In the seventh of the series, Jason Berry, co-founder of the Mortgage Industry Mental Health Charter (MIMHC) talks to David Jones.

Jones is founder and director of Click2Check, a digital service enabling mortgage brokers to verify a customer’s financial situation as part of the mortgage application process.

Click2Check were one of the early signatories to MIMHC.

In their wide-ranging discussion, Jones shares his personal approach to developing a healthy mental state which stems from his personal experiences in managing his own mental health. This spurred him on to join MIMHC as he initially dealt with his situation without the support mechanisms around him that MIMHC provides.

For Jones, good mental health is achieved through work life integration and making time for his family without feeling guilty. He believes in setting his own agenda and sticking to it. He also finds that sport is a great coping mechanism for him – whether that be a bike ride, a walk or watching sport.

As the owner of an SME and having spent his career in smaller businesses, Jones encourages larger companies in the industry to join MIMHC to ensure that they are replicating the personal touch and relationships that are often formed with employees in SMEs.

His key messages to achieving mental success are to be there for others, look out for each other and make time for yourself.

In forthcoming videos, Berry will be chatting with key figures across the mortgage industry about how they keep the mental health conversation going in their businesses.

MIMHC is a not-for-profit organisation that was founded to raise awareness of employees’ mental health and how the industry can take positive action to improve it.

MIMHC is made up of seven co-founding firms plus 77 signatory companies across the mortgage industry that represent over 15,000 individuals.

All these firms agree to be bound by MIMHC’s six Governing Rules which apply best practice health and wellbeing guidelines and are summarised as the MIMHC Charter.