The Mortgage Industry Mental Health Charter is designed to:

Develop mental health awareness among employees using activities and advocacy

Encourage open conversations about mental health and support employees who might be struggling

Provide employees with good work conditions that encourage a healthy work life balance and opportunities for development

Promote effective people management through line managers and ensure there is a focus on physical and mental well-being as well as performance

Routinely monitor employee mental health and well-being through surveys and regular contact with managers

Have a named contact for mental health support

Becoming a signatory to the charter is the latest initiative from Saffron for Intermediaries to better support the mental health of its employees and other industry stakeholders.

Other initiatives include regular mental health drop-in sessions run by Saffron’s eight mental health first aiders, the opportunity for all managers to complete mental health training with First Aid England, a comprehensive employee assistance programme, and events such as ‘bring your dog to work’ day which are aimed at improving mental health and well-being.

Saffron head of business development Tony Hall comments: “While, the impact of higher interest rates and the cost of living crisis on borrowers over the last year have been widely acknowledged, the well-being challenges faced by mortgage professionals are much less talked about, but just as relevant.

He added: “Our decision to sign the charter isn’t just about being there for our own employees, but supporting the well-being of mortgage professionals across the sector. We hope that by increasing awareness and talking about these all too often taboo topics, we can encourage more industry stakeholders to work together to make our industry an enjoyable and rewarding place to work for everyone.”