Bloor Homes has announced it is a company supporter of The Lighthouse Construction Charity, the charity dedicated to the emotional, physical and financial wellbeing of construction workers and their families.
Hannah Burgess, HR Director at Bloor Homes, said: “The Lighthouse’s mission is very clear. It shows that every day two construction workers in the UK take their own life, while stress, depression and anxiety accounts for 27% of all work-related illness in the industry. The Charity has set out to reduce the number of construction industry suicides and improve workforce in a number of ways.
“As well as its free 24/7 helpline it provides free and accessible key support services for everyone in the industry – and their families – and it addresses the root causes early on, tackling three areas of wellbeing: emotional, physical and financial early on to drive change.”
For example, alongside its crucial ‘Get Help Now’ resources, support extends to providing aid to families in crisis from food to financial support, and critical interventions when required.
For those struggling physically or financially, The Lighthouse can help on a wider range of issues from requiring occupational health support or struggling with addiction, to debt management and retirement planning.
In addition, the Charity is pioneering awareness at all levels across the industry via its Wellbeing Academy. It offers a range of courses designed to promote understanding around people’s own mental health whilst also providing them with the skills and knowledge to look out for colleagues.
And The Lighthouse is taking awareness to the frontline of construction through its #makeitvisible campaign, travelling to construction sites around the country to ‘meet the boots on the ground and get them talking’.
Hannah continues: “This aspect of the charity’s work really impressed us as it brings it to everyone working on our sites whether they are directly employed, contracted or subcontracted. It’s an all-encompassing approach. We are looking forward to rolling out a series of dedicated site visits from The Lighthouse in the coming months.”
The visits will include a ‘Toolbox Talk’ and the opportunity for a one-to-one chat.
Meanwhile Bloor Homes is also ensuring teams across its regional head offices and extended site teams are aware of the Charity and its work by sharing communications with every person working with the developer. By doing so, Bloor Homes aims to create – and reiterate – as many opportunities for people to access as much support as possible, complementing its established Employee Assistance Programme.
