People Directorate

You will initially be given a list of options to choose from. Your call will then be answered by a clinical co-ordinator, who will assess your needs and direct you to the appropriate service. If the right person isn’t available they will arrange for you to be called back at the best time for you. Although some basic details are taken from everyone that calls the service, this information is not provided to the University.

What happens if there is no clinical team member free to take a call?

Should this happen, you will be given an option to either remain on hold until a clinical team member becomes available or to leave a voicemail to request a call back. Alternatively you can access the Wellbeing Hub to book a callback from a counsellor.

All directly employed members of staff can use the service.  If you are unsure if you are eligible to access the service, please email wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk

In addition the service is available to the following:

1. Your partner or spouse and other family members living in the same household with you.
2. Your dependant children in full time education living away from home between the ages of 16 – 23 years.

These individuals have access to the full service including:

• My HealthHero App - Register using the same details provided for staff
• Use of the telephone line
• Access to In the Moment Support
• Access up to 6 sessions of Brief Intervention Therapy in a 12-month period
• Couples counselling available for you and your partner/spouse

All contact is confidential and the University of Manchester is not provided with any details as to who has accessed the service, My HealthHero app or The Wellbeing Hub. The only statistics shared is the number of people utilising the service.

The only exception would be where there was a serious risk of harm to the caller or others. In such circumstances the counsellor will always seek guidance before breaching confidentiality.

The 24/7 helpline is provided by HealthHero Assist. Calls will be handled by an experienced advisor or therapist who will offer support in confidence.

To start the conversation if counselling provided by Health Hero would be appropriate, you can:

• Book a counselling appointment via the My HealthHero app
• Telephone the helpline and advise you are seeking counselling support

To understand if the Health Hero service will be the right support for you, a member of the counselling team will complete a short assessment with you over the phone to understand the support you need, this is usually between 30-45 minutes. This is an opportunity for you to discuss what you would like to use the counselling for and what issues you may want to focus on with the sessions available (up to 6 sessions per year). 

Please note: a short risk assessment for your safety will be completed in this conversation as standard safety practice.

Once the assessment is complete, the counsellor will discuss with you whether the counselling provided by Health Hero titled ‘Solution-Focused Brief Therapy’ can meet your needs. If agreed between you and the counsellor, a referral will then be made and you will then be contacted by a member of the counselling team who will book in to meet with you for up to 6 sessions. This means you will meet with the same counsellor, usually on a weekly basis and at the same time each week.

Find out more about ‘Solution- Focused Brief Therapy’

For some individuals, accessing a single session of counselling may be more appropriate. This is called ‘In-the-Moment Support’

In-the-moment support (ITMS) refers to immediate, real-time emotional or psychological support provided when person makes contact. It is offered as part of the assessment process when other clinical options are not appropriate for the presenting issue(s). In these cases, instead of referring the person to a structured therapy option, the counsellor provides ITMS to offer immediate relief and emotional containment. This will also include discussing next steps (such as signposting), self-care strategies, and workplace support. This approach supports early intervention and provides space for the person to gain perspective.

Find out more about ‘In-the-Moment Support’

HealthHero Assist counsellors are all professionally qualified and very experienced. They usually have a lot of life experience and have worked in different types of organisations so that when they are supporting you, in a single session or structured counselling, they are also able to help you consider ongoing support options for when your counselling comes to an end with the Employee Assistance Programme.

The only information the university will receive is in the form of high level statistical and reporting information, essentially to confirm whether the service is being used and the types of calls. No individual identifying information is provided.

If you have a speech impediment or hearing difficulty, please download the Relay UK App to contact the service.

HealthHero Assist have a Live Chat function where you can ask general questions about the service.

Please note you cannot receive counselling sessions via the Live Chat function.