Ben charity interview: It’s OK to not be OK

Before joining Ben, Claire France had spent 15 years working for local authorities on the troubled families’ agenda but felt frustrated speaking to so many people who desperately needed support with insufficient funds to help them. Claire made the move to Ben five years ago, becoming a roaming support advisor and relished being able to make a real difference to people in need. She went on to work with Ben’s helpline and now heads-up the charity’s support services. “I’ve never looked back – it’s the best thing I have ever done. It’s not a ‘boxed in’ service, we look at each person, their situations and difficulties and tailor everything we do to help them along that journey – to get them back on track.”

Ben’s health & wellbeing support is available to workshop owners and technicians, and everyone who works (or has worked) in the automotive industry and their family dependents. It provides a helpline, support service and online self-help for money worries, mental health, wellbeing and addresses key issues such as loneliness and bereavement. People can also sign up to Ben’s ‘tips, advice & tools’ (www.ben.org.uk/sign-up) to receive support for relevant issues straight to their email inbox.

Ben’s helpline operates from 8am till 8pm, offering a bespoke service. “The helpline team will support people from the moment they make contact – over the phone, via webchat or email and they give immediate information, advice and guidance. We have people who call up about the same thing but the reason why they have come to us is different. It’s about listening to each person and letting them open up. Once people have come through to the helpline and we can see that they need more support, a dedicated case manager will take them through the entire journey with Ben and get them the help they need. Each person has a detailed holistic assessment on all areas of their lives to really understand what’s going on so we can fully support them. Someone may be experiencing financial difficulties but that could be because they’ve been furloughed and they are isolated and this then has a real impact on their mental health and wellbeing. It’s about getting them practical support around their finances but also exploring their mental health and emotional wellbeing, to fully support them.”

“What we’re seeing a lot of at the moment, are people who started their journey with Ben but, due to COVID-19, so many things have changed. We’ve seen relationship break ups, people losing their jobs so it’s about staying in touch with each person so that they feel better about their lives, know where they’re heading and feel more in control.

A COVID hub has proven popular with users – including information on redundancies, finances, working from home, stress and building resilience, you can access this here https:// bit.ly/3gLoQkn. The most searched topics on Ben’s website include anxiety, depression, money worries and sleep –https:// bit.ly/3gHlZZC.

As demand for Ben’s support has increased, it has developed its services to meet the needs of automotive industry people. "We now have a dedicated, specialist team focusing on delivering mental health support, including in-house delivery of a mental health assessment service and an online support platform. This is in addition to our helpline and support services team, through which people can access life coaching and counselling depending on their circumstances. In some cases, the team support people to access long-term condition management which is sometimes through the clients’ GP and the NHS".

As local authority provision has reduced, Ben has been stepping in. “Last week on the helpline we had somebody contact us who was fleeing domestic abuse. They had two children with learning difficulties and disabilities and the local authority couldn’t help them. They would have had to wait two days for something that was an emergency. We made them safe, got them into emergency accommodation and ensured they had food. This person had left that morning, had no money and nowhere to go. We provided the essentials. That’s the kind of thing the helpline and case managers are providing - emergency assistance.”

The charity is also helping people with mental health issues who are being told by their GP that they can access counselling but could be on a waiting list for months. “If people can’t access the help they need soon enough, the situation can get more difficult. We’ve seen a significant increase in people coming to us who are experiencing thoughts about self-harm or suicide, and we’re there for them so they can get the support they need.”

Ben’s services have seen a surge in demand, with a huge amount of people reaching out for support with anxiety and depression, but also financial worries. Mental health has been the primary issue for people this year.

“From the moment they reach out to us we start to prepare and plan their journey. We talk to them about their situation, get the documents and information in place straight away and assign them a case manager. The case manager will then do a full holistic assessment with them to explore the support they need.

“For example, if a person is facing redundancy and it’s had a real impact on their mental health, we may take them through a mental health assessment and then it may be recommended that they access our online support platform. They may also need to work with one of our life coaches. After all, work forms such a huge part of our lives! They’ll also be provided with all the practical things they need too, including looking at or developing their CV and help with their job search. We also help give people the confidence and empower them to land their new role. In addition, we offer information, advice and guidance to support people manage their household bills and talk to their lenders/creditors so they can prepare for any transition period. As an example, we had someone get in touch recently who had been working at a small independent workshop for 25 years and needed to find a new job. Understandably, this person had no idea how to do an online job application and this had a huge impact on their health and wellbeing. It was about giving them the tools and resources to build their confidence but also offer practical support too.”

"The charity offers a helping hand for as long as it’s needed. Ben’s support is not time limited, some people may be given immediate advice and not need anything more, but for those who need it, they can be supported over a longer period of time by our case managers."

The charity needs £4 million a year to ensure its services are fully funded and relies on corporate and individual donations in the form of one-off or regular donations, payroll giving as well as through fundraising challenges. People can also support Ben’s vital work by taking part in its Lucky Lotto – pay just £1 a week to be in with a chance of winning £25,000 every week.

The charity recently issued a rallying cry for support from the industry due to the situation with COVID-19 which meant it had seen a £1 million shortfall in funds. Ben has been bowled over by the response which has raised just under £0.5million, meaning the deficit now stands at half the amount. The team understands that not everyone can support Ben financially at the moment but says raising awareness within the workplace is also vital – everyone can do something to help.

We end our interview by asking Claire if she had any advice for readers who may feel embarrassed or unsure about seeking support. “Someone we supported some time ago said to us ‘It’s OK not be OK’. I think that’s such a key statement – if anyone’s struggling, reach out to us. The first step is the hardest but once you’ve actually started, we can make such a difference and give you so much support. You’re not on your own – so many people go through so many different things and they don’t talk about it, but they need to. The moment you start talking about what’s happening to you, it becomes easier. We can support you – just reach out.”

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“My wife noticed I was coming home each day and wasn’t myself, often feeling low and struggling to cope with doing normal things. I just couldn’t find the energy to do anything. My wife was getting upset, saying it was painful to see me like this. She could see I needed help.

“After feeling low for a long time, I had to have some time off work. I remembered that I had seen a Ben leaflet at work, so I decided to give them a call.

“Once I started to open up to the Ben helpline advisor, it was such a relief. They were so calm and understanding. While we were talking, it became clear that I was feeling like this because of several issues in both my work and personal life.

“Along with a very heavy workload and no rest from it, I had also suffered the loss of two family members within months of each other, with one passing away a week before I was due to get married. With pressure from work and several stresses in my personal life, it all built up and I was feeling down at a time when I should have been at my happiest. I felt lost, worthless and couldn’t face even the smallest task.

“The helpline advisor at Ben said I needed support and guidance on how to improve the way I felt and assured me they would

do everything to help. The pressure felt like it was lifting straight away. I was referred to a Ben client support advisor who worked with me on a one-to-one basis.

“After helping me to take a step back and refocus, I’m now able to stop things building up and try to address issues when they arise. It took a bit of time and work to get where I am now, but I feel more able to manage my stress, so it doesn’t build up. I’m now enjoying life, especially spending quality time with my wife and daughter.

“Now I’m back at work, I have a much better approach where I don’t worry about things I can’t change, and I tell my manager if I’m struggling with my workload.

“If I could give one piece of advice to anyone in a similar situation, I’d say contact Ben. I wished I had called sooner.”

If you’re suffering from stress or pressure, please get in touch. You don’t have to suffer in silence, we are here for you.

Your support is more important than ever and whether you’re making a donation, playing Ben’s Lucky Lotto or taking on a challenge, Do It 4 Ben and you’ll make a huge difference to someone’s life right now. Find out more at www.ben.org.uk/support-us.

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To find out more and sign up, visit:http://ben.org.uk