Barrhead Travel doubles mental health team and signs menopause pledge

Barrhead Travel has doubled its number of mental health first aiders and signed the Women of Wellbeing menopause pledge.

A total of six employees completed their mental health training in July, bringing the qualified team to 11.

Meanwhile, signing the menopause pledge means the agency will commit to creating a supportive and open culture around the menopause.

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Barrhead Travel president Jacqueline Dobson said: “Looking after our employees is a top priority, so making sure that we are proactively putting resources in place to provide a supportive and inclusive culture is essential.”

The six new recruits to the mental health team completed their First Aid Awards Level 3 in Supervising First Aid for Mental Health, with instruction given by Barrhead’s in-house trainer.

Businesses which have signed the menopause pledge are committed to recognising that the menopause can be an issue in the workplace and women need support. Signatories also promise to talk openly, positively and respectfully about the menopause, while actively supporting and informing employees who are affected by it.

Barrhead said its first steps have included setting up a menopause hub on the company’s intranet, with content including the organisation’s menopause policy as well as “curated employee information for support and advice”.

Dobson said: “Investing in our people, such as our in-house trainer who is now a qualified Mental Health instructor, means we can accelerate our wellbeing programmes internally and deliver training that is meaningful and tailored for our colleagues.

“Formally committing Barrhead Travel to the Wellbeing of Women pledge has also been important as these initiatives are fantastic for accountability as well as providing a source of external information and inspiration for the business.

“We’ve already made strides in our commitment to ensuring the menopause is an ongoing topic of conversation by launching an employee hub that is backed up with internal engagement plans. Our next steps will be to launch an Employee Resource Group of Menopause Champions who can help drive initiatives and positive awareness.”

In May, Barrhead’s sales and marketing director Nicki Tempest-Mitchell interviewed leading menopause specialist Dr Naomi Potter at a session for staff of Internova Travel Group, Barrhead’s parent company.