{"id":468885,"date":"2022-11-14T06:50:36","date_gmt":"2022-11-14T06:50:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/?p=468885"},"modified":"2022-11-11T10:04:37","modified_gmt":"2022-11-11T10:04:37","slug":"procurement-firms-to-be-quizzed-on-mental-health-safeguards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/health-and-safety\/mind-matters\/procurement-firms-to-be-quizzed-on-mental-health-safeguards-14-11-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"Procurement: firms to be quizzed on mental health safeguards"},"content":{"rendered":"

Framework provider Pagabo has committed to incorporate mental health safeguards into its procurement processes in a bid to improve the sector\u2019s \u201cless than perfect\u201d track record on employee wellbeing.<\/span><\/p>\n

The move was sparked by a<\/span> report last month<\/span><\/a> from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Issues Affecting Men and Boys, which recommended that more stringent mental health provisions on mental health should be written into construction contracts.<\/span><\/p>\n

The group said details of contractors\u2019 mental health provisions should be incorporated to help tackle a \u201cnational emergency\u201d within the sector.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pagabo group chief executive Gerard Toplass said that asking questions about mental health was one of the best ways of improving accountability among construction firms.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDuring my time in the industry, I have never seen a contract clause with a specific reference to mental health in it \u2013 there are [clauses on] good practices and health and safety at work, but nothing on mental health,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s a good idea to introduce a mental health narrative into all contracts so that all businesses within the supply chain are asked to demonstrate how they are looking after their people during projects.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Toplass said that despite the industry\u2019s \u201cless than perfect\u201d track record on mental health support, things were set to change, with senior professionals leading by example.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAt Pagabo we have the opportunity to champion change and set the standard by crafting high-quality questions to ensure the tender process is more competitive and mindful of staff wellbeing,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe must be asking \u2018how do you?\u2019 and not just \u2018do you?\u2019 We can weight questions to help demonstrate to suppliers how important their answers are \u2013 the same way we already do with social value, for example.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He said that different parts of the supply chain carried stress at different times, with those specialising in bidding and pre-construction service agreements exposed to stress that \u201ccould easily boil over\u201d into more sustained mental health problems.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Pagabo Foundation was on a mission to build mental health awareness within the industry, he said, and initiatives launched to date had been oversubscribed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAll the signs are encouraging but there is no time to waste because people need support now,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Framework provider Pagabo has committed to incorporate mental health safeguards into its procurement processes in a bid to improve the sector\u2019s \u201cless than perfect\u201d track record on employee wellbeing. The move was sparked by a report last month from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Issues Affecting Men and Boys, which recommended that more stringent mental …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":130832,"featured_media":438589,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false},"categories":[565,581,577,57171],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n