The company has teamed up with the charity to promote support and provision for sub-contractors
Seddon and Mates in Mind are working to offer extra support for sub-contractor mental health.
The collaboration is a part of Mates in Mind’s ongoing campaign to boost support for all contractors and construction workers, on- and off-site.
Suicide rates among construction workers are 3.7x above the national average
Mates in Mind are working to expand mental health services for all construction workers, as evidenced by their promotions during National Apprenticeship Week.
Nicola Hodkinson, the owner and director of Seddon, has been a Mates in Mind trustee since 2020, and an awareness event was held at the Seddon head office on April 3 to bring Seddon partners up to speed on the work being done by the charity.
The charity focused on male suicide prevention, Andy’s Man Club, also presented at the event.
The partnership between Seddon and Mates in Mind will tackle sub-contractor mental health by expanding resources for contractors and sub-contractors to have a ‘lite assessment’, explore options for mental health, and allow Mates in Mind to improve the options available to the staff.
This will be achieved through printed resources and leaflets, training on starting conversations around mental health, and how to provide support to team members.
Sub-contractor mental health is an important part of a larger whole
Recent research by St Johns Ambulance has highlighted that a huge 82% of construction workers say that they have suffered from mental health challenges at some point in their working lives in the industry.
48% say that they are currently working to a level of stress and anxiety that is negatively affecting their life and work, and 31% said they would describe their state as ‘struggling’, ‘overwhelmed’, or ‘suicidal’.
Owner and director of Seddon, Nicola Hodkinson, said: “Working in the construction sector, I can see how important it is for everyone in our sector to have access to good quality mental health support. Being involved with Mates in Mind has been immensely rewarding and I’m excited to be able to offer the charity’s exemplary support to all people in Seddon’s supply chain.
“There is a mental health crisis in construction and any one job site can have tens of subcontractors or freelance workers, which is why it’s so important for them to receive support in the same way as those employed by Seddon directly.”
Lewis Welsby, contracts manager at Seddon Housing Partnerships, said: “I wanted to get involved with Seddon’s wellbeing plan because I’m passionate about increasing awareness across, not only our own business, but our supply chain. I found out about Seddon’s Employee Assistance Programme when I was going through my own difficult time in 2023.
“I believe that it’s important for organisations to foster a culture where people can talk and for the leaders to be able to spot the signs and have the necessary conversations. That’s why it’s important for us to work with Mates in Mind.”
Sam Downie, managing director at Mates in Mind, said: “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with Seddon and expand their mental wellbeing offer to all of their supply chain.
“We believe that through providing the skills, clarity and confidence to businesses on how to raise awareness, improve understanding, implement effective interventions and address the stigma of mental ill-health we can support people before they reach crisis point, and mental health becomes everyone’s responsibility.
“Through this partnership we will be able to support more organisations to build positive mental health, in and through work.”
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