Bank of Ireland for Intermediaries has become the latest signatory to the Mortgage Industry Mental Health Charter (MIMHC).
The lender said that, by signing the Mental Health Charter, it is “demonstrating its commitment to ensuring a culture of openness and compassion surrounding mental health for all mortgage professionals through greater understanding and appropriately delivered support”.
As part of the charter, the bank commits to developing mental health awareness among employees, encouraging open conversations about mental health and support available to struggling employees and offering employees good working conditions that encourage a healthy work/life balance and development opportunities.
Other commitments include promoting effective people management through line managers, routinely monitoring employee mental health and wellbeing through surveys and regular contact and having a named contact for mental health support.
Alan Longhorn (pictured), head of sales, distribution and marketing at Bank of Ireland for Intermediaries, said: “We recognise that in order to best deliver for our customers, we need to prioritise our colleagues’ wellbeing to ensure they are thriving, happy and healthy.
“At Bank of Ireland, we have embedded a structured and strategic approach to wellbeing [that] provides a range of supports as well as helps reduce stigma by normalising conversations around mental health.
“We are delighted to become a signatory to the Mortgage Industry Mental Health Charter and look forward to working in collaboration across the industry to help drive meaningful and lasting change on this important issue.”
Jason Berry, co-founder of the MIMHC and group sales director at Crystal Specialist Finance, said: “I am delighted to welcome Bank of Ireland for Intermediaries as a signatory to MIMHC. There is undoubtedly a combined commitment to encourage positive mental health and wellbeing for all those people operating in the mortgage sector.
“Our 2024 MIMHC calendar has many fun activities along with useful webinar sessions where best practices will be shared across our signatories. I very much look forward to Bank of Ireland’s participation and hugely appreciate the commitment shown to become a signatory.”
Other recent signatories of the charter include Paragon and Saffron.
Anna is currently the deputy editor for Mortgage Solutions and editor for Specialist Lending Solutions. She has worked as a journalist since 2019, having secured her Gold Standard NCTJ diploma from News Associates in a fast-track six-month course.
She started her career as a report at specialist publication The Insurance Insider covering a wide range of areas before joining Mortgage Solutions and Specialist Lending Solutions in 2021.
In her role, she helps put together and structure the news agenda for the day and writes up press releases, reports, interviews, analyses and exclusives across both titles. She also commissions blogs for Specialist Lending Solutions and hosts online masterclasses and in-person events across the business.
She has been shortlisted for three journalism awards, which include BIBA Journalist and Media Awards Scoop of Year Award in 2020, Headline Money Mortgage Journalist of the Year Award (B2B) in 2022 and 2023.
Prior to being a journalist, Anna worked in ecommerce across Snow + Rock, Cycle Surgery and Runners Need websites, and before that worked at specialist financial PR firm Rostrum.
In her spare time, Anna enjoys reading, seeing live music, and cooking for friends and family. When she gets a chance, she also enjoys hiking, skiing and indoor rock climbing.