FINANCIAL ADVICE

Our Support Line can provide consultations and referral services for a wide range of financial issues. Qualified Financial Advisors are available to discuss common issues including:

• Household budgeting; making ends meet – keeping track of personal spending – working towards financial budgets etc.
• Borrowing Money & Debt management; prioritising debt – minimising expensive debt – engaging with lenders when things go off track
• Saving & investing – understanding possible risks – ensuring that products are suitable for them
• Life assurance /income replacement/ protecting loved ones – is the level of coverage adequate? understanding employers' benefits
• Exiting the workforce; voluntary leaving decisions – exiting through a right-sizing programme – assessing their income needs after they leave
• Retirement planning; will their projected income be sufficient? – protecting themselves against investment losses – entitlement to state benefits

Our partner for financial services is a qualified financial & tax adviser with a wealth of relevant experience in personal financial planning, taxation and more. Our financial expert can help with any financial queries anyone may have or can advise as to where they can access the most appropriate support (e.g. for personal insolvency issues). The most common queries received include household budgeting, difficulty with borrowings, saving & investment queries, retirement planning, financial protection (such as life assurance), and tax advice.

LIFE COACHING

Life Coaching is a unique and convenient tool to assist people in achieving their goals. Life Coaching is appropriate for those who are ready to take action in their lives.

It is designed to promote self-awareness, clarify visions, values, intentions, and goals, and enhance life skills. Whilst not to be confused with counselling, Life Coaching can be valuable during personal or professional change. Coaching is a process in which an individual gets support while learning to achieve a specific personal or professional result or goal. Coaching is not counselling or therapy. Coaching, like other EAP services, is private and confidential.

Our life coaches have significant experience in dealing with a variety of issues with people from diverse backgrounds in one-to-one as well as workshop delivery methods. Our life coaches can offer coaching in the following areas:

• Confidence Coaching
• Presentation Skills
• Communication Skills
• Time management & organisation skills 

SUPPORT WITH MANAGEMENT ISSUES 

A particularly useful feature of our 24/7 support line is helping managers deal with employees when there is an emotional component to an issue causing concern. We have found that some managers find it particularly difficult to manage situations involving counselling an employee, which can also blur the boundaries of the manager-employee relationship. Our counsellors can help coach a manager in the best way to deal with others. This support can range like:

• guidance on handling performance issues
• discipline and grievance situations
• managing change within their teams
• breaking bad news to employees
• supporting an employee who is having problems at home
• handling interviews where an employee may become emotional.

Our counsellors can provide professional guidance on what to say and what not to say. They can help a manager appreciate the different perspectives of their employees and give practical guidance and advice on how to deal with the situation. Often managers find that just speaking to an external person in a confidential setting is a great source of pressure release.