Nationwide has announced a new “first” for the building society which will benefit 16million society members. The high street building society has become the first one to achieve an “Advanced” mental health accessibility rating.
The accolade was awarded by the Money And Mental Health Policy Institute, which says the award recognises the steps Nationwide has taken to “support its customers with mental health problems, and the progress it has made after working with Money and Mental Health to make their services more accessible.”
The award is the second of three levels of “progressively more demanding levels of accreditation” an organisation can achieve. The first is “Essentials”, and the third is “Leading the Way”.
After a previous review of its services, Nationwide implemented steps recommended by the Money and Mental Health Institute, which led to its Advanced rating. According to its report, these included:
Helen Undy, chief executive of Money and Mental Health, said: “We’re delighted that Nationwide has become the first building society to achieve the ‘Advanced’ level of our Mental Health Accreditation.
“We’re really impressed with the progress it has made to make its services more supportive for people with mental health problems, and we will continue to work with them to build on this. When you’re struggling with your mental health, communicating with your bank or building society can be a stressful and energy-draining experience.
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“Common symptoms like feeling easily overwhelmed or having difficulty processing information can make this process feel like an uphill climb. But Nationwide has demonstrated that firms can take steps to recognise the challenges that customers with mental health problems may face and to adapt their support, products, communications and services accordingly.
“With one in four people experiencing a mental health problem each year, it’s vital that firms have services which are accessible and inclusive to a large proportion of their customer base. Money and Mental Health is keen to work with other firms across the financial services and essential services sectors to improve their services for customers with mental health problems, whether that’s through our Accreditation programme or through bespoke projects, including for smaller firms.”
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Kathryn Townsend, Nationwide’s Head of Customer Vulnerability, added: “We recognise there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution to supporting customers with mental health problems.
“We are proud to be working with the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute and their community of people with lived experience of mental health conditions as we continue to take steps to make our services easier to use and more supportive.
“We are delighted to have become the first building society to achieve the ‘advanced’ mental health accessibility rating because it is further tangible evidence of Nationwide making banking fairer and accessible for all.”
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