The Double Glazing and Conservatory Ombudsman Scheme (DGCOS) says it has been encouraged by the hundreds in the industry who have downloaded its mental health and wellbeing podcasts, saying the level of engagement is a clear indication of the scale of the problem in the industry.
The organisation last year teamed up with the National Home Improvement Council (NHIC) along with medical experts, frontline charity workers and DGCOS representatives to share first hand insight and knowledge about the industry’s current mental health and wellbeing challenges https://www.the-glazine.com/?p=10373 . The move was the latest in a series of initiatives launched by DGCOS chief Faisal Hussain to tackle what he had identified as a growing problem in the industry.
“I’ve personally been encouraged to see how much mental health and wellbeing have become more comfortable topics of conversation in our sector and are on the agenda now for many businesses. It’s great to have such a response to the podcasts and know that they are having the positive impact we hoped for.
“This was confirmed by one listener emailing us to say that he realised he was experiencing burn out after listening to the podcast. He didn’t understand what he was feeling beforehand, but the podcast gave him some clarity and helped him move forward.
“If we help just one person with these podcasts, we’re happy, but we’d dearly like to see others in the industry gain benefit from the shared insights given on the podcasst.
The series of six episodes cover the following topics: mental health support in the sector and its effects on productivity; what does a good work life balance look like; managing loneliness working away from home; the importance of a holistic approach to supporting your team; and Mental Health Support in the Home Improvement and Renewables sectors and for trades people. The last podcast, which is relevant to today’s current economic challenges, tackles finances: Accessing debt support for better financial health. It’s been really interesting to see the engagement levels so far there have been hundreds of downloads.
Running during Autumn to coincide with Suicide Prevention Month in September and depression and mental health awareness month in October, the podcasts featured a panel of speakers who shared their personal experiences. These included Hannah Vickers, Chief of Staff at Mace and Head of Productivity at the Construction Leadership Council’ Martin Lockham from Mates in Mind, George Jones from Cahill Renewables, Tony Steel from Band of Builders, GP Dr Rachel Cooper MBBS MRCGP, and Greg Jenkinson from Step Change.
The podcasts are available on https://nhic.podbean.com/ or via Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts and YouTube
https://installers.dgcos.org.uk/
