HELP is a free and confidential service available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

HELP will provide counselling over the phone or in person, depending on the needs of the individual.  We encourage all employees to utilise this service for support, to help relieve pressures and/or to assist with personal problems. 

From 1 December 2021

24 hours a day 365 days a year call freephone 0800 032 9849

Web access coming soon

• All NES Employees
• Eligible Employees’ spouses and partners;
• Other dependant family members living in the Employees’ household including but not limited to parents, siblings and children;
• Children over 16 of the Eligible Employees who may be living with a former partner
• Children over 16 who are dependant students living away from home
• Where Employees are aged under 21 and living in the family home the Eligible Employees’ brothers or sisters also living with her or him in that home
• But excluding in all cases persons under the age of 16
• Onward counselling, legal and financial information and advice is not provided to immediate family

Yes, the following family members can access HELP

• Eligible Employees’ spouses and partners;
• Other dependant family members living in the Employees’ household including but not limited to parents, siblings and children;
• Children over 16 of the Eligible Employees who may be living with a former partner
• Children over 16 who are dependant students living away from home
• Where Employees are aged under 21 and living in the family home the Eligible Employees’ brothers or sisters also living with her or him in that home
• But excluding in all cases persons under the age of 16
• Onward counselling, legal and financial information and advice is not provided to immediate family

Onward counselling, legal and financial information and advice is not provided to immediate family.

Advice and counselling are delivered using the following methods depending on which is most appropriate.

• Telephone
• Face to face
• On-line

All client information will be kept in confidence and not disclosed to third parties with the following exceptions:

• client gives express permission for release of personal and sensitive information
• counsellor considers there is a risk of serious harm, either to the client or to others
• client discloses serious criminal activity
• client discloses something that, by law, the counsellor has to share with the proper authorities

• To speak to a qualified counsellor
• To be asked some details to enable us to set up a confidential record in your name, so any subsequent calls can be linked and no further details required if you call again
• To have an individual assessment of your needs (up to 30 minutes)
• To be offered immediate emotional support
• To be sign posted to relevant helping organisations
• To be offered further support if required/agreed

Further support may include:

• A follow up call back
• Referral for telephone or face to face counselling
• A call back on a legal issue
• A call back on a debt/financial issue

HELP covers a range of information and support on the following:

• Alcohol and drug misuse
• Bereavement
• Bullying and harassment
• Childcare
• Debt and money management worries
• Eldercare
• Sickness absence
• Legal /consumer issues
• Relationships
• Retirement
• Stress
• Trauma
• Work life balance
• Health and wellbeing

Yes, HELP provides coaching for managers supporting team members through issues Managers can call 0800 032 9849 for advice about how best to provide support to an employee/ manage a difficult situation. 

Management Support is also available on the website Optimise