Maria (not her real name) worked for Health Assured as a counsellor for several years.<\/p>\n
She told us it was not unusual for representatives from corporate clients – companies that had already engaged Health Assured to provide services for their employees – to be allowed to listen in to helpline calls to see how the service was being run.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe whole premise of the helpline is that it\u2019s confidential, but the [callers] never knew,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was never disclosed. It\u2019s so unethical.\u201d<\/p>\n
The corporate clients were offered the opportunity to listen to calls – during which confidential information could be disclosed – sometimes to \u201csmooth things over\u201d following a complaint, another ex-employee told us.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were told [a corporate client] was going to be listening in. In that case, the counsellor knew as we wanted to make sure she was on her \u2018A-game\u2019 but the caller was never made aware.\u201d<\/p>\n
The helpline is designed to offer employees support with personal problems – such as bullying, bereavement or depression.<\/p>\n
Sources told us that on more than one occasion, the corporate clients themselves became distressed after hearing the calls and required support from Health Assured counsellors.<\/p>\n
As one former employee put it: \u201cIf there was a high-risk or suicide call, [the person listening in] ended up being traumatised by it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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The Health Assured website says it is committed to privacy and data protection principles, and that these helplines are \u201cnecessarily confidential – privacy laws and ethics dictate this\u201d.<\/p>\n
It also says callers \u201ccan rest assured that anything they may say\u2026will go no further than the advisor they speak to \u201d.<\/p>\n
In a statement, Health Assured told the BBC the practice of corporate clients listening to \u201climited parts of initial helpline calls\u201d was done \u201cin good faith\u201d to \u201cdemonstrate quality assurance\u201d, but admitted it was not company policy and said it would not happen again.<\/p>\n
It strongly disputed any suggestion that it breached the confidentiality of callers, adding that \u201csuitable\u2026 agreements were in place with [those] who live-listened to elements of the calls\u201d.<\/p>\n
It did not say whether consent was sought, or comment on whether sensitive personal information was disclosed during the calls.<\/p>\n
In addition to corporate clients, counsellors applying to work at Health Assured were allowed to listen to live helpline calls as part of an open recruitment day without the knowledge or permission of the callers. This occurred as recently as February this year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
Health Assured Limited<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nA Health Assured recruitment day in February 2024 advertised “live call listening”<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\n
Terry Hanley, Professor of Counselling Psychology at the University of Manchester told the BBC he thought the practice was \u201cvery questionable\u201d and \u201cunnecessary\u201d given how easy it was to adopt \u201cmore sensitive\u201d alternatives.<\/p>\n
Health Assured told the BBC it was done to ensure candidates were \u201ccapable of effectively supporting the types of calls we handle\u201d and that it was \u201centirely appropriate\u201d because they were qualified counsellors, subject to ethical standards and \u201cstringent confidentiality agreements\u201d.<\/p>\n
Health Assured is part of the Peninsula Group, an HR, employment law, and health and safety consultancy based in Manchester. The founder and group CEO is Peter Done, founder of High Street gambling firm, Betfred.<\/p>\n
In February, Health Assured won a \u00a32m contract to provide emotional support services to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry. The inquiry terminated the contract in March 2024, two weeks after the original BBC investigation. It told the BBC it had exercised an option common to these types of contracts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n