The MIMHC was launched in October last year and offers guidance and a framework for firms to support their staff’s mental wellbeing.
It was co-founded by Brightstar, Chartwell FS, Coreco, Crystal Specialist Finance, Knowledge Bank, Landbay and SimplyBiz Mortgages. The MIMHC’s steering group produces material and practical guidance to help companies provide mental health and wellbeing support to their employees.
According to its website there are around 24 signatories to the charter so far, including Castle Trust Bank, Vibe Specialist Finance, Keystone Property Finance and Mortgage Advice Bureau Bingley.
As part of being a charter, signatory companies should promote mental health awareness amongst employees, encourage open conversations, provide good working conditions for a health work-life balance and ensure line managers have a wellbeing focus.
Crystal Specialist Finance’s group sales and marketing director and co-founder of MIMHC Jason Berry (pictured) said: “We have a real cross section of current signatories which I am delighted to see. These range from small directly appointed brokerages to regional building societies, specialist lenders, mortgage clubs and challenger banks.
“Signatories simply pledge to have a mental health focus within their organisation and commit to keep conversations going so people affected do not suffer in silence.”
He added that getting over 200 signatories by the end of the year was an “absolute must” and signing up was very easy at the MIMHC website.
Berry cited a survey conducted by Crystal Specialist Finance in 2021 which showed that 73 per cent of those surveyed said their company did not participate in mental health or wellbeing initiatives and 10 per cent of sick days taken in the prior year was due to poor mental health.
Martin Reynolds, chief executive of SimplyBiz Mortgages, said poor mental health affected “all levels of society” and was “not mutually exclusive to a specific industry”.
He continued: “For years many companies in our sector have either ignored or had internal wellbeing practices that were not signposted well enough for staff MIMHC therefore aims to proactively increase mental health awareness to help firms with this change and crucially share best practice tips so open and honest conversations are encouraged.
“I particularly like the idea of coffee roulette where participating staff are randomly matched for 30 minute conversations with colleagues they might not otherwise talk to.”
To find out more information and sign up please follow this link www.mimhc.co.uk
