Services

The term resilience, in the context of the workplace, refers to both organisational resilience and individual resilience.

Developing individual resilience within an organisation will, in turn, undoubtedly improve employee health and wellbeing, engagement, productivity and performance.

Resilient and healthy organisations have the capacity to respond quickly and effectively to internal and external pressures for change, and have a greater prospect of continuing success. Given that organisations are formed of people working together for a common purpose, corporate resilience is, effectively, the accumulated resilience of individuals who make up the workforce. Corporate resilience focuses on creating the environment that pre-disposes the workforce to be resilient, so that the workforce as a whole makes the organisation resilient.

Psychological resilience is defined as an individual’s ability to successfully adapt to life tasks in the face of social disadvantage or adverse conditions. Adversity and stress can come in the shape of family or relationship problems, health problems, or workplace and financial worries, among others. Resilience is one’s ability to bounce back from a negative experience with “competent functioning”. Put simply, resilience is the ability to cope with and rise to the inevitable challenges, problems and set-backs one meets in the course of one’s life, and come back stronger from them.

Resilience relies on different skills and draws on various sources of help. Psychologists have identified some of the factors that make someone resilient, among them a positive attitude, optimism, awareness, the ability to regulate emotions, rational thinking skills, physical and mental health, good relationships which can be drawn on, and the ability to see failure as a form of helpful feedback. Even after misfortune, resilient individuals are blessed with such an outlook that they are able to change course and move on.

Resilience is not a rare ability; in reality, it is found in the average individual and it can be learned and developed by virtually anyone. Resilience should be considered a process, rather than a trait to be had.

Through a combination of lectures, workshops, training (group and one-to-one) and psychometric analysis, our team of experts are able to identify and address challenges and issues affecting both organisational and individual resilience. They can advise and support organisations and their employees to better target and manage workplace issues and stress, improve confidence and relationships, and perform under pressure.

Acupuncture is a complementary medical practice, derived from ancient Chinese medicine, that entails stimulating certain points on the body, most often with a fine needle penetrating the skin, for therapeutic or preventative purposes. It is used in many NHS general practices, as well as the majority of pain clinics and hospices in the UK.

Acupunture offers many benefits including increased productivity. Acupuncture also reduces the physical and mental impacts of an unhealthy or stressful work environment benefiting both organisations and their employees.

Benefits for the employer:

• Less injuries due to repetitive strain on the body
• Reduced absenteeism
• Strengthens mental focus and increases alertness
• Defines your company as progressive

Benefits for the employee:

• Reduced stress by lowering stress hormones and moderating mood to reduce anxiety
• Reduced back and neck tension
• Relief for the “mouse” hand and arm
• Reduced eye strain
• Enhanced mental clarity
• Relief from headaches
• Increased immune system function (helping to fight off bacteria/viruses and recover more quickly)
• Increased energy
• Improved sleep
• Eased digestive troubles
• Relief from allergy symptoms (and prevention)
• Reduced cravings for cigarettes
• Detoxification
• And much more…

We partner with a number of organisations who can offer complementary services to those of our practitioners such as lunchtime talks on topics ranging from parenting (young children and teenagers), to looking after elderly parents, living with serious illness, dealing with divorce, and managing careers (all of which can have negative effects on both physical and mental health).

Voice coaching can enable an individual to fully utilise their voice in the work environment, successfully affecting their listener and achieving their desired results. This is achieved through training them how to employ their diaphragm and breath for powerful, authentic, and effective communication.

Voice coaching can help to build confidence anywhere an individual may be experiencing a loss of power, freedom or self-expression including when public speaking, delivering talks/lectures/power point presentations, in one-to-one situations (when trying to get one’s point across), or chairing meetings.

Our team of voice coaches are experienced in delivering voice coaching in a workplace context.

Physiotherapy is a science-based profession. Physiotherapists help people affected by injury, illness or disability through movement and exercise, manual therapy (including massage, heat treatment and acupuncture), education and advice.

According to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, physiotherapy is key to tackling workplace ill health and keeping people in work.

By intervening early, and playing a key role in the treatment and prevention of health conditions that affect ability to work, physiotherapists can improve patient health and wellbeing and reduce benefit dependency.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are one of the major causes of absence from work in the UK. Research shows that prompt access to physiotherapy for people with MSDs can prevent the development of chronic musculoskeletal conditions and impact upon the potential development of associated mental health problems.

We partner with experienced physiotherapists who are ideally placed to provide the advice and treatment that will keep individuals in work and help individuals return to work, reducing sickness absenteeism and increasing productivity. Their services extend beyond individual care for specific complaints and include workstation assessments and recommendations, and advice in respect of the pattern of injuries across organisations with whom they work in order that those organisations can institute better informed/targeted wellness strategies, preventing other similar complaints.

As more and more individuals discover the benefits of yoga, the 3,000-year-old practice is increasingly finding its way into the workplace.

Yoga can counter the effects of a demanding/stressful working environment, reducing absenteeism from sickness or other physical problems, boosting organisational morale, improving communication skills among employees, enabling employees to be happier and more productive, and thus affecting an organisation’s bottom line.

Many organisations now recognise this value and more and more are offering classes as part of their corporate wellness programmes. These include the likes GE, Apple, Google, GM, Facebook, and Nike.

Yoga has numerous benefits. In particular, it:

• teaches individuals stress management (thus relieving stress and lowering levels of cortisol)
• improves the immune system and overall health, resulting in decreased absenteeism and sickness levels
• increases productivity, motivation, and work performance
• improves decision making and creativity
• increases energy, mental alertness, and clarity
• improves stamina/reduces fatigue
• improves morale, job satisfaction, and positive thinking patterns
• improves memory, focus and concentration
• reduces muscle tension and musculoskeletal pain due to sedentary working positions
• alleviates physical ailments and pain (which will affect productivity)
• improves flexibility and physical strength
• improves breathing (known as Pranayama, this helps an individual slow down and deepen their breaths. It
• activates the body’s parasympathetic system (or how individuals relax)
• decreases headaches
• improves confidence
• creates inner peace, calm and presence
• assists weight management
• reduces anxiety (by increasing levels of the neurotransmitter GABA which both lifts mood and suppresses anxiety)
• helps with depression
• provides cardiovascular benefits (by lowering the resting heart rate and improving oxygen uptake during exercise)
• lowers burnout rates
• lowers feelings of hostility and aggression
• lowers levels of absenteeism

Our team of yoga teachers are highly experienced in both their training and the delivery of yoga into a workplace setting. Courses/lessons can be tailored to suit client organsations and their employees. This may include for instance, introductory taster sessions to the different forms of yoga practice, regular lunchtime/evening courses, off-site retreats, drop-in sessions, and workshops.

An individual’s body and mind are their most important assets. A healthy body, a healthy mind!

There are many benefits of regular exercise, improving all aspects of one’s life from health to work. For instance, it is well proven that individuals who exercise are more productive: think Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group, who frequently starts his day with a morning run.

Personal training can be transformational for many individuals including those who are time poor, struggling with motivation, bored with their workouts, like company when exercising, want to learn something new, or are looking to train for or achieve a specific purpose. A good personal trainer will consult with a client about their lifestyle and goals, run diagnostics on their body, give them a tailored training programme, teach them proper technique and then support and motivate them (through challenge and accountability) to follow through until they reach where they want to be and beyond. The Journal of Sports Science & Medicine estimated that individuals are 30% more likely to hit their goals with a personal trainer than alone.

In terms of benefits, exercise:

• Keeps you alert and focused ultimately improving your performance (by increasing blood flow to the brain, sharpening your awareness)
• Raises your energy level (by enhancing your body’s ability to transfer glucose and oxygen throughout your brain and body, thus increasing your energy level)
• Improves brain function (those who are physically active score better on cognitive tests than people living a sedentary lifestyle; there is a clear link between physical fitness, brain function and reduced stress levels at work; when your brain is performing at full capacity, you can focus, concentrate, and make better decisions, all essential to be more effective and efficient)
• Can help you find your optimal work-life balance (it is been found that individuals who managed to stick with a regular exercise routine experienced less trouble finding an optimal work-life balance, possibly because structured activity helped them become better at time management and more confident in their ability to pull off the demands of both work and home)
• Can help you to reach optimum physical health (not only can exercising help reduce body weight and the risk for certain medical conditions, you also will have improved cardiovascular health, which will give you more stamina to meet the physical demands of your job)
• Improves mental health (improved mental health enables you to be more productive; regular exercise can help curb feelings of anxiety and depression through the release of serotonin that helps you feel better and improves your state of mind, making you better able to deal with stress at home and work)
• Illness prevention (regular exercise that includes power walking, running, weight lifting, swimming or jogging can help reduce your risk of developing certain types of illness and disease, meaning fewer sick days; with an improved immunity, you minimise your chances for getting viruses; exercise reduces your risk for developing type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension and heart disease – all of which can interfere with work productivity)

Our team of personal trainers have over 40 years of experience between them working with a range of different clients from senior executives and leading entrepreneurs to royals, celebrities and sports personalities. They combine in-person with remote support services thus utilising the time an individual has to exercise as efficiently as possible. Their services extend beyond working with individuals to supporting organisations more widely through a variety of initiatives.

Lack of sleep can have a profound and debilitating impact on both physical and mental health.

Research has revealed that 75% of people in the UK are not getting a good night’s sleep which is not surprising given the increasing pressure at home and work, not to mention the impact of modern technology resulting in many individuals being ‘switched on’ at all hours of the day and night. As such, finding time to let go and unwind can be difficult.

In addition, being able to sleep does not necessarily mean that the quality of sleep is clean and restorative, thus many individuals wake up groggy and with little energy to face the day. This is turn can lead to anxiety and productivity issues amongst others.

Our sleep expert can provide simple and effective tools and strategies to counter all manner of sleep problems, thus improving health, wellbeing and productivity of those affected.

A fit, healthy and happy workforce can, in turn, help to improve the health and wellbeing of their organisation, ultimately impacting on its future development and success, as well as that of its employees.

Well-targeted nutrition education in the workplace, together with practical initiatives, have been proven to improve productivity in a number of ways including reduced anxiety, less absenteeism, improved presenteeism, better morale, increased motivation, greater loyalty, and lower health insurance premiums.

Nutrition is not only key to physical wellbeing, but also to mental health. At a very high level, fuelling one’s body with unsuitable food choices can lead to a vicious circle of lethargy, substance abuse to counter that (including caffeine!), underperformance as a result of low energy and concentration levels and, ultimately, stress and anxiety related to the potential consequences.

Our services, tailored both at an individual and organisational level (and including working with a client’s catering team where appropriate), will help a client’s staff to become more energised, engaged, happy and able to focus on the task in hand.

Our nutritionists are highly corporate minded in both their experience and output.

Executive development is a critical aspect of all organisations and often one that is most overlooked.

There is often confusion between coaching and counselling. In essence, coaching helps individuals to access their natural talents so they can maximise their potential. It is about clarifying and achieving goals. Counselling helps individuals to talk about problems they may be having or to explore what it is they really want and how they can achieve those wishes. At times, both may be needed concurrently and complement each other. At others, well timed coaching can, in certain situations, help prevent a challenge from transitioning into a mental health issue (such as anxiety or depressions for instance).

Executive coaching supports those facing challenging situations (such as a promotion, when facing difficult or complex situations at work, or when dealing with corporate or personal change), identifies ways to limit the impact of pressure and aims to realise the best performance possible.

By addressing specific personal development issues in a time-effective manner, both organisational and individual benefits are delivered quickly. These can include greater commitment, retention of key personnel, a clearer strategic direction, more creative outlook in strategy, better planning, greater team working and improved management of staff.

Our team of executive coaches are highly impressive individuals, with extensive business experience between them (including in the entrepreneurial, corporate, financial, educational and legal sectors). They act as advisors to boards, senior executives, and leaders within various organisations and industries.

Life coaching is a practical way of helping an individual to achieve the changes they want or need in their life. It involves meaningful conversations to help an individual to get from where they are now to where they want to be. It is a confidential, exploratory process which helps an individual get faster and more effective results than working alone.

Individuals may start down this path due to a sense of dissatisfaction; others come for a specific purpose such as making career choices or a change of job, improving work-life balance, building self confidence, increasing health and vitality, improving relationships, or getting more of what they want from their time.

A coach will help an individual to explore and define what they are unhappy with in their life (if relevant), what they want from their life, identify the obstacles, and find ways to overcome them. This will involve defining goals, identifying the practical steps needed to achieve them, using new techniques/tools, and developing additional skills.

By exploring priorities and focusing on what is important this should, in turn, forge the connections to an individual’s sense of self and re-establish confidence and self-esteem.

As a result of the process, the individual should be able to take control, move forward and achieve the changes – and the lifestyle – they desire, thus impacting on their wellbeing and effectiveness in all areas of their life and work.

Our team of experts are able to support corporate organisations and their employees to achieve greater clarity, impact and visibility through workshops and/or individual coaching.

Counselling and psychotherapy are often considered to be interchangeable communication therapies that overlap in a number of ways. The key difference between the two courses of treatment lies in the recommended time required to see benefits. Counselling usually refers to a brief treatment that centres around behaviour patterns (for instance in relation to addiction). Psychotherapy focuses on working with clients for a longer term, draws from insight into emotional problems and difficulties, and looks at the foundation of the problem.

Our team consists of clinical and health psychologists, CBT therapists, occupational therapists and counsellors (supported and complemented by several experienced psychiatry colleagues). All of the team have extensive experience of delivering psychological/therapeutic services within the context of corporate organisations.

Our services in this area seek to raise awareness about the importance of health, happiness and wellbeing in the workplace, and to support employers by providing a range of services and workplace health initiatives, together with fast and practical interventions should an employee be experiencing work-related difficulties or ill health.

Our team work with a wide range of problems and concerns, either personal and/or workplace related including:

• Anxiety
• Addictions
• Bereavement and Loss
• Communication problems
• Depression
• Eating problems
• Generalised Anxiety Disorder
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
• Panic Attacks
• Relationship problems
• Social Anxiety
• Stress-Related problems
• Traumatic life events

A good wellbeing programme must enable simple and effective access for all users.

The starting point is often well signposted and publicised offerings in the form of an intranet based wellbeing page. Here, employees can access information, helplines, tools, techniques, webinars, podcasts, and other resources at the click of a link. They are also able to register for and book appointments, and places on courses and events (web-based or otherwise) where on offer.

Our experienced team of web designers and developers can design and build bespoke wellbeing pages for our clients, and provide support in respect of other IT based wellbeing offerings.

Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we are doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what is going on around us. It is a mental state, used as a therapeutic technique, achieved by focusing awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations.

Although it has its roots in Buddhism, secular mindfulness has stripped out much of the spiritual and focused on the scientific. Mindfulness is now being used in a variety of contexts including healthcare, schools, government, the services, the prison system and workplaces.

Mindfulness can support health and wellbeing in the corporate sector and has taken its place across the globe as an effective way of helping organisations to function better. It has been adopted by many organisations including the likes of Goldman Sachs, Barclays and JP Morgan.

With rapid advances in technology potentially enabling us to work 24/7, many employers and employees find themselves struggling to cope and there is a tendency to constantly multitask, the effect of which is actually to lower productivity and job satisfaction, and to increase stress. Seldom can one switch off completely, taking a toll on both our health and wellbeing in the workplace and in our personal/family life.

Through continued mindfulness practice, individuals can learn increased focus, awareness, and to pay full attention. In turn they can become calmer, clearer, happier and more creative. Scientific studies prove that our brains in fact ‘rewire’ themselves towards a more mindful attitude generally which has potential benefits in all aspects of our lives.

Mindfulness has been found to support organisations in the following ways:

• Greater productivity
• Reduced emotional exhaustion in the workplace
• Higher level of job control
• Improved decision making
• Effective time management and prioritisation
• Greater creativity and innovation
• Effective communication
• Increased motivation and engagement
• Improved attention and concentration
• Improvement in conflict resolution
• Enhanced resilience of employees
• Increased self-regulation and emotional intelligence
• Enhanced leadership skills
• Greater team effectiveness
• Increased job satisfaction
• Reduced absenteeism and turnover

Our mindfulness practitioners have been practicing mindfulness personally for many years. They are highly regarded leaders in their fields, advocates of the benefits of mindfulness, and experienced in delivering mindfulness training into the workplace. 

Mental health is, despite a growing movement to address its importance in the workplace, unfortunately still considered by many to be one of life’s taboos.

Mind’s latest estimate is that mental ill health costs UK businesses around £26bn a year in lost productivity, and the OECD estimates that our failure to cope adequately with mental health issues costs the UK some 4.5 per cent of its GDP.

The number of days taken off work with mental health problems has increased 25 per cent year on year and stress, depression and anxiety together rank as the largest reason for absence in the workplace. Official statistics suggest that 127 million hours of work were lost in 2015 due to mental health-related absence – the equivalent of around 75,000 individuals losing the entire year.

However, by emphasising the commercial impact of ignoring mental health and the ethical importance of employee care, advocates are now beginning to tackle old taboos. They are encouraging openness and establishing much-needed support systems to ensure that employees are not only given the best chance to remain mentally healthy but, conversely, to equip those on the front line to deal sensitively and appropriately with individuals when they have become unwell.

A number of organisations have begun to take important steps in this direction, but much more needs to be done. Organisations that do not yet have policies in place, or are concerned that what they do have falls short of what is necessary, need to take steps to address this. A key part of this process for managers/partners and appropriate HR contacts should be:

• Consultation in order to better understand the horizon and what should be being done in the immediate and longer term; and
• Training in mental health awareness, to identify and assist employees who may have, or be developing, a mental health issue.

Whether or not organisations have an ethical responsibility to look after the mental wellbeing of their staff, case studies like that of Barclays, who found that for every £1 invested in the mental health of staff, they were able to recoup £7, prove that it quite literally pays for organisations to be mindful of mental health. The business case is clear.

Our experts are high-profile leaders in the field of mental health in the workplace. They have extensive, senior level, business/corporate experience between them, and some also bring with them ‘lived experience’ of mental health issues. They are actively involved in campaigns and initiatives across the corporate space to raise awareness around mental health and address the stigma that still remains. They are able to translate these into specific workplace initiatives for client organisations and their staff, to deliver bespoke mental health awareness training, and to assist with the establishment of onsite “mental health champions” amongst many other offerings.