31.7 per cent – were to do with mental health.

“It’s great that Culina Group are offering such a fantastic array of benefits to their staff, and it’s clear that the EAP helpline is particularly appreciated.

“Culina’s usage report also shows that more than one in ten calls to the EAP service were made outside of traditional working hours, showing that people are considering issues that they need help with away from the working environment, and are prepared to make that phone call to ask for assistance with a range of personal matters.

“This is what EAP can offer: a rock of support that means that employees need no longer feel alone with battling with problems in their personal lives, whether they are mental health problems or financial issues. They have a resource they can go to for help. Employers then notice the difference in productivity and staff morale, because they have taken these steps to boost the wellbeing of their workforce, both physically and mentally.”

You can see the full detail of the Culina Group’s findings here: https://www.employeebenefits.co.uk/culina-group-spent-600000-benefits/

The true cost and impact of mental ill health

It’s time we all woke up to the true cost and impact of mental ill health, says EAPA chair as new report reveals an estimated cost of £105 billion a year in England

Stark statistics in an insightful new report have estimated that every year in England, the cost of mental ill health reaches £105 billion, with one in four people experiencing mental health issues.

EAPA chair, Eugene Farrell, has welcomed the publication of the first ever Social Impact Report produced by Mental Health First Aid England (MHFA). 

MHFA came to England in 2007 with the aim of improving public mental health. Its first Social Impact Report is intended to celebrate its 12 years of history, with the organisation now planning to produce a report each year. 

A Community Interest Company (CIC), MHFA provides training via its Instructor Training programme licensed by Mental Health First Aid International. 

Once trained, MHFA’s instructor members deliver training across the country. Since 2009, 400,000 people have been trained in mental health  awareness via MHFA. 

Included in the Social Impact Report are further alarming statistics revealing the true picture – and cost – of mental ill health in England: 

• 15 people a day took their life in 2017 (54,874)
• It’s estimated that many more attempted suicide
• Despite a quarter of the population experiencing a diagnosable mental health condition each year, 70-75 per cent of those with a diagnosable mental illness receive no treatment at all

EAPA chair Eugene Farrell says: “The new Social Impact Report produced by MHFA certainly makes sobering reading – although there is plenty to inspire and offer hope within its pages too. 

“As chair of an organisation which is championing mental health wellbeing in the workplace, I certainly support the excellent work being done by MHFA to provide training for thousands of people so they are equipped to help those who are going through tough times. 

“EAP’s are perfectly placed in the workplace to provide the additional support needed and it’s important that mental health first aiders understand what an EAP is and how to signpost someone for assessment and support. It’s also important that the first aiders themselves are properly supported and managed so that they do not become overwhelmed by their role. 

“I echo what MHFA have said in their report: that we all have mental health, and we need to learn to recognise when others – and we ourselves – are struggling. The stigma that has long existed over depression and other mental health issues needs to be addressed and we need to learn to listen more, without judgement.

“I welcome this new report and I hope that when organisations read it they will wake up and realise that employees’ mental health wellbeing is just as important as their physical health. Proper mental health help, delivered by skilled professionals, is the only way that we can start to drive down these worrying statistics. Once more organisations begin to realise this, we can all work together to save lives.”

You can have a read of the first MHFA Social Impact Report here, or see this YouTube video for more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFRCdgXGlig.

Supporting employees to manage bereavement

The UK EAPA vice-chair Andrew Kinder recently wrote a highly insightful piece for Mad World news surrounding the difficult topic of bereavement, and how to manage it in the workplace.

Here is an edited version, or you can also read the whole thing on the Mad World website, here.

“Bereavement is such a highly emotive topic, that line managers can feel very uncomfortable about what should and shouldn’t be said. It can be easier for them to be cold, to see a bereavement as being irrelevant to the job that needs to be done; or struggle when they’ve had their own recent deaths to deal with and become like a counsellor with their team member.

It’s an example of where an EAP comes into its own. Professional support is important in being able to understand the full picture of what’s happened. The impact of a bereavement covers a spectrum depending on the nature of the relationship, whether there are any other factors to deal with – if the last contact had been negative, if relations had been strained for some time, if there was a suicide – what can sometimes turn into “complicated grief”.

An EAP professional will be able to explore the level of significance in the employee’s life and unpick complexities. It’s a difficult conversation to have, that needs time and sensitivity. The EAP will also provide support on practical matters: funeral arrangements, dealing with belongings, the sale of property, how to look after other members of the family who might now need more help themselves. 

Managers shouldn’t have to act as counsellors themselves, but need to be able to signpost to the EAP and provide the necessary understanding. They should also be aware of cultural differences – some are more demonstrative about grief than the traditional ‘British’ reserve on such matters.

Depending on the degree of impact, people may need time off or some temporary reduction in workload. At the same time, it’s important to remember the value of work in helping staff and that it can be a welcome distraction from worries and negative feelings.

Managers need to ensure there’s always a discussion of individual needs, some empathy, that they are not imposing their thinking or solutions and they don’t expect people to just ‘go back to normal’. In some situations, a bereavement can mean there is no ‘normal’ anymore, they need time to re-make themselves, and their relationships with work.”

EAPA is delighted to be a supporting partner of the Mad World Summit 2019, to promote best practice in mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. Mad World stands for Make a difference. 

The Mad World Summit is a global conference and exhibition dedicated to making a difference to mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. It’s a unique event where early movers and visionary pioneers are working together both to advance the agenda and engage new voices. 

The event will take place on 9 October 2019, the day before World Mental Health Day, at 133 Houndsditch in Central London.  

For details of the fantastic line up of speakers visit www.madworldsummit.com. Register here using the EAPA discount code EAPA for 50% off both the group and single ticket rates.

See the summit’s social media tags:

#MADWorldLDN – for both Twitter and LinkedIn

@mad-world-summit – for LinkedIn

@mad-world-forum – Twitter handle

EAPs and the cost of quality

Last week, EAPA UK chair, Eugene Farrell wrote an article for the Mad World newsletter that explored EAPs and the increasing costs associated with delivering high standards and quality EAP services.

In the article, Eugene highlighted how the smooth operation of an EAP service is down to the professional counsellors and psychologists who directly support employees but also vitally important are the EAP staff and management who manage the day-to-day operations. These practitioners, like counsellors and psychologists, also work to professional standards that must be adhered to such as clinical guidance and ethical standards.

The article explains that while affiliated with EAPA, the global professional body, UK EAPA has developed a set of standards specifically created for the UK market. All UK EAPA registered providers of EAP services work very specifically within this standards framework which covers the work of the counsellors and psychologists but also the staff delivering support, administration, affiliate management and overall service and delivery management.

For employers, knowing that both the counsellors and the way that the EAP itself is managed are covered within this standards framework, are an important part of the confidence and subsequent trust needed when it comes to selecting and using a service. Eugene also points out that providers too will each have working practices and standards that they operate to in addition to the UK EAPA standards.

IT and the safety of information is another consideration of quality to ensure that personal and sensitive data remain secure and delivering this is also a cost of service quality.

This is why EAPA UK urges employers, who are thinking of purchasing an EAP programme or changing providers, also think about the unseen standards and practices that really go into making a good programme. Achieving these standards requires design, process creation, implementation and monitoring and it goes without saying that such management and delivery has a cost associated with it, and this is part of the fee that purchasers pay for their EAP.

Eugene also highlights how the EAP industry is already seeing an increase in the use of services, reflecting the rise in mental health awareness and action in the workplace and that while a positive step forward, this puts a greater strain on resources across the EAP industry and again has cost implications when it comes to the delivery of a quality EAP service.

“While the cost of EAP provision has fallen over many years making it a very cost-effective workplace intervention, if we are to continue to meet, and in many cases, exceed quality standards while delivering on this rise in demand, EAP pricing may have to increase and become an accepted part of the cost of supporting mental wellbeing at work,” he explains.

You can read the full article here and don’t forget that all EAPA members are entitled to a 50% discount using code EAPA50 when registering for the Mad World Summit in October.

UK EAPA elects new Chair, Eugene Farrell

The UK Employee Assistance Professionals Association is pleased to confirm the election of Eugene Farrell as its new Chair.

The election took place last week at the Association’s Annual General Meeting, held at the Health & Wellbeing at Work conference on 5 March 2019. Speaking on his election, Eugene, who is the Mental Health Lead at AXA PPP healthcare, said:

“There has never been a time where mental health has been talked about and promoted as much as it is now. EAP’s have a very important role to play in the promotion and support of mental health in the workplace and are a key component of mental wellbeing for many organisations.

“It is a challenging time too, with growing awareness creating greater demand upon wellbeing services and their delivery. Workplace demographics are changing with increasing numbers of young professionals joining the workforce. Having grown up using the internet, mobile devices and social media, they expect to be able to access support services via mobile apps and web-based platforms as well as more traditional routes.

“I am looking forward to working with the Board to continue establishing UK EAPA as the voice for the EAP industry, by demonstrating the value and return of EAP programmes and promoting the role of EAP’s in the workplace.”

A full report on the new Board and the recent AGM will be made available to members in the coming weeks.

New ROI tool removing barriers to employer workplace health promotion

The final report from the Institute of Employment Studies (IES) on Designing and Testing a Return on Investment Tool for EAPs has now been published and is available to download from the UK EAPA website.

Created by the IES on behalf of UK EAPA, the tool responds to a lack of evidence for the cost-effectiveness of workplace health initiatives, as identified by the Stevenson-Farmer, Thriving At Work report.

An interim study report highlights that, despite evidence of the business case for investment in employee mental health promotion, previous data have not sufficiently related to the conditions of UK small- and medium-sized businesses – data are from large businesses in the United States.

Therefore, this tool aims to capture data of sufficient quality to demonstrate cost-effectiveness and workforce health benefits. IES drew on analysis from the field of human capital to calculate reliably the organisational productivity gains associated with improved wellbeing as a result of the use of EAPs.

In order to estimate the direct and indirect costs of sickness absence to an employer, the tool adds realism to cost estimates borne from the human capital approach, by making assumptions about the balance between direct and indirect costs.

Early indications from the data collected from the tool suggest that the ROI of EAPs is positive, even with lower absence and utility figures. IES will publish core findings of the study later in 2019.

IES Research Fellow and co-author of the report, Zofia Bajorek, commented: “There is a wealth of evidence available to suggest that the health and wellbeing of the workforce is important to focus on, yet the personal and financial costs of poor mental health for individuals and their employers suggest that more needs to be done to help those with mental health problems at work. In this context, it is important to ensure that health and wellbeing interventions should be evidence-based to be of greatest value to organisations.”

Neil Mountford, Chair of EAPA, commented: “While EAPs are among the most commonly used wellbeing interventions in the UK with close to half of the workforce (a total of almost 14 million) having access to an EAP, very few providers or employers have been able to collect data beyond basic take-up and satisfaction surveys.

“Data from the first users of the tool have shown that EAPs have a significantly positive return-on-investment in terms of organisational, as well as individual, outcomes. As we gather more data from EAP providers, IES will be able to further develop the tool and provide more in-depth analysis of financial outcomes – meaning increasing levels of credibility for the figures and their use with senior management and for wellbeing strategy investment.”