From protecting our elite athletes to supporting participants in grassroots clubs, the issue of mental health has never been higher on the sporting agenda. In collaboration with Sport Wales, Cardiff Met is in the process of rolling out a mental health training programme for sports performance teams, and research has recently been commissioned by Sport Wales to look at the potential to develop and utilise sport for better mental health in communities across Wales. But what about the mental wellbeing of our paid sporting workforce?
As we celebrate World Mental Health Day, it is important to remember as a sector that beyond today we also have a duty of care to our employees in terms of their own everyday health and wellbeing. According to the Chartered Institute of Professional Development, 37% of organisations say they have seen an increase in workforce stress over the last 12 months, and a recent survey of Welsh Sports Association (WSA) members identified that support for their paid workforce rated highest amongst respondents’ immediate priorities on mental health.
Gina Dixon, MD of WSA insurance consultants Watkin Davies (pictured) said:
“There’s been a cultural shift towards encouraging staff to talk about their mental health problems and for employers to support them. In my experience, smaller business owners care about this as much as larger employers but it can be harder for them to find the right support. To assist WSA members and their employees across Wales, we’ve secured an excellent health and wellbeing package which offers a cost-effective way of providing practical help for staff.
‘Equipsme’ includes a wide range of services, and importantly offers the benefit of a staff support line for £1.50 per member of staff per month – with telephone appointments with trained councillors and up to 5 face to face sessions. It isn’t restricted to work-related problems – it could be anything from depression following a relationship break up through to the stress of money worries.”
Highlights of the Equipsme plans include:
- 24/7 GP access
- Physiotherapy sessions
- Personalised health check, diagnosis and treatment
- Easy to apply for: no medical questions on application
- Easy to work out the cost: all ages 16-69 years cost the same
- The business can make it affordable by mixing cover levels and benefits
- Retain and attract employees with the second most popular employee benefit
- Plain-speaking and easy to understand makes application fast and simple
- Employees can choose to pay to upgrade and add family
- For all businesses with between 2-249 employees.
More information on Equipsme can be found here (link to overview page) and for further details on how you can protect your paid workforce, please contact Oliver Watkins or Daniel Abbot on 029 2062 6226 or email [email protected]
