Bath Building Society has become the first in its sector to install a digital crisis intervention tool on all its staff computers in a move aimed at strengthening its commitment to employee mental health and suicide prevention.
The society, which employs more than 80 staff in its Queen Square head office and two branches in the city, has deployed the R;pple browser extension on its IT system, adding an extra layer of protection for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis.
When the tool is in place, any online search for harmful content relating to self-harm or suicide is automatically and discreetly intercepted with a simple and calming screen.
The user will then be guided through a filter of breathing exercises and signposted to free, 24/7 mental health services and resources they can access immediately and in the long term.
London-based R;pple was founded by Alice Hendy MBE after losing her brother Josh to suicide at 21 years old.
Josh had been researching techniques to take his own life through harmful internet searches. The tool is now used by more than 1.9m weekly active users across nearly 50 countries and territories and has intercepted close to 50,000 harmful online searches, saving countless lives to suicide.
Bath Building Society CEO Richard Ingle, pictured, said: “Bath Building Society has always played an active part in the community, supporting our members and helping build a better future together. We pride ourselves on doing the same for our colleagues.
“Deploying R;pple at our workstations strengthens our colleague wellbeing program and creates a safety net for them, ensuring no one is left alone in their darkest hours.
“We are excited to join R;pple on their vital mission to save lives and hope that our example will encourage other Building Societies to do the same.
“We are grateful to R;pple for their support and the smooth implementation process. The technology anonymises user searches and does not track or report on personally identifiable data which is a really key aspect for the digital crisis intervention they provide.”
Alice Hendy added: “It’s inspiring to see Bath Building Society’s commitment to suicide prevention, and we are honoured to support them on their journey to creating a safer and healthier work environment.
“Prioritising employee wellbeing and mental health is paramount for any organisation that wants to build a sustainable future.”
Bath Building Society was established in 1904 to offer savings and mortgages to the local community. Today, while it is still considered a small mutual society, it continues to operate successfully, servicing more than 22,000 savings accounts and 1,600 mortgage customers.
