SRA highlights importance of wellbeing for professionals

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has launched a package of support to help solicitors who may be experiencing mental health issues. "Your health, your career" is designed to raise awareness of the support available to solicitors.

This new initiative highlights the importance of managing the risks of ill health at an early stage. The types of support available from the SRA include:

• a “one-stop shop” webpage providing help and directing people to support;
• extending deadlines where possible and ensuring communication is sensitively handled; and
• practical, helpful advice from the SRA's Professional Ethics team.

Paul Philip, SRA chief executive, said: "Solicitors have responsible and challenging roles, often in high pressure environments. That can take its toll on health and wellbeing, which can have a real impact at work. As the regulator, we want to make sure solicitors are properly supported to do the best job they can. That means making it as easy as possible for people to let us know if things are getting difficult, and to find the right support at the right time. […] So we are putting in place a package of measures to help. We can provide a dedicated person to work with, talk regularly, look at extending deadlines when we can, signpost to help, and communicate in a way that suits best.”