Mental health advocate launches mental well-being assessment solution

• One Brick Communications, owned by mental health survivor Jay Evans, launches new independent mental wellbeing preparedness assessments for UK businesses. 
• The company is offering a unique service that reviews mental health and wellbeing awareness, preparedness, and provisions within UK businesses. 
• The assessments offer strategic direction to achieve workplace mental wellbeing excellence. 

Workplace mental wellbeing has been front of mind for business leaders for some time and has significantly increased as the pandemic accelerated new ways of working.   

A recent report found that nearly half of all workers are suffering from burnout, mental ill health and stress related to the workplace, which is costing the UK £28 billion per year. For small and medium-sized businesses, the financial impact of absenteeism on lost productivity and efficiency can be crippling, especially with the current economic climate. 

While resources and support are available to business leaders, HR professionals and people teams, it can be overwhelming to develop a unique strategy and provision explicitly designed for a diverse workforce and a new era of work. 

Jay Evans, Managing Director at One Brick Communications, explains:

“As someone who suffers from mental ill health and consistently fights to maintain my mental wellbeing, I have seen first-hand how well – and how badly – prepared businesses are when considering provision to support their colleagues. When considering workplace mental wellbeing, you need to be aware of many factors, but fundamentally, a strategy must encompass various unique individuals. We will all handle situations differently, so there will never be a one-size-fits-all approach to providing mental wellbeing support in the workplace. But that is not to say a strategy cannot be flexible enough to have the widest possible impact on positive mental wellbeing. It is just a little overwhelming if you have no experience of poor mental health and have no idea where to start.” 

Following his own experience with his mental health and having worked with multiple organisations in the UK and around the world, Jay decided he could use his expertise to help businesses understand the needs of their teams, their company and themselves to deliver a culture that promotes positive mental wellbeing. 

“After speaking at events and meeting many business leaders and HR teams, I noticed some themes emerging. When considering mental health support, they sought an ‘off the shelf’ package that they hoped would deliver the results they desired. Some paid for EAP programmes, others trained a couple of Mental Health First Aiders, and they would sit back and consider that a job well done. Whilst commendable, it isn’t very likely to have the impact they would have hoped for and could cost them dearly. It is rare to find a business who had thoroughly assessed its workplace, engaged with its teams, consulted with its managers and board, researched various solutions and developed a unique strategy to deliver clear goals and outcomes. There also wasn’t anyone providing external, independent consultancy and suggesting workplace strategies either, so businesses had nowhere to turn. After consulting with my network and speaking to charities, experts and campaigners, I decided that is what I would do.” Evans continues. 

One Brick will provide independent consultation and assessment and deliver suggestions and strategic advice specific to a business. The company will use a wide range of research activities alongside lived experience and support from various external experts; the assessment will provide a truly unique insight into the business structure and mental wellbeing preparedness alongside strategic direction for improvement. 

“I am not a mental health expert or a trained psychologist, but I know plenty. I am a business strategist and consultant of many years who happens to have lived experience of poor mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. I have had support from some incredible people, organisations and charities over my life and career, and this is my chance to combine my experience and connections for the better good and the wellbeing of workplaces across the country.” 

For more information about One Brick Communications and the mental wellbeing assessments and support available visit www.onebrickcomms.co.uk.