NECS Works was established to support small to medium size business owners and managers in Gateshead AND Newcastle
NECS have over 11 years’ experience of helping people in the north east improve their mental wellbeing. Through the work that we have done we have recognised that helping employers in the North East improve the mental wellbeing of their staff can benefit the company.
The facts are stark – 70 million working days are lost each year due to mental ill health. This costs employers £30 billion pounds. Astonishingly 50% of this cost is due to employees actually being at work while experiencing mental health problems because they are not as effective as they should be. (Source: Chartered Institute of Personnel Directors, 2016).
The impact of these figures may well be able to be managed in a large company who have lots of resources, but small and medium companies will feel the impact quickly and it could affect the service they deliver and the profit they make. When you add to that, staff awaiting treatment with the NHS can wait up to 18 weeks, you can see that the impact on your business of someone experiencing problems could be huge.
If you think it’s not your problem as an employer, think how hard it would be to manage if your staff were in conflict (37% of people with mental health problems are more likely to get into conflict with colleagues. 85% find it more difficult to concentrate – so what happens when they don’t concentrate? Lack of concentration could lead to loss of productivity or, more seriously accidents.
64% of people take longer to do tasks – leading to lack of output and potentially frustration if they are facing customers or colleagues who need things done quickly.
One of the most worrying figures for all businesses should be that 48% of people experiencing mental ill health are less patient with customers or clients. It is always much cheaper to keep an existing customer than to find new ones, but what if a once loyal customer has been at the receiving end of impatience from a member of your team? Who might they tell? How might it damage your business? News of poor service spreads fast on social media.
North East Counselling Services – the story so far…
North East Counselling Services was founded in July 2006 by carers as a result of personal experience. Incorporated as a Community Interest Company (CIC), we work for the benefit of the community and not for private advantage. We have a built in asset lock which ensures that any profits are passed back into the community and not taken as dividends.
Since its foundation North East Counselling Services has provided counselling and therapy to over 9,000 clients in and around Gateshead and South Tyneside. We have worked to help with a variety of challenges including depression, anxiety and stress related disorders. Clients have included carers, ex-service personnel and other ‘hard to reach’ groups such as children and young people (through our outreach work in schools). The vast majority of our clients report a great improvement in how they feel.
Our Philosophy
North East Counselling Services aims to banish health and social care inequalities. Our service is preventative, lessening the impact on traditional healthcare providers and organisations and ensuring individuals receive the emotional care they require.
North East Counselling Services believes that counselling is a process by which people of all ages are helped to gain fresh insight, to have a different perspective and to find motivation. Over a series of one to one sessions in a confidential and supportive setting, counselling can help you make changes in your life. Counselling facilitates the sharing of thoughts and feelings. It aids the process of empowering people to discover their own answers, and to feel more in control of their own life and relationships.
As an organisation we are registered with the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP) and adhere to the codes reflecting the BACP Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy and have policies and practices in place reflecting this. Our policies and procedures are available upon request.