April marks Stress Awareness month and one of the hidden dangers of the pandemic has been the impact on mental health. With lockdown creating isolation for millions, the full-scale of the damage caused on the nation’s mental health may not be measured for years to come.

Regional managers are given training to identify potential warning signs. Whether this is a lack of ability to concentrate or moods that seem out of character, the manager’s role is to spot these potential clues and ask the right questions. In those instances where there are concerns about a person’s mental wellbeing, managers are trained to direct them to professionals who can provide the support they need.

For employed brokers, Just Mortgages partners with Help Assured who provide employee wellbeing support. The Help Assured team provides a confidential service for brokers to talk whenever they need to and are available 24/7 to offer specialist support on any subject.

Rodney Sloan, head of training at Just Mortgages, said: “We all have to go through mental health challenges at some point in our lives. The pandemic has created some incredibly difficult situations and it is totally normal for people to not feel their best.

“What we want to achieve is a culture where everyone feels comfortable saying ‘I’m not okay’.

“If we have a broken leg, we go to the doctor and we don’t feel apologetic or ashamed of doing it, we need to get to the stage where our mental health is seen the same way. It is not an easy thing to achieve, but we are putting in place measures to ensure when we don’t feel our best, we can get the support we need.”