Heidi Stewart, BHSF Group CEO, says employers need to put their people first
BHSF is a not-for-profit health and wellbeing provider with a long and proud history of making healthcare accessible to working people. Today, it makes a positive impact on workplace wellbeing – helping to keep employees physically, mentally and financially healthy.
At the helm is Heidi Stewart, Group Chief Executive Officer, with a reputation as an inspirational businesswoman and mental health advocate who has taken a non-traditional route to her current position.
With the support of The Prince’s Trust, Stewart set up her own business at the age of 16. For almost 20 years Stewart was a business development director, leading teams for some of the UK’s largest private and public sector outsources and charities before becoming the first group CEO of BHSF. This included sitting on the government’s Mental Health Taskforce to drive improvements in mental health services as director of Rethink Mental Illness.
Believing in people
Stewart believes everyone can succeed in the job that is right for them if they are given a supportive environment. This doesn’t always mean employees need to have a minimum requirement of a GCSE in Maths and English.
She says: “We have removed this requirement where we can because people don’t always all fit into the neat boxes. People are clever in different ways, and I wanted to create an atmosphere where this is nurtured and where everyone can contribute positively to the culture of BHSF.
“As a leader, I don’t want to exclude people because of their history. I am much more interested in what they can do in their future.”
Leading by example
Heidi uses the same principles for the business that she uses in her leadership – to lead by example. BHSF employees are encouraged to make use of all the services the company provides. From mental health and wellbeing to financial wellbeing, BHSF’s services are designed to let employees control their own access to the support offered.
“Companies today need to do more than simply provide a safe environment for their team to work in,” says Stewart.
“The explosion in the number of people needing mental health referrals since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and the deepening cost-of-living crisis, highlights the duty of care that employers have to provide support services that offer the best in mental health support.
“The NHS is overloaded and cannot keep up with demand for this type of service, so providing employees with access to an external provider that can provide this support, in confidence, means your workforce is happier, healthier and more productive.”
Occupational health services
Occupational health (OH) is also changing. In 2021, The Department for Health and Social Care and DWP announced a pilot subsidy scheme for small- and medium-sized business to provide OH services. It has now been extended.
Consultations are investigating regulations to require employers to provide OH services. This will consider a process of kitemarking and professional accreditation to assure quality of these services.
Stewart says: “BHSF is proud that its clinically trained OH team delivers some of the best services in the industry, supporting customers across a wide range of industries. The variety of services that can provide under the OH banner is significant, including seasonal vaccination programmes, health screenings, medicals, virtual clinics, and much more. We can even help our customers develop their own OH policies that help to protect both employee and employer.”
The opportunity to accelerate a digital transformation is key to BHSF’s future.
“Customers today have high expectations of how quickly and easily they want to access services and this includes health and wellbeing,” she says.
Our Digital First approach is about making everyday transactions, such as submitting a claim for our health cash plan, simple, easy and fast. I am interested in the power of machine learning to give our customers a truly personalised experience online with content, services and support all tailored to their specific needs, such as those first entering the world of work through to thinking about retirement and all the life milestones in between.
“However, this is not about moving all of our services online, but more about automating some things to free up people to focus on supporting those customers that need face to face support.”
