'Eavesdropping' workplace helpline has accreditation suspended

The UK’s biggest provider of workplace mental health services has had its counselling service accreditation suspended by an industry body following a BBC investigation.

The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) confirmed it was investigating Health Assured after the BBC shared information that “suggested potential serious breaches” of its ethical framework.

In July, the BBC revealed Health Assured allowed strangers to "eavesdrop" on confidential calls by listening in to the helpline without the knowledge or permission of callers.

Health Assured told the BBC it welcomed the BACP investigation and looked forward to demonstrating its “compliance with all industry standards”.

Employee Assistance Programme services (EAPs) are intended to help employees deal with personal problems that might impact their wellbeing and performance at work.

Health Assured provides EAP services - including a helpline and short-term counselling - to 13 million workers across the UK and Ireland.

The accreditation suspension does not impact on the company’s membership of the BACP or its ability to provide counselling services.

But Health Assured used the fact that it was the only BACP accredited EAP as a unique selling point when selling its services to companies.

The company was subject of an investigation by the BBC Radio 4's File on 4 programme.

A Health Assured counsellor previously told the BBC it was not unusual for corporate clients - representatives from 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.

Counsellors who worked at the company told the BBC the practice was “highly inappropriate” and “unethical”. Lawyers said it also risked breaching privacy and data protection laws.

“The whole premise of the helpline is that it’s confidential, but the [callers] never knew,” one former counsellor told us.

“It was never disclosed. It’s so unethical.”

Corporate clients were sometimes offered the opportunity to listen to calls - during which confidential information could be disclosed - to “smooth things over” following a complaint, another ex-employee told the BBC.

“We 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 ‘A game’ but the caller was never made aware.”

At the time, Health Assured told the BBC the practice was “not in line with company policy” and said it had “taken steps to ensure it will not happen in future”.

It strongly disputed that the practice breached the confidentiality or privacy of its users, adding that clients listened to “limited parts of initial helpline calls”.

The BBC was contacted by scores of people - including 30 current and former employees of Health Assured and its parent company - after we reported claims in March that helpline calls from vulnerable callers were not always handled properly.

In a statement, the BACP told the BBC it is "crucial" that therapists and counselling services work to high professional standards, adding that the suspension would remain in place until the investigation had been completed.

The investigation could result in conditions on Health Assured's membership or permanent withdrawal of the counselling service's accreditation.

Health Assured's CEO Bertrand Stern-Gillet said: "We have always maintained an open-door policy towards the BACP and all industry bodies and look forward to demonstrating our compliance with all industry standards.

"In line with its procedures, the BACP has suspended Health Assured’s organisational accreditation while it carries out its enquiries.

"We look forward to working with the BACP and demonstrating both our commitment to meeting and exceeding all their standards, as well as highlighting the additional steps we have taken in recent months."

For more listen to File on 4's investigation on BBC Sounds.