LionHeart reassurances following EAP revelations
LionHeart has moved to reassure RICS professionals over the confidentiality of its support services, including counselling and telephone helpline, in the wake of revelations about one of the largest EAP providers in the UK.
A BBC investigation last week found that Health Assured - the UK’s biggest provider of workplace mental health services - let corporate clients listen in to confidential helpline calls without the knowledge or permission of callers. The company provides Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) services, including a helpline and short-term counselling, to 13 million workers across the UK and Ireland.
Counsellors told the BBC’s File on 4 programme the practice was “unethical” and “inappropriate”. Other employees claimed helpline calls were sometimes handled by staff with no clinical training or experience, with one describing how they searched online for advice while waiting to transfer a call from a suicidal person to a counsellor.
Bena Kansara, LionHeart’s support services manager, said: “While there are undoubtedly some good employee assistance programmes, the practices revealed by the BBC last week will worry many people.
“Sometimes the surveyors who call LionHeart for help tell us that while they might have access to an EAP through their firms, they are reluctant to use it because they fear what they share might somehow be fed back to their employers. Last week’s headlines will unfortunately add to those reservations and may well lead to people not getting support when they need it.
“It can be hard for someone to ask for help if they’re struggling and we think it’s so important to do what we can to remove those barriers. At LionHeart, as an entirely independent charity, we are uniquely placed to support RICS professionals, and anyone who calls us can be assured that all of our services are entirely confidential. In fact, there is not even an obligation for the individuals who call us to tell us who they work for. The records we do keep are used to help us to make sure that our own services are as effective as possible, and are never shared outside of LionHeart.
“Our support team and counsellors are very experienced; they genuinely care about the work they do to support surveyors and their families and will go the extra mile to do so. Please don’t let a negative story stop you from asking for help from your professional charity.”
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