FirstAssist, part of the Capita Group, today announces that it
has won a contract with De Montfort University, to provide an
employee assistance programme for its circa 3,000 employees.
The contract offers a confidential counselling service, both via
the telephone and face to face and a legal and financial helpline.
Employees will also have access to a wellbeing programme, including
an online portal with 24/7 health and wellbeing advice. This
includes health assessments, weight loss and lifestyle plans
alongside expert training programmes for events ranging from fun
runs to corporate triathlons. Users will be able to record their
own biometric data within a personal wellness record and set
individual goals and plans to assist them in leading a healthy
life. Members will also have access to an extensive library of
fitness and nutrition articles and hundreds of healthy recipes.
In addition, line managers will have access to a 24-hour
managerial support service; this offers expert guidance to help
them deal with challenging management issues and provides an expert
sounding board on a wide range of problems affecting employees in
the workplace.
Ben Browne, director of human resources at De Montfort
University said: "Our employees' health and wellbeing is of the
utmost importance to us and we're committed to offering them the
best support available. The FirstAssist programme is an excellent
resource and we believe it will prove extremely beneficial to our
staff."
Andrea Waller, managing director for First Assist, part of the
Capita Group, comments: "In these tough economic times we're
increasingly seeing customers asking for cost effective solutions
to help them support their employees, whether that be to cope with
stress or depression or to advise on debt management. We're also
very aware that prevention is better than cure and that early
intervention is vital, which is reflected in an increasing uptake
of our wellbeing services."