Financial service provider Hodge Bank has signed the Mortgage Industry Mental Health Charter (MIMHC).
The charter was established to provide support to UK firms operating within the mortgage sector. It sets out six principles firms voluntarily agree to adhere to, which have been designed to ensure best practice when dealing with the health and wellbeing of its workforce.
These include developing mental health awareness among employees using activities and advocacy, encouraging open conversations about mental health and the support available to those who may be struggling, and providing staff with good working conditions that encourage a healthy work-life balance and opportunities for development.
The charter offers guidance through a straightforward framework to help employers develop and customise services that best cater to their employees’ mental health needs.
The bank’s business development manager Stuart Ottery and mortgage broker Gethin Davies have also launched Clwb Bore Da, a walking and talking group created to be a safe space for conversations. It holds monthly events for those in the mortgage industry to chat if they want or enjoy some fresh air.
Emma Graham, business development director for mortgages at Hodge Bank, said: “Signing the charter is quite simply the right thing for Hodge to do. Not because it’s a tick-box exercise but because at Hodge, we’re already walking the walk when it comes to the six principles.
“From our employee assistance programme, regular training and surveys, to our well-trained mental health first aiders throughout the business, Hodge is genuinely committed to ensuring employees are given the support they need, when they need it. Hodge is genuinely walking the walk when it comes to this commitment.”
Jason Berry, co-founder of MIMHC, added: “When a respected lender commits publicly to prioritising wellbeing, it sends a powerful message across the sector, that performance and people go hand-in-hand. Real progress happens when leadership takes responsibility for creating healthier working environments, and this is a meaningful step in that direction.”
