Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

What is it?

Designed to help you stay happy and healthy, the Employee Assistance Programme, available to all employees and provided by Care first, can offer valuable support in all areas of your life, such as coping with pressures at work, relationship breakdowns, or money worries.

It gives you access to a team of specialists - all trained by Citizens Advice - who can provide immediate practical information and advice around issues affecting you at home or at work.

If needed, you can call the 24/7 counselling helpline and talk to a trained counsellor from The British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) to get in the moment (emotional) support during difficult times.

EAP is available as part of your employer’s Group Income Protection policy.

This service is a non-contractual benefit Aviva can change or withdraw at any time. This service is available to employees who are permanent residents of Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man.

Group Income Protection, provides financial support and rehabilitation services to insured employees if they're absent from work due to an illness or injury. Discover more about Group Income Protection.

What are the features of EAP?

24/7 counselling helpline

The Employee Assistance Programme includes access to a 24/7 helpline for in-the-moment support from BACP qualified counsellors, who you can talk to about personal issues. You can also access online resources with advice, articles and webinars on everyday topics, from relationships and childcare to bereavement.

Information services to help address everyday challenges

The programme's information services can equip you with essential knowledge to help you address everyday challenges at work or in your personal life. They aim to answer your queries and offer immediate help, and if necessary, they will refer you to a BACP counsellor.

Online Resources

You can access online resources with advice, articles and webinars on everyday topics, from relationships and childcare to bereavement.

Qualified counsellors

You can talk to BACP accredited counsellors, who can provide in-the-moment advice and support to help you work through your concerns and deal with anxiety or stresses with short-term solution focused therapy. If counselling is clinically appropriate, the EAP offers up to eight counselling sessions a year.

What can EAP help with?

Managing money – Financial issues can have a significant impact on our personal and professional lives. Whether you need guidance on budgeting, credit cards, pensions or savings, the EAP is there to help.
Relationships – The relationships we have with the people around us have a fundamental effect on our lives. When those relationships become strained, whether due to issues such as divorce and separation from a partner, or conflict with a relative, friend or colleague, the EAP can offer guidance and advice to help you through such times.
Moving house – Although it should be simple, buying a house can be one headache after another – but Care first’s advisers are on hand to support you through the process.
Family life – Pregnancy, birth and adoption can all be times of strain and worry. And it might not stop there. Raising children can be the best and yet hardest time of your life. Whether they’re toddlers or teenagers, there may be times when you need advice or guidance. The EAP can help on these and other family issues such as schooling, peer pressure and work/life balance.
Work – What’s the best way to approach a move to a different role? What’s the best way to build relationships with colleagues? How do you best manage work pressures and deadlines? Speak to Care first if you want to discuss any of these topics, or any other issue related to the workplace (please note that Care first can't advise on disputes or dissatisfaction with your employer or their processes).

Returning to work after a break – Whether it’s following maternity leave or an illness, the EAP can offer you useful advice to make the transition back to work that much easier.
Retirement – The transition into retirement can be a time of difficulty and confusion for some. Whether it is about helping you adapt to your new financial status or adjusting emotionally to the next phase of your life, you need to make sure you’re as best prepared as you can be.
Family crises – A family crisis can sometimes be overwhelming. Bereavement, disputes and caring for relatives are all sensitive topics that the EAP counsellors can help with.
Personal crises – You don’t have to go through an unexpected personal tragedy such as divorce, abuse or racial discrimination alone. If you find yourself faced with a sensitive personal issue, please talk to one of the EAP counsellors.
Illness and injury – Suffering from an illness or injury, is a difficult time in anyone’s life. Whether it’s you that is ill, or someone close the EAP can lend support, assistance and guidance through the hardest times.

How can I access this service?

The Employee Assistance Programme is available 24 hours a day, 365 days

a year on 0800 015 5630*

The Information Specialist service is available Monday - Friday 8am to 8pm.

The Counselling helpline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

or visit eap-carefirst.com

To enter the website, please use the login details below.

Password - carefirst

*Calls to this number are free of charge from UK landlines and mobile phones. Calls are confidential unless Care first believe there is a risk of serious harm to anyone, and they may take appropriate action if needed.