CiC To Offer Organisations Specialist Cancer Counselling In New Partnership, UK

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 05 Mar 2008 - 3:00 PDT

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CiC, one of the UK's leading Employee Assistance Programme Providers (http://www.cic-eap.co.ukis working with The Cancer Counselling Trust (CCT)* to launch a new partnership as part of its EAP service.

CiC already provides a high level of generic counselling support services to over 300,000 individuals throughout the public, private and voluntary sectors through its 24 hour confidential helpline. This proposed partnership will mean that CiC will now also be able to provide specialist cancer counselling to corporations through CCT's trained counsellors.

With one in three people being diagnosed with cancer during their lives, cancer is fast becoming a real concern in the workplace. This number is predicted to rise to one in two, and this initiative is clearly a highly proactive way of preparing for the future. Numerous studies, including one conducted by the World Health Organisation, have shown that depression is common in patients with life threatening and chronic illness. For employees who have just been through a cancer diagnosis, whether it is their own or a close friend / family member, it can have a huge impact on their lives, and many find themselves unable to manage at work. However it is not just the individual employee that can be affected. Employers are also often unsure of how to support their staff and colleagues can also find it difficult to know what to say or how to respond.

The NHS waiting list for general counselling is often six to nine months. This unique partnership between CiC and CCT allows organisations to have the option of specialist counselling over the telephone straight away, through support lines or CCT's crisis line that can be used after initial diagnosis. It also means organisations have access to face-to-face counselling sessions for staff teams in all areas, from diagnosis through to the impact of different types of cancer and the psychological effects. CCT are also a signposting organisation helping with other means of support that individuals may need such as additional medical support or financial support.

With the government recognising that more people are now surviving cancer or living with it for many years, and that individuals may require different means of support from those that have been traditionally available, the partnership is seen to be highly pro-active in the arena of health and government objectives. The Government's Cancer Reform Strategy which was unveiled at the end of last year asserts that action needs to be taken to improve the level of support and advice on issues such as returning to work.

Together CiC and CCT want to take steps towards making this happen and ensure that everyone benefits.

* The Cancer Counselling Trust is the only national charity with the remit to provide free specialist counselling for those affected by cancer and their family and friends. Cancer Counselling Trust

http://www.cic-eap.co.uk